Amazing birds by any name

RE: “A buzzard is a buteo, not a vulture,” [Tails of Birding, April 11.]

I am not a birder, but I enjoy birds. I have always called these birds turkey vultures. I suppose I like the word “vulture”; it seems dark and wonderful.

I am a fan of these birds. To watch them as they glide through the air is amazing. Even yesterday, right on Main Street in downtown Brattleboro, I was able to spend my time waiting for the lights to change watching them glide above the River Garden area.

They are not buzzards, they are wonders of nature.

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Restorative Parole Board needs volunteers

Vermont has been a national leader in the successful use of restorative justice in the adjudication of non-violent offenses. Restorative practices are not only effective, but they are economical as well. With restorative justice, the offender repairs the harm he or she has caused so the victim receives personalized...

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Entergy needs protection from the tyranny of the majority

Re: “Confronting 'Entergy Louisiana' - in Louisiana” [Dispatch, April 11]: Utilizing the courts in the manner for which they were conceived is not fighting democracy. The courts were enjoined to ascertain whether the Vermont Legislature attempted to capture authority that it had no right to wield. If it did,

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Brattleboro water main flushing begins April 19

Utilities Division crews will start the spring flushing of the town water mains on Thursday, April 19, at 10 p.m., and will continue through Saturday, May 5. Water main flushing will occur both at night and during the day. Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely as flushing causes water discoloration, low water pressure, and in some areas, intervals of no water. Night flushing will occur from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Day flushing will occur from 9...

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How Irish are you willing to be?

Tax season in the U.S. comes and goes virtually unnoticed. A little math here. A little grumbling there. A ritual letting of blood, and it's all over. But there was a time (I'm thinking Boston Tea Party here) when paying taxes - or, rather, not paying them - in the U.S. was a pointedly political act, a demand that a government provide society with the actual services that taxpayers paid for. Since then, taxpayer resistance in the U.S. has been...

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Stroll seeks parade units, entertainers, volunteers, vendors — and heifers

Organizers of Strolling of the Heifers are looking for parade units to participate in the 11th annual Strolling of the Heifers Parade on June 2. The organization is also seeking volunteers and vendors for its Live Green Expo, and venues for the Farm/Food/Fiber tour. To register for any of these opportunities, go to www.strollingoftheheifers.com, select the Event Registration tab, and choose the appropriate registration category. Parade director Richard Chapin said there's still room in the parade for local bands, farm...

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Milestones

Obituaries • Gary Hanley, 63, of Brattleboro. Died April 9 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, after a long battle with hepatitis. Father of David, Aaron, and Sarah Hanley, and the late Jesse Hanley. Brother of Michael Hanley, and his wife, Cindy, of Brattleboro. Born in Newark, N.J., the son of the late Vance and Lucille Hanley, he joined the Army after high school. He fought bravely and honorably with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and remained proud...

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Local artists to discuss business training at Newfane forum

The Arts Council of Windham County (ACWC) is sponsoring a forum, “Business Training for Artists,” on Wednesday, April 25, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Moore Free Library. This year, the ACWC provided scholarship funds to nine Windham County artists accepted into the two-day Vermont Arts Council (VAC) professional development workshop for artists, “Breaking into Business,” held in February and March. Windham County artists Michael Billingsley, Ronald Demers, Sheryl Fletcher, T. Namaya, Rolf Parker-Houghton, Stephen Proctor, Brendan Taaffe, Elin...

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Colonels open defense of their softball title with two wins

It may be too soon to ask the question about whether the Brattleboro Colonels' softball team can win their third straight state championship, but despite losing six seniors from last year's team, it looks like all the pieces may be in place for another run at the title. The biggest piece that the Colonels have is merely the best softball pitcher in the state. Kayla Wood was routinely dominent in leading the Colonels to the 2010 and 2011 championships, and...

