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R D NEWSPAPE NEW ENGLAN SOCIATION & PRESS AS 12 er Contest, 20 Better Newspap ST PRIZE FIR Spot News Story d Page • Editorial/Op-E SECOND PRIZE tor’s Award re Story • Innova Social Issues Featu IZE PR D IR TH ent Section Arts/Entertainm riting Editorial W • ISION WEEKLY 2 DIV6,000) (Circulation > www.commonsnews.org Brattleboro, Vermont Wednesday, March 13, 2013 • Vol. VIII, No. 11 • Issue #194 WINDHAM COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING, INDEPENDENT SOURCE FOR NEWS AND VIEWS State wraps up hearings for Vermont Yankee Town & Village PUTNEY New manager is sought for historic General Store Shadis permitted to testify after challenge from Entergy lawyers page A7 By Olga Peters Voices The Commons ESSAY Hanging out at the sugar shack is the best part of maple season page C1 ELAYNE CLIFT The deadly civilian toll of U.S. drone warfare keeps growing page C1 The Arts TRAVELING SONG Jazz vocalist says she’ll go anywhere for a gig, including Brattleboro page B1 WITH A SHOUT VPL debuts new piece by Reggie Wilson, with help from local singers page B1 Sports PLAYOFFS Colonel boys fall in hockey semifinals; Rebel girls knocked out by Richford Having his BACK A son and daughter-in-law run in a marathon to honor the journey of — and get closer to — a mother’s unique friend By Alexandra Ossola The Commons B RATTLEBORO— The 26.2 miles of a marathon are known to be a test of human endurance, for those who have run the race as well as for those who have only imagined it. On Feb. 17 in Austin, Texas, Dummerston native Jeremiah Cioffi and his wife Kim ran the Livestrong Marathon on behalf of Brattleboro resident Neil Taylor. They did so to to honor Taylor’s battle with cancer as well as gain a new understanding of his ongoing struggle. Jeremiah Cioffi, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Hood, is the son of Taylor’s close friend Laura Momaney, and it is because of Neil and Laura’s profound relationship that the newlyweds were inspired to undertake the grueling test. About a year ago, both Taylor and Momaney were living in the Manley Apartments building on High Street, and their paths crossed at just the right time. Taylor was rediscovering his independence after a malignant brain tumor affected his optic nerve approximately four years ago. Surgery to remove the tumor left him totally blind at age 28. “I basically had to learn to live life again as a blind person,” he said. “It was a huge challenge, totally losing my independence.” He couldn’t return to his previous job as a math teacher at the Greenwood School in Putney, but he reinvented himself as a massage therapist, eventually opening a practice as The Blind Masseur. His time at the Manley building, where he first lived on his own after the surgery, brought a variety of ongoing struggles. With his disability, “it’s scary even to go on the road,” Taylor said. As for Momaney, who contracted polio at the age of 6 weeks and uses a wheelchair as a result of post-polio syndrome, she was going through her own difficulties regarding living independently when she met Taylor. Momaney has written publicly and candidly about her struggles after becoming addicted to narcotic pain medication. “I began a long descent into addiction and despair,” she wrote in a column that she and Taylor contribute to Vermont Views (www.vermontviews.org). “Hopelessness became my disability and it was crippling, a formidable opponent. Eventually, I lost all the things I owned and loved, I lost the people in my world, too, and I almost lost my liberty.” “I lost myself,” she wrote. “Hopelessness is pernicious. It kills everything in its path. It is absolutely deadly.” In the column, she credits Jeremiah for his “strength and his love and his immense hope.” But Taylor has been her brick. “Our meeting was ■ SEE MASSEUR, PAGE A2 COMMONS FILE PHOTO Raymond Shadis, the technical consultant for the New England Coalition, the Brattleboro-based antinuclear nonprofit. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. In 2012, U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha ruled in Entergy’s favor, saying that the state had overstepped its bounds on nuclear safety. Murtha added, however, that the state is permitted to regulate in some non-nuclear safety areas. According to Shadis, Entergy’s arguments before the PSB mirrored the arguments it made before Murtha. Entergy claims that all of Vermont’s attempts to regulate the plant stem from concerns over nuclear safety. Entergy had stated early on that if it receives a negative ruling from the PSB, it would appeal. According to Shadis, the corporation also spent considerable time arguing that it didn’t need to appear before the board for the CPG. Shadis said that Entergy’s lawyers have worked determinedly to dismiss any concerns from the interveners that don’t fit into the company’s legal argument. The lawyers have called counter arguments “irrelevant” or “lodged in pretext for safety.” According to Shadis, Entergy’s claims of “pretext for safety” were comparable to someone saying he didn’t like the color of his necktie and his response being a harangue about nuclear safety. In Shadis’ view, opponents left the hearing “outraged” at Entergy’s constant objections to counter-arguments. Shadis said he believes Entergy is using the CPG hearing to build its case for appeal to ■ SEE VY HEARING, PAGE A2 Preparing