The new normal?

School administrators are understandably jumpy in the wake of December's massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

No sane human being wants to see a repeat of the carnage that happened that morning.

But how far do we go before we transform our schools into fortresses? And how far can we go in the pursuit of safety in our schools?

Well before Sandy Hook, Brattleboro Union High School tightened its security. Side doors are secured. Video cameras are everywhere. All visitors must sign in at the front desk. All school personnel have ID cards prominently displayed. An armed Windham County Sheriff's Department deputy is on duty as the school resource officer.

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Overcoming barriers to food

Windham County Local Food Buying Club to expand buying clubs, with the help of a grant

Though Vermont has made strides toward rebuilding a local food system through statewide efforts, at the ground level, accessing local food still challenges many families with impossibly tight budgets. Filling that gap is the Windham County Local Food Buying Club which offers a wide variety of food items, including...

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A new thrift store opens at Immanuel Episcopal Church

Immanuel Episcopal Church is opening The Community Closet, a thrift store, as part of their outreach ministry to the community. All profits from the sale of clothing and other goods will benefit the wider community through their Community Christmas Fund which helps families in need put holiday meals on...

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Area towns to participate in Vermont Home Energy Challenge

Seven Windham County towns are participating in a yearlong “2013 Vermont Home Energy Challenge” thrown down by Burlington-based Efficiency Vermont in partnership with the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network, part of an effort to help property owners save money and protect the environment. Under the Challenge, 62 towns across the state have set a target of weatherizing 3 percent of the homes and apartments in their communities, an effort that could net more than 2,400 home comprehensive energy efficiency...

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Milestones

Obituaries • Shirley V. (Zeno) Amidon, 77, of Putney. Died Jan. 25 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Wife of the late Francis L. Amidon and the late Kenneth Davis. Mother of David Davis and his girlfriend, Debbie Goldman, of Putney, and the late Randy and Ricky Davis. Stepmother of the late Dennis Amidon and Donna (Amidon) Broxson; sister of Edward Thirsher of Vernon and Georgia Boyd of Westminster, and of the late Richard Thirsher, Iona Moody, and Beverly...

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Around the Towns

AARP tax help now available BRATTLEBORO - Free tax assistance through the AARP Tax-Aide Program is once again available in Windham County. AARP Tax-Aide is the nation's largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service available to all low and middle income taxpayers, but with a special emphasis on those aged 60 and older. This year, tax assistance will be offered at the Bellows Falls Senior Center, the Brattleboro Senior Center, both the VFW and the Community Bible Chapel in...

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Town Auditors’ reports now available at Town Clerk’s office

The Brattleboro Town and Town School District auditors' reports for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, are available upon request and may be picked up at the town clerk's office, at the Municipal Center, 230 Main St. The auditors' reports will also be available as part of the town and school district annual report, which will be available at the town clerk's office no later than Feb. 22. Based on a vote at the 2010 Representative Town Meeting, the town...

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Colonels are No. 2 in boys’ hockey standings

It was a mixed week for the Brattleboro Colonels boys' hockey team. The Colonels lost to Burr & Burton 4-1 in Manchester on Jan. 30. Nik Rancourt scored the only goal for the Colonels, who fell behind 2-0 in the first period and gave up two more goals in the third. Greg DiSilva made 22 saves in goal. If that game was a rare stinker for the Colonels, they returned to form two days later with a 5-2 win over...

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What kind of country are we?

Driving home today, in my “moving office,” pondering the day's events, I began to think how people in other countries must view the American citizen. We have not seen combat on our continent since the Civil War, yet, at this time, many Americans feel under attack. Why? Our children go off to school in the morning, and we must wonder if there is a chance that someone will enter their school armed with a military gun, then kill them and...

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Four Vermonters awarded Nonprofit Arts Management Training scholarships

The Vermont Arts Council and Marlboro College Graduate School have announced their second group of fellows in the Nonprofit Arts Management Training scholarship program. This partnership between the Council and Marlboro College began in 2012 and supports nonprofit management education for Vermont artists and art managers by awarding up to four $500 scholarships each trimester. Those scholarships subsidize the cost of Marlboro's Certificate in Nonprofit Management, which assists Vermont artists and the staff of Vermont arts organizations in building the...

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Fog trips fire alarm at Brooks House

The corner of High and Main streets looked like a brief flashback from the 2011 Brooks House Fire on Jan. 30. Thankfully, it was just a false alarm. At about 3 p.m., three fire trucks pulled alongside the building, and firefighters donned air packs to file into the now-vacant 1871 landmark. According to Capt. Leonard Howard, the final firefighter to emerge from the building, fog created by unseasonably warm temperatures had tripped the building's fourth-floor motion detectors. The motion sensors...

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A journey to the center of the mind

Have you ever wondered what role dreams, the subconscious, and the unconscious play in creating and apprehending strange, abstract works of visual art? The Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts (VTica) presents “The Mysterious Mind,” an exhibit of 70 visual and sculptural works speaking directly to the subconscious through the insights of Jungian “depth” psychology. As VTica explains, “Five extraordinary New England artists exhibit archetypal images whose meanings may be understood mostly by our intuitive and instinctual selves. We learn to...

