Brattleboro budget revote to take place on April 17

Informational meeting for voters to ask questions on budget referendum is tonight

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold an informational meeting for the public to review the town budget and ask questions before the special referendum to approve or reject the municipal budget.

The meeting is at Oak Grove School, 15 Moreland Ave., on Wednesday, April 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

All registered voters can vote on the ballot question. Residents can register to vote up until 5 p.m., April 16. Absentee ballots will be available in the Town Clerk's office in the Municipal Center, 230 Main St., starting April 8. The clerk's office can also mail ballots.

The $16 million budget passed by a landslide at Representative Town Meeting last month.

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Town to consider major update to zoning districts, bylaws

The Planning Commission invites voters to weigh in on the first major update to town zoning districts and bylaws since zoning was established here in 1971. According to Planning Commission Chairman Sam Farwell, the changes will help guide development here in keeping with Vermont smart growth principles, and conform...

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Main Street Arts presents Caribbean contradance workshop

Caribbean dance moves that follow the drummer's call are the focus of a series of workshops led by Julian Gerstin beginning Thursday, April 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The workshops will focus on the little-known and seldom-seen traditions of quadrille and biguine dance as practiced in the Lesser...

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Temptation

Composer Paul Dedell and puppeteer Finn Campman found inspiration for their new work, “Three in the Wilderness,” in an early form of dramaturgy, or medieval mystery play. Based on Gospel stories of the three temptations of Christ, “Three in the Wilderness” combines words, song, and dance to tell its tale. The show features original puppets designed and built by Campman, who will “bring them to life” with fellow puppeteers Helen Schmidt and Kirk Murphy. Other performers include singers Tony Barrand...

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

Strolling of the Heifers seeks heifers, strollers, marchers, and floats for its upcoming parade, as well as entertainers, volunteers and vendors for various Stroll weekend events. Strolling of the Heifers Weekend is June 6-8, with the agriculture-themed parade set for Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. in downtown Brattleboro. For registration, applications, and guidelines for all events and functions, visit www.strollingoftheheifers.com/register. Parade unit applications are due by May 1. Units of all kinds are sought, including musical, marching, animal, clown,

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Park-and-ride opponent presses forward with lighting changes

Resident Daniel Hoviss is pressing his case for sharp amendments to proposed lighting at the 84-space park and ride inbound for land the state owns near the Putney Fire station and the southbound Exit 4 on Interstate 91. In a letter to supporters dated April 4, Hoviss calls for letters of support for several proposed lighting options to be sent to Wayne Davis of the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Hoviss says the issue should be of concern to residents of...

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Milestones

Births • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), March 25, 2014, a son, Theodore Daniel McKay, to Christine (Meyer) and Tyler McKay of Brattleboro; grandson to Bernadette and Jeffrey Meyer, and Ronald and Kimberley McKay. College news • Madison Hinrichs of West Halifax, a junior mathetmatics major at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., recently was inducted into the college's TAU Chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma National Scholastic Honor Society. • Skyler Duncan of Wilmington, currently studying psychology and business administration at...

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FairPoint expands broadband coverage in Putney, Westminster, and Brattleboro

FairPoint Communications has announced that it will expand its broadband coverage to 90 homes and businesses in Putney, Westminster, and Brattleboro The company's new fiber-based, high-capacity network will reach customers along all or part of the following roads in Putney: Black Locust Road, Hickory Ridge Road, Hog Farm Road, and Tavern Hill. In Westminster, service will be expanded on Burnett and Hickory Ridge roads. In Brattleboro, Abbott Road, Akley Road, Gateway Farm Lane, Goodenough Road, Greenleaf Street, Hinesburg Road, Mather...