the ground for Putney Road State holds public hearing on construction, set for 2020 By Olga Peters The Commons Members of Vermont Independent Media receive The Commons in the mail. Visit http://donate.commonsnews.org. CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED P.O. Box 1212, Brattleboro, VT 05302 www.commonsnews.org Vermont Independent Media PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BRATTLEBORO, VT 05301 PERMIT NO. 24 page C4 COURTESY PHOTO Neil Taylor and his friend Laura Momaney, whose son and daughter-in-law, Jeremiah and Kimberly Cioffi, ran in the 2013 Livestrong Austin marathon in February. They ran the race, which raises funds and awareness for cancer, in honor of Taylor, a Brattleboro masseur who lost his eyesight as a complication of surgery to remove a brain tumor. BRATTLEBORO—Ten days of technical hearings before the Public Service Board on the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant wrapped up the final week of February. A slightly road-weary Raymond Shadis, consulting advisor and expert witness for the anti-nuclear New England Coalition, provided his views on the the fight over Vermont Yankee’s state-awarded Certificate of Public Good. “There’s a real fight on,” said Shadis of the CPG hearing. The PSB said it anticipates announcing in November whether it will award the CPG. Meanwhile, Shadis said he feels the Vermont Public Interest Resource Group (VPIRG), the Conservation Law Foundation, the Vermont Natural Resources Council, the Connecticut River Watershed Council, and NEC are “holding their own” as interveners against Entergy’s five law firms. After challenges from Entergy Corp., VY’s Louisiana-based owner, Shadis was admitted into the record as an expert witness. Entergy, Shadis said, had asked to strike his testimony and exhibits. The one portion of his testimony not admitted, about 5 percent, said Shadis, was on cold shock stress in fish that have acclimated to warmer waters, like those near nuclear plants, but might not thrive in the cooler waters away from the plant. When asked if he felt the admittance of his testimony was a positive, Shadis fired back, “Hell yes." Vermont Yankee, Vermont’s lone nuclear plant, must receive a CPG to continue operating. Its current certificate expired last year. The plant received its federal operating license shortly before the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011. Entergy and the state have duked out in court how much the state can regulate the 605-megawatt, boiling water reactor located in Vernon. Entergy claims the state attempted to preempt federal authority by regulating nuclear safety, including criteria used to issue a CPG. The corporation has multiple court cases open on VY, including a federal case against the state. This case is before the BRATTLEBORO— The Vermont Agency of Transportation has big plans for the section of Putney Road between the West River bridge and the Exit 3 roundabout. A major reconstruction involving sidewalks, a bike lane, landscaping, and four new roundabouts is planned. The project, conservatively estimated at $15 million, will reconstruct about one and a quarter miles of roadway, and cover more than 10 acres. According to state officials, construction is slated for summer 2020. “It’s all about safety and mobility,” said Ken Upmal, a project manager with AOT’s highway and safety division. “We do things for safety.” ■ SEE PUTNEY ROAD, PAGE A3 Putney Road, in a photograph from the Brattleboro Master Plan. PAID ADVERTISING • TO PLACE YOUR AD, CALL (802) 246-6397 OR VISIT WWW.COMMONSNEWS.ORG WINTER CLEARANCE FINAL DAYS! THE SHOE TREE Renaissance Fine JewelR JewelRy Jewel Ry We buy Gold, Diamonds, Coins & Rare Antiques 802-251-0600 151 Main, Brattleboro Open 7 Days Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM Second Chance WINTER SALE!!! Rte. 35, Townshend Village M, W. Th, F. Sa. 9:30-4 Winter Farmers market 153 Main St. Brattleboro Open SaturdayS 10-2 SaturdayS thru 3/30 Accepting Debit & EBT GO fOr f r the GreenS! fO GreenS! 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About The newspaper The Commons is a nonprofit, weekly community newspaper published since 2006 by Vermont Independent Media, Inc., a nonprofit corporation under section 501(c)3 of the federal tax code. The newspaper is free, but it is supported by readers like you through tax-deductible donations, through advertising support, and through support of charitable foundations. SUBMITTING NEWS/tips We welcome story ideas and news tips. Please contact the newsroom at [email protected] or at (802) 246-6397. Most press releases and announcements of upcoming events appear on www.commonsnews.org, where they can be made available sooner. VOICES The Commons presents a broad range of essays, memoirs, and other subjective material in Voices, our editorial and commentary section. We want the paper to provide an unpredictable variety of food for thought from all points on the political spectrum. We especially invite responses to material that appears in the paper. 