Take back the night with us

A chance for our community to commit to ongoing resolutions in the fight against violence against women

For several decades now, Take Back the Night has become a spring ritual during Sexual Violence Awareness Month every April, when countless communities gather to speak out, spark change, and show solidarity with survivors of sexual assault.

This year, the Women's Freedom Center is bringing back this annual gathering to Brattleboro, and we'd like to encourage you to come join us.

Here's why: a sexual assault occurs every two minutes in this country, and 1 in 5 women are victims of this devastating crime. Yet an estimated 63 percent of assaults are never reported to police.

In fact, it's staggering to think how many victims each of us knows personally, perhaps even well, though we might not know this traumatic detail of their lives.

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Putney briefs

Town to form Tax Exempt Committee PUTNEY-The town is seeking up to nine members to serve on a newly created Tax Exempt Committee. Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard said the purpose of the committee, which will meet monthly, is to review the Vermont state statutes that apply to property that...

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Good luck to Marty

This is a great story and tribute to Marty Rancourt. I can say I've known him since he was born. Good luck to him as he opens a new door.

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Milestones

Births • In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), April 13, 2015, a son, Camden Scott Pederson, to Eilidh and David Pederson. School news • Bellows Falls Union High School held its induction ceremony for five new junior members of the Jessie A. Judd-Marilee B. Huntoon Chapter of the National Honor Society: Reaghan Lapinski, Nicole Murray, Zachary Streeter, Elena Tansley, and Christian Terry. Also inducted were seniors Amy Baker, Molly Dufault, and Sarah Wells. • Oscar Smith, a senior from Whitingham, was named...

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Taxing sugary drinks is the right thing to do

This month, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a tax package that includes a half-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially sweetened diet drinks. This bill, H.481, is slated for a vote on floor of the House soon. Some folks are for this tax, and others are against it. Those against the tax fear the tax will cause a rise in the price of these beverages which will be passed on to the consumer and force them to...

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Around the Towns

Pre-Kindergarten now available at WSESU schools BRATTLEBORO - The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union announces that school districts in the towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, and Vernon will be offering limited (10 hours per week) publicly-funded pre-kindergarten services in partnering preschools for 3- and 4-year old children, and 5-year olds not in kindergarten, who reside in those towns. Applications for this opportunity are available at area preschools, on the WSESU website, www.wssu.k12.vt.us, or by calling Janice Stockman at 802-254-3755. Presentation...

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Spring water main flushing begins April 23 in Brattleboro

Brattleboro Utilities Division crews will start spring flushing of the town water mains on Thursday, April 23, at 10 p.m. and continue through Saturday, May 9. Some daytime flushing will continue throughout the weeks of May 11 and 18. Water main flushing will occur during both night and day. Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely, as flushing causes water discoloration, low water pressure, and, in some areas, periods of no water. Night flushing will take place from...

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Celebrate World Red Cross Day by giving blood

The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood this May in honor of World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day on May 8 – the birthday of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement founder Henry Dunant. World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day recognizes the local and global impact of the Red Cross mission. For more than 130 years, the American Red Cross has been helping people, including those in need of blood transfusions, in communities across...

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Grace Cottage Hospital honored at worksite wellness conference

Grace Cottage Hospital was recognized for its worksite wellness efforts by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and the Vermont Department of Health on March 25 in Burlington. Grace Cottage Hospital was one of 92 businesses that received an award for 2014. This is the third year that Grace Cottage Hospital has been honored. The awards are designed to highlight and recognize what worksites around the state are doing to promote the health and wellness of their employees.

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Slow Living Summit to focus on farms, food, food systems

The fifth annual Slow Living Summit will take place in Brattleboro on June 3-5 and will be focused on farms, food, and food systems. The summit is presented by Strolling of the Heifers, a Vermont-based food advocacy organization that works to connect people with local food and to support innovation and entrepreneurship at farms and food businesses. Subtitled “Food, Mindfully,” the summit will explore “the journey of food,” with topics including nourishment and wellness, food entrepreneurship, food systems, food justice,

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New program bridges gaps for homeless population

One evening at dinner, a Morningside Shelter resident turned toward Mac Newman, a therapist with the Brattleboro Retreat's Starting Now program. “You're just like a regular person,” she told him. Newman's supervisor, Director of Ambulatory Services Kurt White, smiles as he relates the story. For White, that small moment symbolizes Newman's powerful work at southeastern Vermont's only year-round homeless shelter. According to White, Newman, a clinical mental-health counselor and apprentice addiction professional, is normalizing the interactions he has with residents.