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Blanche Moyse Chorale will ‘Make a Joyful Noise’ in BF, Brattleboro

The Blanche Moyse Chorale will make a joyful noise with performances of sacred works by the German composers Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). The concert will be performed twice: on Friday, April 11, at 8 p.m. at the Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls, and Sunday, April 13, at 3 p.m. at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro. Under the direction of Mary Westbrook-Geha, the chorale will treat its audience to a rich selection of a cappella works -

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NEYT Senior Company presents ‘Middletown’

The New England Youth Theatre's Senior Company takes on a contemporary work this month: “Middletown” by Will Eno. Inspired by, and sometimes parodying, Thornton Wilder's “Our Town,” the show explores the intersections of the lives of small town residents and the strange beauty of life. In a press release, NEYT says Eno explores the moments that make up “this great and often unexplored middle” between the “sort of unknowable events of birth and death.” Director Micheal Trzos, a recent theater...

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Dance raises awareness about childhood hunger

The public is invited to attend Youth Services' substance-free dance party at the Headroom Stages in Brattleboro on Friday, April 11, from 7 to 10 p.m. The event, open to all, celebrates Global Youth Service Day by raising awareness about childhood hunger. Organizers promise a rockin' evening featuring a variety of danceable music hosted by DJ Manhole Cover. Local youth have helped organize the event, created flyers, posters, and artwork, and are preparing refreshments. This dance is part of Youth...

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Around the Towns

Route 30 set to close April 11 for I-91 bridge work BRATTLEBORO - After more weather delays, a date is set for closing Route 30 to complete demolition of the northbound span of West River Bridge on Interstate 91. According to project contractor PCL, Route 30 will be closed for up to six days beginning Friday night, April 11, and continuing through Friday afternoon, April 18. The closure still depends on weather conditions and on water levels in the West...

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Making an informed decision about police coverage in Vernon

Parliamentary strategies and tactics customary among savvy legislative pros are inappropriate at amateur Town Meeting. At the May 5 special Vernon Town Meeting to reconsider the original article funding the town budget, it can be passed over, preventing reconsideration of closing the Vernon Police Department, or quickly amended to close it again and force an immediate and final vote. Friends of grassroots Vermont democracy can defeat them. To ensure that we can make informed and democratic decisions about how our...

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Storytelling show to benefit Morningside Shelter

The Hatch presents its third “Storytellers on a Mission” event featuring nationally renowned storytellers who will tell hilarious stories to raise money for a great cause. The event's recipient is the Morningside Shelter in Brattleboro, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. The event is Saturday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m., at Latchis Theatre. The program will be recorded and edited for later broadcast on Vermont Public Radio. The evening's storytellers will be hosted by Peter Sagal, Host of NPR's...

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VJC memorial concert to pay tribute to Howard Brofsky

The Vermont Jazz Center presents an evening dedicated to the memory of former board president, trumpeter, and educator Howard “Dr. Bebop” Brofsky on Saturday, April 19, at 8 p.m. This tribute includes performances by Brofsky's family and close musical colleagues. VJC's next event is May 17: Eugene Uman's Convergence Project hosting a CD release party. Organizers say, “In every community that Brofsky settled, be it Queens College, the Louis Armstrong House, the Vermont Jazz Center, or Brattleboro, people have benefited...

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Clift to talk about her new book at Village Square Booksellers

Local author Elayne Clift will discuss her latest book, “Birth Ambassadors: Doulas and the Re-emergence of Woman-supported Birth in America” (Praeclarus Press), on Saturday, April 12, at 1 p.m. at Village Square Booksellers. The book, by Christine Morton, about the history and experience of doula care, consists of narratives edited by Clift, and is a user-friendly, sociological overview of the philosophy and practice of doulas in the United States. Illuminated by true stories, the book aims to reach a wide...

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Shumlin in la-la landabout health-care funding

There are two fairly obvious conclusions one can draw from Gov. Peter Shumlin's recent statements: Statement: A plan for funding Shumlincare will not be made public until 2017. Conclusion: Shumlin is hoping Sen. Patrick Leahy won't run for reelection in 2016. Shumlin will run against U.S. Representative Peter Welch and thinks he can win, or he and Welch have a deal that they won't compete and Welch will support Shumlin for the seat Welch will vacate. Either way, Shumlin will...

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Fundraising goal met for Bunker Farm

With more than 130 gifts from the local community, and backing from the town of Dummerston, the Vermont Land Trust has met its $575,000 fundraising campaign goal to conserve the Bunker Farm. A grant of $396,000 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provided the major funding needed to permanently protect the Bunker Farm. The project will officially be completed later this month, when the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) transfers the Bunker Farm...

