A Memorial Day thank you from a native son

Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, commemorates the men and women who have died while in military service to the United States. It was first enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War. After World War I, the day was extended to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

What began as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the Civil War has blossomed into an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visit the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they have served in the military or not.

This development is especially important today, as the global war on terrorism affects much more than the armed forces and various Department of Defense agencies.

Without question, it includes our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, firefighters, and emergency response personnel. Our nation's first responders have also demonstrated their unwavering service, bravery, and sacrifice, and I would like to personally acknowledge their efforts in light of the upcoming 10th anniversary of 9/11.

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Alone together

The geography and population of the Brattleboro area makes it hard to connect. And this lack of connection and interaction at an everyday level is exacerbating the issue

When I moved to Brattleboro for school this past August, I became intrigued by how the gay scene compared to the one in my home in Chicago. The first result of a quick Google search came up with information for the Brattleboro Men's Program, an offshoot of the AIDS...

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Camping, hiking season begins in Vermont

The Memorial Day weekend just past marked the official start of the camping and hiking season in the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) and the Long Trail. While campers may find some wet spots, forest roads are in very good shape considering the amount of rain that has fallen...

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Deepening roots

Entering its 12th year - “an even dozen fun-filled years,” according to organizer Ray Massucco - Roots on the River has expanded to include “at least 50 percent” free music and a regional lineup in downtown Bellows Falls. The festival takes place this year on the weekend of June 9-12 in and around Bellows Falls and Rockingham. As has been the case for every year of the festival, Canadian alt-country hero Fred Eaglesmith is the headliner on Friday, Saturday, and...

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A full schedule of events for Strolling of the Heifers weekend

In 10 years, the Strolling of the Heifers has grown into a full weekend of activities, taking place this year on June 3-5. What started as a small post-parade festival has become an 11-acre country fair called the “Live Green Expo,” which will include the screening of finalist entries in the Strolling of the Heifers Farm/Food Short Film Festival. And on Sunday of Stroll Weekend, a set of fundraising bicycle tours through farm country, the Tour de Heifer, will raise...

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The opposite of cowardice

There is nothing quite like serendipity. April 29, 1975  is the day that the last U.S. helicopters took off from the South Vietnam capital of Saigon, and returned home. April 29 also happened to be the day that two local men very much involved in the Vietnam War, Alan Carter and Dr. Thomas Hoskins, visited my social studies class at Brattleboro Union High School. Carter had gone to South Vietnam as an embassy worker, while Hoskins had gone as a...

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Landmark College gets a new president

Come July 1, Dr. Peter Eden will replace Dr. Lynda J. Katz as Landmark College's president. Eden, the dean of arts and sciences and a professor of biotechnology at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., was the unanimous choice of the Board of Trustees of the two-year college for students with dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), or other specific learning disabilities. In a news release, Trustees Chair Charles Manley praised Eden, a scholar of microbiology, molecular biology, and neurobiology, as...

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Windham County added to Vermont disaster declaration request

Late last week, Windham County was added to Gov. Peter Shumlin's request to President Obama for federal disaster aid, according to Westminster Town Manager Sonia Alexander. A brief, but intense, thunderstorm that dumped more than 4 inches of rain on Westminster West and adjoining parts of Rockingham and Saxtons River on May 20 led to flash flooding and massive washouts, particularly on Westminster's Bemis Hill, Hitchcock and Kimball Hill, and Hartley Hill roads, as well as in Rockingham at the...

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Smart grid: A more intelligent approach to energy usage

What if the electric meter on the side of your home - the one with the indecipherable dials and the spinning disk in the center - suddenly became a device that could tell you clearly how much power your home were using? What if it could tell you when the cheapest power rates were available? What if it could even tell the utility company when your power was out and guide repair crews to the downed line? Turning your electric...

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Service runs in the family for Hodgdons

Richard Hodgdon, commandant of the Marine Corps League, Brattleboro Unit 798, and a decorated Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War, has served as the master of ceremonies for the annual Memorial Day service for the past several years. But Monday was the first time that Hodgdon had the honor of introducing his son as the keynote speaker for the service. Lt. Col. Scot Hodgdon, an Army aviator who has served for nearly 20 years and recently wrapped...

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SeVEDS Post-VY task group discusses role in larger economic strategy

At its May 24 meeting, members of the Post-Vermont Yankee task force of the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategy (SeVEDS) discussed how the task force fit within, yet remained distinct from, the larger region-wide SeVEDS process. SeVEDS was launched three years ago to identify the economic challenges facing Windham County, and to improve the county's sluggish financial environment. According to Jeffrey Lewis, executive director of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp., the county is in the midst of a 20-year recession,

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Trees, please

Cows might be the central attraction of the annual Strolling of the Heifers, but a group of local businesses and agencies are teaming up with the parade's organizers to draw attention to another ubiquitous aspect of Vermont life - the forest. “I grew up in Vermont and I've watched the farming industry do such an amazing job of promoting itself,” said Wim van Loon of East Mountain Forestry in Guilford, who approached the Stroll organizers on behalf of his colleagues...

