Milestones

Chloe Ingalls, a member of the class of 2013 and a resident of Dummerston, has been selected to be the Housefellow of Connecticut College's Freeman House for the 2012-2013 academic year.

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Around the Towns

Renovations begin at BF Middle School BELLOWS FALLS - The Bellows Falls Middle School renovation project is under way, leading to significant changes that will take place this week. First, the gymnasium will no longer be in use. Instead, students will be bussed to Hadley Field for physical education...

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Why is marijuana still illegal?

Can lawmakers do more harm than good? I am troubled by lawmakers who cannot or will not see that the criminal justice system can actually do more harm than good. Too many legislators are in denial about that. If we must have government studies for anything, we certainly should...

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Colonel laxmen open season with a 4-0 record

The Brattleboro Colonels boys' lacrosse team is off to a 4-0 start, thanks to a combination of steady defense and goaltending, and patience on offense. The Colonels displayed both in an 8-5 win over Spaulding on Saturday at Natowich Field. Brattleboro was missing several players, but the team's depth carried the day. With the game tied 2-2 late in the first half, the Colonels scored four quick goals from Nik Rancourt, Brandon Zolnoski, Jesse Brown, and Jon Thomson for a...

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Supporting music by the slice

The Brattleboro Music Center invites the entire community to a fun slice of fundraising - dinner in a pizza factory - on Saturday, May 5. BMC presents an informal evening of fundraising to support student scholarships and outreach programs at Against the Grain Gourmet in Brattleboro. Dinner at the pizza factory includes not only a meal, but also entertainment and a silent auction. The family seating, at 4:30 pm, is fun for all ages (careful, watch out for the stilt...

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Kunin calls for a truce in the war on women

America has had three female secretaries of state. It has seen a serious female run a serious presidential campaign. There are three women on the U.S. Supreme Court. (There should be five.) We've had a U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, quite a few astronauts (ride, Sally, ride!), and enough professors, writers, doctors, lawyers, and scientists to fill our schools, libraries, hospitals, and laboratories. Very few women who go on the stage are automatically called “sluts” or “whores” anymore.

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Middlebury professor discusses privatization of American foreign policy at First Wednesday lecture

Middlebury College professor Allison Stanger will provide a disturbing look at an important trend in politics - the privatization of American foreign policy - in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on May 2. The talk, “One Nation under Contract,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council's First Wednesdays lecture series and takes place at 7 pm. Stanger will explain how private contractors have become an integral part of American foreign policy, and examine the problems that can...

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The Grammar School presents its spring musical on May 2-5

The Grammar School's seventh- and eighth-graders present their spring musical, Happy Together, May 2 to 5. Making its world premiere on The Grammar School stage, this original musical extravaganza is adapted from Shakespeare's most-performed comedy, “As You Like It.” The famous play has passed through the filter of writer-director Vicki Gohl's fertile imagination. A TGS parent and theater professional, at once baby boomer and lover of the classics, Gohl has adapted the story of Rosalind in tune with an assortment...

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CVPS windfall plan is good for CVPS ratepayers

A broad group of organizations focused on energy efficiency, clean energy, green jobs, affordable housing, and the needs of low-income Vermonters has expressed support for the decision of the Department of Public Service (DPS) that the $21 million “windfall” payment resulting from the merger of Central Vermont Public Service and Green Mountain Power will be invested in efficiency and clean-energy programs to benefit CVPS ratepayers. This is a thoughtful decision by the DPS, and CVPS ratepayers should be very enthusiastic...

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Bringing the past to life

Jem Wilner believes some tales must be preserved. In collaboration with New England Youth Theatre (NEYT) and Hilltop House, Wilner wrote and is directing Stories of a Lifetime, a compilation of monologues and dialogues based on the interviews that he conducted with residents of retirement communities. Stories of a Lifetime is the first play that Wilner has written and is his directorial debut, although he has an extensive background in theater. Long involved with New England Youth Theatre, Wilner has...