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The display advertising rate is $13.50 per column inch, and The Commons offers discounts. To place your ad, contact the advertising coordinator at [email protected]. Advertising files can be saved as PDF (press-ready setting), EPS (with fonts converted to outlines), or as TIFF (600 pixels per inch), or printed as black-andwhite hard copy. We can design your ad. definitely at the right time,” Momaney says. She and Taylor quickly formed a deep friendship as well as a mutual reliance. “When you’re really limited with what you can do, you have to really enjoy the people you keep company with. There aren’t a lot of distractions,” she said. “We have a very similar sense of humor, similar personalities, and an openness and willingness to engage with people. I have my own disabilities, so I can relate to him on that level as well. I know when he needs to be filled in and I recognize and understand his disability.” “Laura gets it,” Taylor agreed. “She has become such a great friend, and we have a lot in common. You wouldn’t even know that I was blind when we walk around town, we just cruise around.” The two often take “jaunts” through Brattleboro, Momaney wheeling ahead of Taylor, who follows by holding on to the handles of her wheelchair. “It’s the one time in my life I don’t feel blind,” Taylor said. Momaney assists Taylor as “chief security dog” in his practice, where she spends much of her time assisting clients, helping with payments, or doing some light housekeeping. Since the practice at 160 High St. is also universally accessible — a fairly uncommon installation in a small practice — Taylor has treated an increasing number of patients in wheelchairs, largely as a result of Momaney’s influence. “There’s always something to be doing, and when there’s not, just hanging out with Neil is great,” Laura said. Rebuilding their worlds Although Jeremiah Cioffi has not lived in the area for much of the time that his mother has known Taylor, Momaney’s frequent communications have reflected the positive change the friendship has brought to her life. “My mom’s been through a lot, especially in the past few years,” Cioffi said. “Her world from section front crumbled, and she’s been in the process of building it back up. It’s hard to see a family member go through something really difficult, and I saw Neil as a main catalyst in this process of her coming back up.” Jeremiah and Kim Cioffi had wanted to run a marathon for several years, and after hearing about the Livestrong marathon in nearby Austin, the opportunity to honor Taylor seemed too good to pass up. “I saw there was this real bond [that Laura and Neil] have and I wanted to do something,” Cioffi said. “I thought [running the marathon] was perfect; Neil loves the outdoors, and has been a blessing to my mom, and by default to my life too.” “I just feel so honored that I mean that much to Jeremiah and his new wife, especially because she’s never run a marathon before,” Taylor said. “I have such love and gratitude for that.” The couple kept Taylor updated throughout their training and, for race day, made t-shirts that read, “The Blind Masseur has my back.” I understand more,” Cioffi said. And Cioffi sees the benefits in his relationship with his mother as well, as two of the people most important in her life have become closer to one another. As for Taylor and Momaney, they continue to cook, spend time outdoors, and take jaunts around town, dealing with daily challenges with their mutually colorful sense of humor. They are able to discuss some of the deeper issues at play in each of their disabilities. Taylor admits that he’s sad that he can’t notice someone’s haircut or a new outfit. Momaney regrets that Taylor, who has so much physical strength, is physically limited due to his lack of sight. Both agree that they’re both the better for it. “We have a very non-traditional relationship in many ways — our age difference, our disabilities, our non-sexual relationship,” she said. “But it’s been one of the most wonderful relationships of my life.” Taylor agrees. Even though he’s not physically present to see their relationship grow, Cioffi knows that the two are even closer now than they were before. “Their relationship has taken on a different dimension because I’m more involved with Neil,” Cioffi said. “I just really admire both of them. They’ve been through so much, and it doesn’t get easier.” “They have to make a conscious effort to truck on,” he continued. “They have to have a positive attitude to enjoy and embrace life. I’m blessed to be in their lives.” “With cancer, you never know if your battle with it is done,” Momaney said. “I pray that everything for Neil would be more in a straight line.” A deeper understanding of disability and friendship Cioffi also sees new depth in his understanding of the difficulties Taylor faces daily. “When I was running the marathon, there were a few times I imagined being blind,” Cioffi said. “I would try to run with my eyes closed. Obviously, I couldn’t do it for more than a few seconds.” “But personally, I developed more of an understanding of what it’s like for him, putting more thought into his predicament and situation,” he continued. “Other than the physical challenges, what sorts of emotional problems exist as you relearn how to live?” “You can’t do the same profession as in the past, your house has to be set up differently, you can’t walk down steps easily. I got more of a glimpse into Neil’s life. I got closer to him because Laura Momaney and Neil Taylor together write “Blind in Sight,” (www.vermontviews.org/ vermontviews.org/BlindInSight.html) a column for Vermont Views. To find out more about Taylor’s practice, visit theblindmasseur.com or call 802-451-9651. 