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Preserving barns with photography

The Newbury Gallery at the Vermont Pretzel & Cookie Co. presents “Barnstorming: Explorations Along the Connecticut River Valley” by photographer Lowell Fewster during the months of April and May. In this exhibition, Fewster explores barns' simplicity, vernacular design, beauty, and utility. He is preserving on film their presence as barns decay or are torn down. Fewster's photographs also celebrate our agrarian roots and the way of life they represent. His images will be shown along with notes on styles, history,

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Film portrays eight stories of faith and environment

Renewal, a film about how diverse religious organizations are confronting environmental issues and working to build a sustainable future, will be shown at All Souls Church, Saturday, April 28, at 1 p.m. Told in eight short segments, each featuring a different, faith-centered group, Renewal describes how Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, and interfaith groups are confronting local environmental challenges. Journalist Bill Moyers has said of Renewal, “You will be stirred to discover people of different faiths engaged in an exhilarating stewardship...

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Around the Towns

West Brattleboro Association meets on April 19 WEST BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, April 19, at 8 a.m., the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will hold its monthly meeting at Sunny's Deli on Western Avenue. Among the agenda items are plans for both the gathering of religious groups in the area on May 2, and the West B Village Day on Saturday, June 23. The group will also discuss the possibility of having a Brattleboro Chamber mixer in West Brattleboro. Other agenda...

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VY fight: It's about our energy future

What many of you are working on - not only in Vermont but also all over America and all over the world - is one of the great struggles of our time: to create an energy future that not only protects our generation, but also our kids and our grandchildren. That's what we're talking about. What we are demanding is justice. We are demanding an agreement that was signed 40 years ago be honored by a major corporation that signs...

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Keeping critters healthy and happy

It takes a special kind of person to walk up to a thousand-pound hooved animal and stick a needle in its rump, or a hand into its mouth. For equine veterinarian Dr. Jerilyn Jacobs, that's just an average day at the office. The Vermont-New Hampshire Veterinary Clinic, where Jacobs works, is celebrating 60 years since opening in 1952. The clinic treats small animals and equines. It is housed in a renovated and expanded early-1800s former tavern at the site of...

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My job is green, no matter what Shumln thinks

According to a recently released study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), green jobs accounted for 2.5 percent of total U.S. employment in 2010. Additionally, Vermont had the highest percentage of green jobs, at 4.4 percent, or nearly 13,000 jobs. The BLS defines green jobs as “jobs in businesses that produce goods and provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.” This definition umbrellas those employed in the nuclear industry, as well as those working for...

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Annual Plunge for Charity returns to the Marina

After a one-year hiatus, the Marina Restaurant's Plunge for Charity is back. On April 29, starting at 3 p.m., people will be jumping from a boat into the frigid water of the West River to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro. Founder and organizer Deirdre “Dee” Baker of Brattleboro is usually the first one in the water, but she's been ordered by her doctors to sit this one out. She was diagnosed with cancer last summer, and while...

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Going rogue

To the surprise of no one, Entergy recently told the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that it has no plans to close Vermont Yankee for at least another five years. Entergy also informed the NRC that the company would not submit an update on VY's decommissioning fund. Entergy's logic is that if the plant is going to keep running, there's no need to let Vermonters know whether we have enough money to dismantle the reactor, dispose of the radioactive waste,

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A fresh look at a jazz legend

The Vermont Jazz Center celebrates its own legacy this Saturday. An all-star quintet will interpret original music composed by the center's founder, Attila Zoller, on April 21 at 8 p.m. This is the first concert in the VJC's 35 years that will focus on the original compositions of its founder, who died in 1998. The musicians performing include Don Friedman on piano, Draa Hobbs and Mitch Seidman on guitar, Ron McClure on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums. “Although every...

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Hundreds want labels for genetically engineered food

Hundreds of people, many of whom traveled in buses from the far corners of the state, jammed the Statehouse April 12 to tell the House Agriculture Committee to pass the bill mandating labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food sold in Vermont. “It reminded me of Barack Obama saying, 'Pass this bill,'” said Rural Vermont executive director Andrea Stander about the litany of testimony. She said 112 people testified by the end of the evening. Committee member Will Stevens, I-Shoreham, echoed...