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Stabilizing the past for the future

An earthmover labors under a strong April sun, layering soil over the ground where the former Brattleboro Gasworks and Scalehouse once stood overlooking the Connecticut River. The town is rolling ahead with the Union Station project. After two decades of delays from financial problems, legal issues, and even Tropical Storm Irene, the Union Station project broke ground March 29. The project will transform the former industrial area into a community park and open a view to the Connecticut River, to...

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SEVCA celebrates its 47th anniversary

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) will celebrate its 47th Anniversary on Monday, April 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the American Legion Post 67 in Chester. This annual event celebrates the extraordinary efforts of SEVCA's staff, volunteers, community activists, and partner agencies, and the individuals and families they serve in Windham and Windsor counties. It also kicks off National Community Action Month, which was established to focus attention on the complex problems low-income households face and how Community Action...

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Area law enforcement agencies to hold Drug Take Back Day

The Windham County Sheriff's Department, working with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and in coordination with local law enforcement agencies throughout Windham County, will offer a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28, from 10 am to 2 pm. During Drug Take Back Day, area residents can properly dispose of unneeded, expired, or unwanted prescription pills, tablets, and capsules in a confidential, safe, and secure way. No questions are asked, no fee is charges, and no personal information...

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BMH Birthing Center honored for child abuse prevention education

Prevent Child Abuse Vermont (PCAV) presented a plaque to nurses in the Birthing Center at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) during an April 18 luncheon, recognizing their efforts in educating new parents about infant crying and the dangers of shaking. The plaque was presented by Doug Racine, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services, to Debbie Partrick, nurse manager of the Birthing Center, during a ceremony coinciding with National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The BMH nurses have been participating in...

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Cheryl Wheeler to perform benefit for BF Opera House

Singer-songwriter Cheryl Wheeler will appear at the Bellows Falls Opera House Lower Theater on Thursday, May 3, for a show to benefit the Friends of the Opera House. “People have been asking us to bring Cheryl Wheeler to Bellows Falls for the last decade,” said Charlie Hunter of Flying Under Radar, who is presenting the show in conjunction with Vermont Festivals, Kicking & Screaming, and WOOL 100.1FM. “I've seen her wow a room full of people who have never heard...

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Brattleboro Retreat, Center for Health & Learning co-sponsor suicide prevention workshop

When communities experience youth suicide it often leaves people of all ages struggling with unanswered questions. What is the nature of suicide? Did we miss any warning signs? What can we do to prevent it from happening again? In recognition of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week (May 6 through 12), the Brattleboro Retreat and the Center for Health & Learning's UMatter Youth Suicide Prevention program will hold an interactive, educational workshop for parents, educators, and other community members on...

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Editorial was an unfair exercise in semantics in critique of Sanders

I think it is important for readers to put “Fact Check for Bernie” [Editorial, April 18] in context. By and large, this editorial is purely based on semantics and quite frankly, the writer appears to be desperately searching for flaws in the Senator's speech given on April 14 in Brattleboro. Let me first say that as one of the organizers of the rally, I was proud to be Bernie Sanders' constituent that day. He spoke not just for me, but...

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Remembering Kate

What is unusual about my mother that makes me want to share her story with others? Raised on a farm in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, Kate Copeland never quite fit the typical image of a quiet, proper, and demure Pennsylvania Dutch girl. Unlike her two sisters, she was outspoken, assertive, and mischievous, qualities not admired in a young woman at that time. After completing college with a degree in nutrition, having a brief career as a county extension agent,

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Plan A

My husband Mark and I are planning to move this year. We are moving from Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S.A., to Central America. Current countries of consideration are Panama and Nicaragua. We're planning to take an exploratory trip in the fall with a goal of finding a place to lease for three to six months. Then we'll return for the holidays, gather stuff, money, and wits, and return - with or without dogs. Why? In no particular order: • Cost of living:

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Bluesman Johnny Rawls comes to BF on May 5

Stone Church Arts presents award-winning Mississippi soul and blues man Johnny Rawls, with the Dave Keller Band opening, at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St., on Saturday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. Rawls will be bringing his unique brand of sexy, funky soul music, transforming the church into a sweat-soaked juke joint party. Opening for Rawls is The Dave Keller Band, who recently won the 2012 award for Best Self-Produced CD at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. A soul...