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Brattleboro Rotary Club hosts exchange team from Pakistan

The Brattleboro Rotary Club hosted a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from Pakistan on May 14-16. The five-person team included a Rotarian group leader named Satwat Butt, who earned his MBA in Michigan and is an executive in the insurance industry, and four young professionals -- Ms. Amina A. Chughtai, Ms. Sobia Nosheen Saleh, Mr. Ali Ashtar Naqvi, and Mr. Syed Irtaza Ali Shah. They stayed with Rotarian host families in Brattleboro and Dummerston for two nights and took part...

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New law makes ‘complete’ streets a priority

It's official: “Complete Streets” rules are now in play. The Complete Streets Act, signed last week by Gov. Peter Shumlin, asks municipalities to make streets safer for pedestrians and bikers. The Vermont AARP was the lead advocate for the legislation, which is particularly aimed at making sidewalks and roads more user-friendly for older pedestrians. Under the new rules, towns will be encouraged to incorporate modifications such as wheelchair ramps and extended crosswalk times into downtown transportation projects. In addition, towns...

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Karl will be missed

The South Londonderry Free Library gratefully acknowledges the generous bequest of Karl Pfister III. Karl was always an enthusiastic supporter of the library, and his presence and contagious laughter will be missed. He was the embodiment of the word “gentleman.” Karl was a gentle man, and a man of science and letters as well. Karl's involvement with the South Londonderry Free Library went back many years, when he and his wife Peg served on the Board of Trustees. They were...

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Governor's Housing the Homeless Summit is open to public

Are you concerned about families or individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within Vermont? Are you among those who are seriously committed to doing what it takes to end homelessness across the state? Are you someone who is currently homeless, formerly homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless? If the answer to one or more of the above questions is in the affirmative, join others at the upcoming Governor's Housing the Homeless Summit to discuss concrete...

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Brattleboro can, and must, plan ahead

At the Brattleboro Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, June 7, Post Oil Solutions will propose the formation of a Sustainable Community Task Force. Our purpose in doing so is to suggest a way in which the Brattleboro community can begin to plan for the transition we'll have to make in the years ahead as we enter an era of energy descent. For at least 100 years, we've been dependent upon abundant, cheap, accessible petroleum for our highly technological, post-industrial, consumer-oriented way...

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Milestones

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. • Francis L. Amidon Sr., 79, of Putney. Died May 23 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Husband of Shirley Thirsher Amidon for 43 years. Father of Francis Amidon Jr. of Florida; and John E. Amidon and his wife, Joyce, of Winchester, N.H. Stepfather of David W. Davis of Putney. Brother of Reginald F. Amidon Sr., Freida...

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State to Entergy: You’re wrong, and too slow to react

On May 23, the Vermont Attorney General's office filed its first response to Entergy Corporation's lawsuit against the state. Entergy is suing the state in a bid to keep Vermont Yankee, the state's sole nuclear power plant, operating beyond the March 21, 2012 scheduled shutdown date set in Vermont statute. In a 26-to-4 vote last year, the Vermont State Senate blocked the Public Service Board from renewing Vermont Yankee's state license after it expires in March 2012. In its 68-page...

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A milestone season for Brattleboro’s lacrosse program

This has been a great year for lacrosse in Brattleboro, as both the girls' and boys' teams are piling up the milestones. Logan George had 12 saves in goal as the Brattleboro boys shut out Otter Valley, 16-0, at Natowich Field on May 23. The win gave the Colonels a 7-0 record in the Marble Valley League and their first MVL championship since 2000. Travis Elliott-Knaggs, Colin Campbell, and Nate Forrett each had 3 goals. Galen Finnerty had 2 goals,

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BEAN Micro-Grant Dinner yields funds for artist Alicia Hunsicker

Attendees at the May 23 BEAN (“Brattleboro Essential Arts Network”) Micro-Grant Dinner at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center awarded a grant of $300 to artist Alicia Hunsicker of Leyden, Mass. According to Hunsicker, the funds will help cover the cost of printing and mailing a large full-color postcard advertising her upcoming exhibition at Brattleboro's Gallery in the Woods. This was the seventh BEAN micro-grant awarded since the program began last fall, and it was the first to be given...

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We fought the bear, and the bear won

The first time a black bear visited our house in the Dummerston woods, about a decade ago, we grabbed our cameras. We watched in fascination while the bear popped the lids off plastic garbage bins as if they were the tops of Pringles containers. Then, we called our neighbors, who put the grandkids in the car and came to watch. The next day, on the front page of the Reformer, there was a picture of our bear with a white...