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Hot off the grill

Pizza Hippo, a new business that sells a grilled version of everyone's favorite thing to eat, plans to sling pizzas in late May at five local farmers' markets and at the farm stand at the Kindle Farm School in Townshend. Amber O'Reilly, farm manager at Kindle Farm School, and her husband Malcolm Hood began the grilled-pizza business as a hobby at their rented house in Windham. “It all started with love,” Hood said, referring to the couple's recent marriage. The...

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Amid’s China’s bustle, the Confucius Forest’s peace

I want to sit down. That one thought pulsed through my mind that morning. My entire body sagged with fatigue, and my left heel throbbed with every other step - a blood blister, compliments of last night's performance. All I wanted in the world was to curl up and take a nap, not that the cobblestone street we were plodding down would offer much comfort. When I heard that our group would be going to the Confucius Forest, I was...

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No photo can prepare you for the Gobi’s stinging sands

The sheer massiveness of the Gobi Desert is unimaginable. Even as you stand on a dune, seeing it yourself, the idea that it goes on for miles and miles is impossible to wrap your head around. You know that you are seeing only a small fraction of the sand dunes, one after another, never-ending. We got out of the city of Hohhot pretty fast. In less than five minutes, we were already barreling through the outskirts on a highway still...

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Legislature seeks to bolster lagging organ donations

State Rep. Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney, said that the House Human Services Committee took testimony that a glitch in the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle's computer systems has contributed to Vermont's last-in-New England ranking for potential organ donors. Maine has recorded more than 500,000 potential donors. New Hampshire has more than 300,000 in its database, while Vermont only has 19,000 potential donors. Mrowicki said that while Vermonters have been checking off the box for “organ donor” on their drivers' license forms,

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Circus documentary to be screened at NECCA

On Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m., there will be a local screening of the circus documentary “Being Nimble” at the New England Center for Circus Arts main studio at 74 Cotton Mill Hill. This one-hour documentary by Brattleboro resident Bill Forchion follows a group of students from the New England Center for Circus Arts as they participate in a nine-month program to become professional circus performers. Forchion has won several awards for his filmwork, and his extensive background as...

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Fact check for Bernie

Elsewhere in this section, we present words from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' fiery speech on the Brattleboro Common. For many critics of Vermont Yankee and the nuclear plant's owner, Entergy, the senator's words were inspiring and a refreshing and satisfying change of pace from politics as usual. It would be remiss not to note that Sanders is wrong on several fronts. First, numerous state and local officials and activists have railed against the possibility of Entergy putting the plant in...

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Supporting the state

The atmosphere may have been festive and peaceful on the Common on the afternoon of April 14, but the more than 1,000 people who came to what was billed as a “rally to support Vermont and defend democracy” had a serious goal: closing Vermont Yankee as soon as possible. And, standing in agreement with them were three of the state's top elected officials. Gov. Peter Shumlin, Attorney General Bill Sorrell, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders all spoke at the rally,

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Student loan rates set to double on July 1

How to Stall an Economy 101? Have a population where many of the breadwinners send what could be disposable income to pay debts like student loans. Congressman Peter Welch, D-Vt., announced Monday that he and more than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have launched efforts to block the scheduled doubling of Federal Direct Stafford Student Loan interest rates. Welch estimates that the increase could tack another $11,000 onto 20-year repayment costs for some Vermont college students who...

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Following the money

Less than a month after a Senate hearing in Brattleboro, multiple Windham County groups will receive additional funding, pending legislative approval. The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs (SEHGA) gathered testimony from local organizations on the health of Windham County's economy in a special hearing in Brattleboro on March 30 [The Commons, April 11]. Committee Chair Vince Illuzzi, R-Essex/Orleans, and members Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, and Bill Doyle, R-Washington, took about five hours of testimony. Sen. Jeanette White,

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