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“X” marks the spot

Have you seen a big white “X” on the ground anywhere in Windham or Bennington County? Have you wondered why it's there? According to Jeff Nugent, a senior planner with the Windham Regional Commission (WRC), it's all part of an effort this spring to produce new orthophotos, which are used by many people and organizations, including WRC, for mapping and reference. For WRC's work, orthophotos are nothing short of critical, according to a news release. Specifically, each white “X” is...

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Homage to the masters

After Images, Amy Arbus's newest collection of photographs, found its inspiration in a cocker spaniel. “An friend of mine, writer and actor David Pittu, who has worked with me on many of my series of photographs, recently got a cocker spaniel,” says Arbus. “As we were sitting together one afternoon, at one point he said to me, 'I feel like we should be a Courbet portrait.'” The idea resonated with Arbus. “I could picture it immediately - David and his...

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Latchis presents Sounds of Japan

On Saturday, April 25, at 7 p.m., Latchis Arts will present a special concert, Music Across Borders: Sounds of Japan, as part of its expanding number of live performances in the main theater at The Latchis, 50 Main St. The program features two of the foremost performers of Japanese music, Yoko Hiraoka playing the string instruments koto and shamisen, and Ralph Samuelson on the shakuhachi bamboo flute. It represents a rare opportunity to hear the sounds of these stunningly beautiful...

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A rough start for Colonels softball this season

Brattleboro has had a long run of softball success, but the well may be running dry. Colonels coach Kelly Markol said fewer girls are going out for softball, opting instead for lacrosse and other spring sports. As a result, she will be coaching a softball team that is young and very inexperienced compared to the Brattleboro teams that won championships in 2010, 2011, and 2013. Those growing pains, along with some hopeful signs for the future, were on display in...

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Career Center student wins SkillsUSA state competition

Students from the Windham Regional Career Center traveled to Burlington recently to attend the SkillsUSA Vermont state conference. This is a yearly event, enabling students from career centers around the state to demonstrate the skills they have been learning in their technical programs. The SkillsUSA Vermont Championships have grown to more than 1,000 members and more than 50 hands-on skill and leadership contests. Seven Career Center students attended this conference. They are Brooke Jarvis, a Brattleboro senior who is the...

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Blanche Moyse Chorale to hold auditions for Bach's St. John Passion

The Blanche Moyse Chorale, an affiliate of the Brattleboro Music Center, is now scheduling auditions for new members in all vocal sections. Potential auditioners should be experienced in choral singing, capable of learning music independently, and not intimidated by foreign languages. The chorale, founded in 1978, is a chamber chorus of about 30 voices, who strive to attain the high level of musical artistry exemplified by its original director, Blanche Moyse. Although based in the Brattleboro area, the chorale includes...

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Honoring those who gave all to save the Union

To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the end of the Civil War and Vermont's considerable contribution to the victory of the Union forces over their Confederate foes, American Legion Post 5 wanted to do something special. That something special: a two-day event on Sunday, May 24 and Monday, May 25, with lectures, a banquet, and a Memorial Day service at the town's Civil War monument on the Common. On Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., speakers will offer a variety of presentations...

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Jay Craven's new film gets a preview at the Latchis

Jay Craven's newest film, Peter and John, will play four Vermont preview dates between April 29 and May 3 before its official premiere in late June. The first showing will be at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro on Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. A reception will precede the film at 5:30 p.m. with Craven and special guests from the film. Peter and John is based on the 19th century novel Pierre et Jean by Guy de Maupassant, and it's...

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Working Bridges supports area employers and employees

Local employers challenged by sustaining a stable and productive workforce are invited to attend “Intro to Bridges Concepts,” facilitated by Prudence Pease on May 15, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro. The training is hosted by Working Bridges Employer Workgroup, convened by United Way of Windham County. The cost is $25 per person and includes training, materials, and light refreshments. Registration is encouraged, as space is limited. The training is being sponsored by River Valley Credit...