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‘Spell Check!’ seeks contestants

Latchis Arts celebrates its fifth annual “Spell Check! A Spelling Bee for Grown-ups” on the main stage of the Latchis Theatre on Saturday, April 6, at 6 p.m. This challenge pits trios of spellers against one another before a whimsical panel of judges and emcee Tom Bodett (www.bodett.com). Community members are invited to form teams of adult spellers and gird for an evening of lexical lightheartedness. The wordplay's the thing, but so are Spell Check's catchy team names, comical costuming,

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Brattleboro American Legion band seeks new members

If you're a musician of high-school band level or greater, have a positive attitude, and look forward to having fun and making friends, you're invited to join the Brattleboro American Legion Band. All instruments are welcome. No auditions or try-outs are required. The renowned 45-strong Brattleboro American Legion Band, known for its expert and entertaining parade marching, has entertained audiences in Brattleboro and environs, all over New England, and in New York for more than 20 years. The band plays...

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Blues film series begins at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts Project presents its February Film Series, “Reeling in American Music, From the first Blues to the Last Waltz,” with guest host and curator Louis Erlanger on Thursday nights at 7. The schedule includes: • Feb. 7, “The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966 Volume I.” This features performances by Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, T-Bone Walker, Sippie Wallace, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Earl Hooker and more. • Feb. 14, “Last of the...

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Free ‘Circus for Survivors’ workshops offered

Living with cancer has been described as a high-tension balancing act. But three upcoming “Circus for Survivors” workshops will involve nothing but laughter and fun. Following the success of three similar workshops last fall, Forest Moon: Celebrating Cancer Survivorship and the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) present three “Circus for Survivors” workshops Feb. 16, April 6, and May 18. Programs include juggling, low balancing wires, and aerial fabrics and trapezes, guided by plenty of experienced circus coaches and...

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Vermont Jazz Center launches new semester of classes

The Vermont Jazz Center's 10-week winter-spring semester begins the week of Sunday, Feb. 10, offering something moving for musicians of any age. Courses include an expanded youth program for ages 10-16, a guitar workshop, and a saxophone ensemble. Consider joining a combo and learn how to perform classic jazz compositions with guidance from one of the VJC's professional faculty. A lack of experience in improvising is not a problem, as there are opportunities for all - including classical musicians intrigued...

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Vermont homestead declarations to be filed annually beginning in 2013

In a change to state law, property owners intending to file homestead declarations must do so annually beginning this year. The deadline for 2013 is April 15, the same deadline as that for filing Vermont income tax returns. Property owners previously needed to declare their homestead only once, barring a change in ownership or property status. According to Mary Peterson, Vermont's state tax commissioner, filing homestead declarations is critical to paying the correct tax. Homestead declarations also must be filed...

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Kurn Hattin Choir selected for WGBY-TV choral competition series

The 40 young singers in the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children's Select Choir have been tapped to compete on the third season of the public television series “Together in Song,” the choral competition series produced and aired by public television station WGBY in Springfield, Mass. “Together in Song,” hosted by Springfield Symphony Orchestra Maestro Kevin Rhodes, will air on WGBY on Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. beginning March 23. The Kurn Hattin Homes choir will compete with 37 other choral...

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Brazil and Vermont: Together at last

Who knew that the Girl from Ipanema moved to Vermont? Well, not exactly. But bossa nova is getting a new lease on life thanks to a local musician and Brattleboro Retreat instructor who composes and plays in that warm style, first popularized in America by that iconic song. Singer-songwriter Jesse Lepkoff and his four-piece band, Serenata Bossa Nova, will host an afternoon of Lepkoff's own Brazilian bossa nova-influenced compositions to celebrate the release of his newest CD, “I'll Call it...

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Kudos for administration’s support of affordable child-care programs

Vermont Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (VACCRRA) wholeheartedly supports Governor Shumlin's proposed $17 million investment in the child care system. The governor's education agenda shines a spotlight on the importance of high-quality child care and education for our children and communities. An infusion of funding into the current child care financial assistance benefit program is long overdue. Today, the state pays less than half the cost of child care so low-income parents must choose programs based upon...

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Brattleboro hires new police officer

Police candidate Michael Cable left for the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford on Monday. Sixteen weeks of intense training later he expects to return as a local police officer. And he'll have met a goal he's aspired to since he was a kid. Cable, 22, has always wanted a position in law enforcement. This Putney resident, who grew up in and around Brattleboro, said becoming a police officer in his home town has been his dream for years. “I'm eager...

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Safety should not mean the demonization of others

I am writing in respectful response to Dale Joy's plea for a “safe and secure” Transportation Center [“Transportation Center should be safe, secure,” Letters, Jan. 16]. I do agree with Joy's call for extending the open hours of the Transportation Center to match the hours of bus operation so that people will have a refuge from the cold and inclement weather and a place to sit if needed. There were, however, a few of her following points that I found...

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Balancing safety with the need to know

Warnings of “non-specific” threats made against school-aged children spread through the Windham County community last week. Law enforcement officers and school administrators responded with heightened security measures at area schools. Many parents called for more information but received little. The situation was lose/lose no mater what had happened, said Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark. Clark has served in law enforcement in Vermont since 1991 and elected to the post of Sheriff in 2007. He retired from the Vermont Army National...