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The Stroll at 10: Wider horizons, new ideas

Admit it. When you first heard in 2001 about the idea of marching cows down Brattleboro's Main Street, what was your first reaction? Laughter? Disbelief? It all seemed ridiculous at first, but the genesis of the Strolling of the Heifers was anything but silly. As Stroll director Orly Munzing tells the story, she was walking through the Dummerston apple orchard of her neighbor, the late Dwight Miller. Miller, an icon of Windham County agriculture who died in a truck accident...

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Tell our congressional delegation to support hemp farming

Industrial hemp is a 12- to 15-foot-high, bamboo-like plant, a member of the cannabis species. It has no value as a recreational drug whatsoever. It has huge value, however, as a means to remedy global pollution and global warming. It grows in large fields, very densely, 250 plants per square yard. It has a very deep root system. These two qualities create benefits for the next crop in rotation, creating a 10-percent higher yield, since the weeds have been choked...

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YMCA spearheads efforts to create healthy change in Windham County

A set of assessment and planning processes developed by local leaders brought together by Meeting Waters YMCA is helping people who live in Windham County eat healthier and move more. The Healthy Communities Coalition of Windham County, an initiative of Meeting Waters YMCA, is offering five different assessment and planning tools to leaders in a wide variety of systems within our communities. The most comprehensive, the Community Healthy Living Index (CHLI), is a resource designed by YMCA of the USA...

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USDA, Vermont Agency of Agriculture team up to survey for Emerald Ash Borer

If you have wondered why purple, three-sided traps resembling a box kite are hanging in ash trees around Windham County and the rest of Vermont, they are part of a surveillance program undertaken by federal and state agencies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture are partnering to survey for emerald ash borer (EAB), a non-native, wood-boring beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern...

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Green Mountain Power announces deal to buy electricity from Seabrook

Last week, Green Mountain Power, one of Vermont's two biggest electric utilities, struck a deal with NextEra Energy Resources. The purchase power agreement, which must undergo a state rate review, would guarantee a price of 4.66 cents per kilowatt-hour to Green Mountain Power customers for 23 years. The electricity would come from the 1,245-megawatt Seabrook nuclear power plant in southern New Hampshire, owned by NextEra. Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power, lauded the deal, which was forged...

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Wet weather raises concern for return of late blight in Vermont

In light of the heavy rainfall and cool, overcast weather seen through much of May in Vermont, gardeners and commercial growers are reminded of the threat to tomatoes, potatoes, and other solanaceous vegetables from late blight. “The exceptionally cool, damp spring we are experiencing throughout Vermont and New England this year heightens our concern for late blight,” said Tim Schmalz, a plant pathologist with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. “We saw the devastation it can do to a tomato crop...

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Dragons and lightning

Follow your dream. If you don't, there are consequences, “especially if they're dictated by the gods,” said author Willem Lange. Lange will read from his new work, A Dream of Dragons, illustrated by Vermont artist and Caldecott medalist Mary Azarian on Thursday, June 9 at Everyone's Books on Elliot Street. Lange's commentaries are heard regularly on Vermont Public Radio and he writes a column for the Rutland Herald. He has also authored eight books. including Favor Johnson: A Christmas Story.

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From ‘A Dream of Dragons’

A lonely, quiet boy, his spirit stirred by music no one else on the farm could hear. Evenings found him standing on the cliffs, still listening, while the sea breeze stirred his hair. The sky dimmed to its long summer twilight, and seemed to shimmer, as if a breeze disturbed translucent curtains at a window. A moment later the curtains caught fire, and the lights were dancing in the sky! It was almost time for him to go; he could...

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A hint at the hardship

My dad, Steven J. Michniewicz, was born in Bellows Falls. Except for his tenure of service in the U.S. Army during World War II, he spent all of his 85-year life there. He didn't talk about being in the war at all, until his last few years, when he started to share some with my sisters and me. At one point during the war, he and his fellow troops were stationed on a boat – for a month, I believe...

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Returning to the community, safely

It's a fact of Vermont's corrections system that most sexual offenders will complete their prison sentences and return to the community at large. On Thursday, June 9, the Brattleboro Community Justice Center (BCJC) will host a public forum at Brattleboro Union High School for the community to discuss issues regarding individuals who have committed sexual assault and to ask questions about Vermont's re-entry programs. The thought of sexual offenders returning to society can strike fear into the hearts of survivors...

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Big changes at Hayes Court

Five years of studies, meetings, and architectural designs culminated in an announcement last week that will send the 76 residents of Hayes Court in West Brattleboro looking for new homes. Christine Hart, executive director of the Brattleboro Housing Authority (BHA), announced on May 24 the demolition and rebuilding plans at Hayes Court that will make way for a 36-unit Enhanced Living Facility. The new Hayes Court will also stand as Brattleboro's first designated Support And Services at Home (SASH) location.

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