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Building a bridge over a river of misunderstanding

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the United States gave rise to a surge of prejudice against those perceived to be from Muslim backgrounds and countries. Owing to a relatively poor understanding here of Muslim religion and culture, those attitudes persist in some quarters to this day. In an attempt to change those attitudes, Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro presents “Muslim Journeys: Literary Reflections in Islam,” a five-part reading and discussion series led by Amer Latif, Marlboro College professor of...

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Muddy ball fields postpone high school seasons

Monday was to have been opening day for high school baseball and softball in Vermont, but local ball fields are still too soggy for play. Brattleboro rescheduled their home openers with Drury. The baseball team will play Drury on Thursday at Tenney Field, while the softball ball team will make up its game with Drury at Sawyer Field on April 14. There was still snow on the Leland & Gray baseball and softball fields late last week, so both teams...

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Half of our tax dollars pay for war. Why?

This is a painful letter for me to write. Other writers have hit upon this subject, but April 15 is Tax Day and possibly a day to light a spark somewhere. The subject (and question) is: Why are U.S. citizens so reluctant to challenge and resist their government when that government is responsible for inflicting so much misery and death on other nations? It's embarrassing for me to ask this question, when the media is filled with stories of citizens...

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Guilford revives its community newspaper

The form and frequency will be slightly different, but the Guilford Gazette will live on through the inspiration of loyal contributors. The Guilford Gazette was originally established in 1995 as a service learning project for students at Guilford Central School. For almost 20 years, Guilford middle school teachers and community volunteers instructed students to interview elders, write articles, take photos, design copy, and even sell ads in order to produce a printed recollection of Guilford life. Their hard work produced...

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Enrollment begins for 5th season of Neighborhood Market

Enrollment has begun for the Neighborhood Market's fifth season, which kicks off June 24 at Green Street School and runs Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. through Sept. 30. The market's mission is to expand access to healthful, affordable, and local food for all, and all are invited. The market's primary focus is on serving those on low incomes. Organizers say in a press release that the Neighborhood Market is similar to a traditional Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model in...

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Making an impact

There are many of us who worked with Tim Johnson in Brattleboro and Springfield before moving on to so-called “bigger and better things” in the radio biz. And yet, Tim has probably made the biggest impact on his listeners' lives. Kudos to Tim, and - in keeping with the headline topic - it's a shame that local, small-town radio is almost gone.

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Alley receives Sodexo Foundation grant to fight childhood hunger

Lashaunda Alley, a local 23-year-old, has been awarded a Sodexo Foundation Youth Grant through YSA (Youth Service America). The grant supports Alley and her fellow peer outreach workers at Youth Services in leading a community service project to address the issue of childhood hunger. Service activities will take place on Global Youth Service Day, the world's largest volunteer and service event, on Friday, April 11. Alley and her Youth Services colleagues have coordinated a substance-free dance party at the Headroom...

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Center for Digital Art hosts ‘Net Art’ exhibit, GIF animation workshop

Internet-based artwork is the subject of a real-life art exhibit opening Saturday, April 12, at the Center for Digital Art (CDA), 72 Cotton Mill Hill. This newest exhibition, “We Stay Connected,” is a group show of four young contemporary artists representing the growing world of Net art: digital artwork that exists on websites and in social media, often made in response to Internet cultures and pop culture trends and memes. All four artists in the show - Mary Rachel Kostreva,

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A great local news guy

It's been my honor to be a small part of Tim Johnson's news career, broadcasting the weather for so many years on WTSA. WTSA has continued to be the leader on what is important: local news, local stories, and being all about community. Tim is a big part of what living in Brattleboro is all about. Thanks, Tim, and thanks, WTSA, for your commitment to southern Vermont !

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Tim earned it

I remember Tim Johnson when he and I first started at WKVT. I watched him grow and get pretty good as a wet-behind-the-ears high school kid. (Of course, I was no radio veteran at the time, either.) I am so happy that he is getting the recognition that he deserves. Congrats Tim, you earned it!