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One for the kids

“Let's Grow! A Musical Spectacular to Benefit KidsPLAYce” invites all kids, big and little, to a multi-media party at Brattleboro's Headroom Stages on Saturday, April 25. Michelle Mahin, interim development director, says proceeds from the show will support summer hours at KidsPLAYce. “This is new. We've never had summer hours because our budget didn't allow for it, but members have expressed interest,” Mahin says. KidsPLAYce, the “indoor children's discovery center” located downstairs from Hotel Pharmacy on Elliot Street in Brattleboro,

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Meeting Waters YMCA reaches out to help kids “hop the gap”

Meeting Waters YMCA's Board of Directors recently launched their 2015 “Reach Out to Youth” fundraising drive to secure community support for the scholarship fund for Y-ASPIRE, Y Day Camp, and other youth development programs. This year's theme is “Hop the Gap” - a reference to helping hundreds of area youth successfully navigate five challenges common during the summer break: hunger, decreased health due to inactivity, learning loss, risks around water, and unsafe environments. Executive Director Steve Fortier said, “Our Y...

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Another loan program? Really?

When commerce moved by sail, the worst situation was being becalmed. A lack of wind meant a lack of progress and a loss of money, so sailors had a thousand tricks to bring a breeze - all based on superstition, and none of which really worked. From those days comes our expression “whistling up the wind” - a phrase that has come to mean placing your faith in false hopes. “Whistling up the wind” is a good description of our...

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Why we want to keep cars out of the Brooks House tunnel

We, the members of the Brooks House Development Team, shared our vision and passion for Brattleboro's downtown at the April 20 Development Review Board meeting, where we discussed the continuing transformation of the space behind the Brooks House into a pedestrian-friendly commercial space in the spirit of Burlington's Church Street. Our park will serve as a college green for Vermont Technical College and Community College of Vermont and as a quiet outdoor oasis for all visitors to Brattleboro's otherwise-bustling downtown.

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Guitar-duo Threefifty headlines Next Stage show

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of acoustic/electric indie-instrumental and folk-pop music by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based guitar duo Threefifty, plus Vermont-based singer/songwriters Paul Siegel and Lizzy Mandell at Next Stage on Saturday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. Formed at the Yale School of Music, and molded by the multi-faceted music scene of New York City, Threefifty incorporates elements of post-rock, folk, minimalism and Baroque classicism. Guitarists Brett Parnell and Geremy Schulick compose predominantly instrumental songs, which range...

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Brattleboro Farmers’ Market reopens for season on May 2

The Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market (BAFM), the region's largest and oldest open-air market, is preparing for its season opening on Saturday, May 2, at 9 a.m. The 2015 season kicks off with local musician Andy Davis hosting a traditional Maypole dance from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year at the market, BAFM welcomes a number of new vendors, including mushroom producers, and makers of jewelry, ceramics, and fermented foods. The market's more than 50 vendors reside and produce their...

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Drop In Center to close winter shelter April 30, calls for camping supply donations

The Brattleboro Area Drop In Center has announced that the Emergency Winter Shelter, which operates in the First Baptist Church downtown on Main Street, will close for the season on April 30. Over the course of this season, the shelter has provided a warm place to stay for 173 unduplicated individuals, hosting a nightly average of 25 people. Most of the people who use the Emergency Winter Shelter's services are homeless. With the closing of the shelter, these homeless individuals...

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Investigation continues into suspicious house fire

Investigators have deemed an April 15 house fire at 47 Fred Houghton Road “suspicious” and the state police have set a reward for information that results in an arrest. After the Putney Fire Department responded to the 12:17 p.m. fire, which caused approximately $65,000 in damage to the gambrel-roofed garage and the small apartment on the second level of the structure, Putney Fire Chief Tom Goddard gathered information about the fire and contacted the Vermont State Police to request an...