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BMAC throws a party to raise money for its education programs

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) is throwing a party at Alyson's Orchard in Walpole, N.H., on Friday, May 4, at 7 p.m. Retired geologist David Howell, co-author of “The Winemaker's Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley,” will lead a tasting of wines from Australia and New Zealand. Hardy Foard Catering of West Chesterfield, N.H., will serve a tasting menu of savory, seasonal fare. Donald Saaf and the Bluebird Orchestra, based in Saxtons River, will play a unique...

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Works by DeWalt, Colligan on display at Moore Gallery

Woodworker Dan DeWalt and printmaker Kim Colligan will show their works together for the month of May at the Crowell Gallery in Newfane's Moore Free Library. Colligan and DeWalt are both members of the Rock River Artists, which will hold its 20th annual Open Studio Tour in July in the Newfane area. Colligan's current work is produced by a process of laying colors down on a plate. There are often references to the natural world, but the pieces are driven...

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State grant lets GFPC expands its outreach

The Bellows Falls-based Greater Falls Prevention Coalition (GFPC) recently received $107,750 from the Vermont Department of Health, part of $1.5 million of federal and state coalition grants presented to organizations working to reduce retail tobacco advertising, improve nutrition and physical activity for young Vermonters, and address alcohol and drug abuse. Chad Simmons, former interim director and currently media coordinator of the GFPC, said the grant represents a change in how the agency addresses prevention. He described it as a “multifaceted...

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Bowl for Kids’ Sake raises more than $60,000

Bowl for Kids' Sake, a community-wide Youth Services event that raises money for Windham County's Big Brothers Big Sisters program, grossed more than $61,000 on April 21, handily surpassing its goal of $50,000 to fund the mentoring program. It was the second time in two years the group exceeded its fundraising goal. According to organizers, close to 500 individuals bowled this year. Teams were made up of friends, families, colleagues and students from local schools. Linda Thurber of Brattleboro was...

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FOMAG concert celebrates women composers

Friends of Music at Guilford presents its third annual Celebration of Women Composers, a benefit fundraiser for its 46th season, on Sunday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in an elegant Brattleboro residence. Works by Beach, Grant, Daniels, and Branscombe are on the menu, along with hearty hors d'oeuvres served from 6 p.m., and desserts and coffee following the performance. Three of the four composers represented on the program were contemporaries and friends whose careers were closely linked. Amy Cheney Beach...

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24 teams compete for glory as No Film Film Festival debuts on April 28

Come see the results of 24 competing film-making teams from around the world who, for bragging rights and the chance to win an award, are spoofing a classic American film. Will your favorite movie be delightfully re-imagined or will it be completely ruined? The inaugural edition of the No Film-Film Festival (NFFF) kicks off on Saturday, April 28, starting at 11 a.m., at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Twenty-four teams - including entries from Australia, Virginia, California, Nevada, New Jersey,

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Out of options

After fighting tooth and nail to stay open, one of fewer than a half dozen privately owned nursing and rehabilitation homes left in the state will close on April 28. Patients at McGirr Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, LLC, on Atkinson Street were told last week they needed to find an alternative facility. For many, that will mean a move to Springfield. The circumstances of the closing created a stir. State Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) surveyors “tagged” the...

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‘Courage and resilience’

Nine months after Tropical Storm Irene's floodwaters inundated the low-income housing complex Melrose Terrace, Gov. Peter Shumlin presented residents with a Governor's Certificate of Recognition. “I'm incredibly proud of you,” said Shumlin during the ceremony held on Monday in Melrose's community room. He said the elderly and disabled adults who live at Melrose demonstrated “resilience and courage in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.” Melrose Terrace, built in the 1960s, prior to most zoning rules, sits in the Whetstone Brook's...

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Building a defensible model

Vermont took another step closer to the legal limelight last week when the House Committee on Agriculture passed a food packaging bill requiring the labeling of foods containing genetically engineered (GE) ingredients on April 20. Hundreds turned out for a public hearing at the Statehouse on April 12 to testify on GE labeling. The public showed overwhelming support for the bill, but some strong voices spoke out against it. The bill, now in the House Judiciary Committee, probably won't make...

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