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Using other people’s money — literally

Thieves slid through the cyberverse, absconding with debit and credit card numbers from patrons of The Works Bakery Café, a popular breakfast and lunch spot on Main Street. According to Works president Richard French, the card numbers were stolen sometime during mid-January and Feb. 1. If patrons think they used their debit cards at the cafe during the 10-day window, the safest thing to do is contact your bank for a new card, said French. On Jan. 30, chatter on...

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Academy School gets back to education

A “greeter” meets visitors to the Academy School at the locked front door. She gives each of them a visitor's badge, and asks them to sign the visitors' log. Secretary of Education Armando Vilaseca stops to sign the log. Gov. Peter Shumlin and his entourage follow suit. The log and visitor badges are a longstanding security measure. The greeter and locked door reflect the response to a week of heightened security after non-specific threats were made toward school-aged children late...

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A full plate

On the very early side of a Monday morning and amidst scattered breakfast plates, members of the Windham County legislative delegation discussed their committee work with members of the local business community. The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce annually hosts legislative breakfasts at the start and the end of the Legislature's session, and Monday's breakfast at the Brattleboro Retreat. Eight of the county's 15-member delegation attended the breakfast and spoke primarily to work in their respective committees. Rep. Mollie Burke,

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Twin Valley again dominates Junior Iron Chef competition

Squash pancakes, shepherd's pie, bruschetta, quinoa, lasagna, and gnocchi. Windham County middle and high school students dished this out and more when they squared off against their counterparts from school districts across the state at the sixth annual Junior Iron Chef Vermont competition, held Feb. 2 in Essex Junction. Historically, the Twin Valley teams have dominated the competition, winning 10 titles in six years. This year, the Dipsters middle school team won Best in Show for the morning heat, and...

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The River Garden’s $64,000 question

RE: “Running the numbers: BaBB prepares for upcoming public hearings” [Jan. 30]: There is nearly unanimous agreement in the community that we all would like to keep the Robert H. Gibson River Garden a public space. I don't think this article really addresses the true question: How do we develop a viable financial plan so that whoever is managing the building (BaBB or another entity) can run the building without going five figures in debt every year?

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Entergy wants Vermont Supreme Court to decide fate of Vermont Yankee

On Feb. 11, the Vermont Public Service Board plans to begin hearing two weeks of arguments for and against Vermont Yankee's continued operation, as the board considers whether to relicense the Vernon nuclear plant. But Entergy Corporation, the plant's operator, has filed an appeal with the Vermont Supreme Court over whether the state board should move ahead with this process. In essence, the Louisiana-based company argues that the Supreme Court should decide the fate of the plant's permit, or Certificate...

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Meditations on the cold in Vermont

Early this morning, I shined my flashlight on the thermometer that hangs on the woodshed: 15 below. When I first moved here, the sight of that needle anywhere below zero made me quake. I wondered what had possessed me - an essentially tropical soul - to move north. Somewhere between then and now, I miraculously acclimated and accepted my fate. When I was young, I dreaded winter. Six days a week, I exercised racehorses on a farm in southeastern Pennsylvania.

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Grafton Selectboard brings wind project principals to talk to residents

In a Feb. 2 meeting organized by the Selectboard to discuss development of a potential commercial wind farm project, townspeople learned that it will take from three to seven years to develop the site fully and to construct between 10 and 30 wind turbines on the ridge. But all that would depend on what developers find from meteorological testing towers proposed for the Stiles Brook Project. Iberdrola ultimately hopes that 5,000 acres owned by Meadowsend Timber LLC (MTL), a New...

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Getting your goat

Similar to blue cheese, goat cheese (chèvre) is a category about which cheesemongers get to hear much whining. “But I don't liiiiike goat cheese” is a near-constant refrain at nearly all of our nation's cheese counters. I suppose if the only goat cheese I'd ever had the misfortune to eat was those little plastic vacuum-packed tubes of pale, gummy, acrid, animally paste, I might swear off goat cheese, too. But that's like taking a swig of Golden Anniversary and, as...

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Guilford takes first steps toward sending students to BAMS

The five-member Guilford School Board voted unanimously Jan. 21 to close out Guilford Central School's seventh- and eighth-grade classes starting next year, pending passage of the town budget next month. The vote paves the way for Guilford Central to be strictly an elementary school and for Guilford middle school students to join Vernon students roughly six miles away at Brattleboro Area Middle School, 109 Sunny Acres Dr. in Brattleboro. Voters will make the final decision at Annual Town Meeting on...

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A sensual, simple Valentine’s Day menu for two

Do a Web search for “food” and “love,” and you get a fabulous random return, which involves food addiction, overeating, aphrodisiacs, books on Christianity, politics, soul food, and heart-healthy menus. What about the simple act of cooking as a way to express love? At a recent meal with friends, the question of a favorite dish arose. The answers spanned the gamut from beef Wellington to fruit pie to meatloaf to lamb curry. The one common element was the clear and...

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