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Vermont’s work on health-care far from done

Vermont likes to think of itself as a leader in health care, but Peter Sterling will quickly tell you that doesn't necessarily mean that everything is fine. There are 44,000 uninsured Vermonters, he says, and 70 percent cite cost as the reason why. If you are enrolled in Vermont Health Connect, Sterling says people have to pay up to 30 percent of their gross income for health care should an individual or family reach their out-of-pocket limit. This means an...

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Congratulations to Tim Johnson

Fabulous story about a topnotch news reporter who cares about his audience, his family, and his radio station in a way seldom seen. Every day, Tim Johnson continues to do broadcast journalism proud with his work in Brattleboro. I dare say he might be the single-best reporter that Brattleboro has ever heard on radio and, likely, at the top in Vermont history. I am proud that I worked with Tim at WKVT when he started part-time. I am so glad...

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The monkey business of corruption

In part because the subject intrigues me, I've been trying to answer the question of why corruption, moral and otherwise, is so prevalent in human nature. None of us comes into the world corrupt, morally bankrupt, or cruel. So what is it that makes so many of us fall prey to this dangerous and disillusioning character flaw? Try as I might to tease out an answer that would satisfy my curiosity about this facet of human psychology, I have yet...

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Blue-ribbon panel to address population health under ‘Obamacare’

A blue-ribbon panel of health care leaders will anchor a public discussion of population health and its ramifications into 2014 and beyond. The event is at Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St., on Tuesday, April 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. “Population Health Under Obamacare: What Is It and How Does It Impact Us?” takes a close look at President Barack Obama's signature health care reform initiative. Event organizers write, “Over the past several decades a patchwork of 'public...

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April is the Month of the Young Child

The Month of the Young Child provides an opportunity for our community to acknowledge the value of early learning and to show appreciation for those who promote children's strengths through nurturing relationships and the cultivation of creative spirits. Organizers say it's also a time to recognize the important work of families, educators, and other individuals who are working to build better futures for all children. To that end, all are invited to a month of creative, inspirational, educational, and fun...

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Second building fire in four months on Green Street damages apartments

A overheated electric power strip was blamed for an apartment house fire at 119 Green St. on April 5. The two-and-half-story building, owned by Bob Remy-Powers, housed four apartments. One apartment was gutted, while the other three suffered water damage, according to an incident report from the Brattleboro Fire Department. Brattleboro Fire Chief Mike Bucossi said the fire was first reported at about 8 p.m., and a second alarm was sounded at 8:05. When crews arrived, flames could be seen...

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We'll still be here

Recently, we visited Dartmouth College for a symposium on the 35th anniversary of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor meltdown, an event held where the business school and engineering schools meet, deep in the pristine Ivy League campus. While I learned a lot, the ivory-tower atmosphere, the fact that all the speakers were white males, and the positive spin that all but a few of the presenters put on the past, present, and future of nuclear power made me feel...

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BMH offers free self-management workshops for healthier living

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital offers three self-management workshops this spring to give individuals new tools to deal with chronic health issues and help them live fuller, healthier lives. Workshops are free and open to the public. Two of the workshops are offered in collaboration with the Brattleboro Senior Center. The first, Healthier Living, is April 15 to May 20. The second, Healthier Living with Chronic Pain, is June 3 to July 8. Both meet 9:30 a.m. to noon every Tuesday for...

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From a nuclear to a waste-management economy

Recent haggling over spending on overdue upgrades for fire and police facilities raises questions about why more help isn't available for a town that must play first responder for Vermont Yankee (VY), the state's lone nuclear power plant. That unique and onerous responsibility will continue long after the plant ceases producing electricity, especially as Entergy, the plant's owner, pulls back on its emergency planning obligations. Emergency readiness might actually need to be expanded in the years following closure due to...

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What weaves together a community?

How does the fabric of a community remain whole when a large part of its economic weft is pulled from the weave? Most of the conversations about Windham County after the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant closes at the end of this year have focused on the plant's decommissioning and whether it would receive the necessary state-issued Certificate of Public Good. A working group composed of economic development gurus, planners, academics, and officials from the tri-state region of Vermont, Massachusetts, and...

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