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Vernon ratifies actions taken at Town Meeting

Voters unanimously ratified actions taken at the March Town Meeting in a special meeting Monday night. The April 20 “validation” vote is allowed under state statute to dot the i's and cross the t's when a mistake occurs with a Town Meeting warning. According to a report sent out by Town Clerk Susan Miller, earlier this year, the Selectboard had missed the state's deadline for approving and posting the meeting warning. Will Senning, Director of Elections for the Secretary of...

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Second temporary Selectboard member appointed

The Selectboard announced its decision after three minutes in executive session. While the board deliberated, a handful of audience members who had stuck it out for the over two-hour regular board meeting, waited. They asked each other: Susan Cobb or Stephen Skibnoiwsky? The board made its formal vote to appoint Skibnoiwsky back in public session on April 20. Skibnoiwsky fills the seat recently vacated by Jeff Dunklee after the April 13 meeting. The appointment will last until a special Town...

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Elders at risk of financial abuse

For many of us, watching our parents age can be a beautiful experience, particularly if we talk less and listen more. The stories that are told can weave images of different times and can continue to teach us who our parents are and were. Our conversations with them can be more meaningful, yet also more challenging - particularly when it comes to the topics of death and dying, health and finances. As a 35-year banking veteran, I have frequently observed...

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Governor outlines his vision for a new energy model

Energy independence. Changing the utilities' business model. Getting Vermonters off heating oil and onto renewables. Governor Peter Shumlin uttered these phrases throughout his visit to Brattleboro on April 15. He said he seeks to change the business model from the bottom up, for energy providers like Green Mountain Power (GMP) and heating oil providers. Shumlin said, soon, GMP will ask homeowners, “how can we help you get rid of us.” Right. But are utility companies on board with that? In...

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‘We're doing it the hard way’

The Solarize Dummerston Task Force group, operating under the aegis of the town's Energy Committee, updated the Selectboard on the group's progress. With Bruce Clausson and Pam McFadden occasionally chiming in, Stan “Smokey” Howe presented the bulk of the information. Formed in October 2014, the Task Force is working to meet the Town Plan Goal #14: “to reduce per-capita non-renewable energy consumption 40 percent by 2030 from a 2010 baseline.” The all-volunteer task force aims to do so by signing...

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Selectboard briefs

Treasurer to collect the taxes DUMMERSTON-Because of changes from the Vermont Legislature dictating how towns collect current taxes, a Special Town Meeting on April 15 addressed a matter of procedure: which officer collects the taxes in town, in all of three minutes. That will become the task of Town Treasurer Laurie Frechette. Vermont requires Town Meeting to directly vote to empower the treasurer to do so; if Town Meeting votes “nay,” this responsibility automatically falls to the Constable. Previously, as...

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Former BUHS principal Jim Day dies of cancer

James T. “Jim” Day, who served as principal of Brattleboro Union High School from 2003 until illness forced him to resign in June 2011, died in Florida on April 19 after a long battle with prostate cancer and significant spinal disease. He was 67. Day led the school through a turbulent time, guiding students and faculty while a $55 million makeover of BUHS, the Brattleboro Area Middle School, and the Windham Regional Career Center took place. At the time, the...

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Traditional Tuvan throat singers to perform in Brattleboro

The central Asian republic of Tuva is home to one of the world's most remarkable indigenous musical traditions. Historically nomadic herdsmen engage in a style of throat singing whereby individual singers produce two or more notes simultaneously, often a low drone and a high-pitched melody or other-worldly vocal effects not found in western music. The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) will bring this music to southern Vermont on Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m., when the Alash Ensemble, a...

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Moving forward in Vernon

Many people - both residents and those living beyond our borders - believe that the recent change in Selectboard members has given Vernon a new level of openness, freedom, and hope for its people, while greatly improving the environment for a better-functioning town government. As an elected auditor for the past two years, I have had an inside view of our climate and circumstances and what has taken place within our town government. During that time, I saw an elevated...

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Wood pellets for Windham County

The students of Academy School sat and stood in a neat huddle awaiting their guest of honor. Governor Peter Shumlin approached the podium at the school's entrance on a breezy yet balmy morning. Shumlin announced the funding of two renewable energy projects to the students and faculty on April 15. The school will be one of at least 20 buildings to convert from an oil-powered heating system to a high-efficiency wood-heat system, thanks to funds earmarked for Windham County within...

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