100% Leather Sofa $1,099, less 10% = $989.00! 100% Leather Reclining Sofa $1,399, less 10% = $1,259.00 Well, We Like Leather, Too! 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Power plants, he said, have ‘The end of redundant safety systems in the event of an emergency. the line...’ Tests or repairs to the sysThe CPG hearing repre- tems ideally occur by taking sents the “last regulatory pro- the systems “off line,” shutceeding for Vermont,” Shadis ting them down and checking said after driving from the everything out. hearings in Montpelier to With online maintenance, Brattleboro last week. repairs take place during plant According to Shadis, the operation. CPG proceedings represent The power companies the final stage for Vermont “make a bet” with online having a say in VY’s operation. maintenance that the sys“It’s literally the end of the tem under repair is either not line for those controlling ac- needed during an emergency tivities [such as requiring a or that the system won’t conCPG]. If Entergy prevails, tribute to a severe emergency, they’ll never have to come to he said. the state for approval for anyShadis likened online mainthing,” said Shadis. tenance to climbing onto the Entergy could redevelop the wing of a two-engine aircraft site, sell the plant, or increase in-flight to repair an engine. the power generation without According to Shadis, a state input, he said. few years ago, an inspection Shadis said he thought the port on the feed water system PSB’s behavior reflected an rusted and leaked. The feed understanding of the critical water system, part of the steam nature of the hearing. system that generates power, Entergy has defined pre- pipes water into the reactor. emption outlined in Murtha’s Employees investigated and 2012 ruling as the broadest fixed the leaky port. possible definition of preempThe same problem haption, said Shadis. pened with another port the In its arguments before the following year. PSB, said Shadis, Entergy atShadis said the NEC raised torneys went beyond argu- their concern about the steam ing that radiological safety is water system. The NRC repreempted: The legal team sponded that as the system argued for taking all plant op- wasn’t safety related there was erations off the table. no issue. In Shadis’ view, interveners Aiming for fewer outages DPS and PSB give Murtha’s due to maintenance or safety is preemption ruling a narrower a “numbers game” most utility definition. companies play, said Shadis. Prior to 2001, Vermont utilWhen Entergy brags about ities owned VY. running 500 days without an According to Shadis, when outage, they’ve been making Entergy eyed purchasing the same bet, Shadis said. “It Vermont Yankee in 2001, doesn’t come without a price. the corporation’s plan for the They’re pushing their luck and plant had three phases: in- everybody else’s luck.” crease power generation by 20 percent; start onsite dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel; Not financially and extend the plant’s operat- viable? ing license beyond 2012. The NEC asked how much “We’re trying to figure out control the state would have what the game is,” said Shadis should the plant become a of Entergy’s fight to keep VY wholesale merchant plant as open. Entergy said it intended. Entergy has refused to disShadis said multiple par- cuss its plans for VY or disties in 2001 worried Entergy close its finances, said Shadis. would “call preemption” if Still, Shadis said he feels the state tried to maintain the plant’s financial future some say in the plant’s future. looks dim. Entergy agreed, in turn, sayVY has not turned a ing it would seek a CPG for profit since 2007, he said. all three phases. Meanwhile, the NRC in “The only reason they the wake of Fukushima has [Entergy] have to come to called for expensive upgrades the PSB at all … is because of throughout the industry. this agreement,” Shadis said. Shadis speculated that Entergy’s motive does not with saving VY. Instead, Enough non-nuclear rest he said, the corporation likely is thinking ahead to saving its safety issues other merchant plants, such According to Shadis, the Indian Point in New York. main point of his testimony Peer pressure not to throw before the PSB centered these court battles from other on Vermont Yankee having nuclear plant owners may also enough multiple non-nuclear play into Entergy’s favor. and non-radiological safety In Shadis’ view, VY’s fiissues to ax it receiving a new nancial viability hinges on CPG. Entergy’s maintenance The plant has “big negatives practices. to be thrown on the scale,” Entergy is weighing how said Shadis, pointing to VY’s much money to invest in recooling towers. placing, repairing, or upgradCooling towers, according ing the plant against letting to Shadis, emit mostly vapor parts “run to failure,” said that is “cleaned” of toxins. Shadis. However, cooling towers of “On balance, we think that’s all sizes, and not exclusive to what’s going on,” he said. power plants, also emit water He said he believes Entergy droplets. These droplets can has instructed its employes at travel as much as a mile on VY that it doesn’t want to fithe wind and can contain con- nance all repairs and to be centrated amounts of contami- judicious with what repairs nants such as biocides used to employees report. According clean the plant, or heavy met- to Shadis, Maine Yankee, als that may pool in the cool- which closed in 1997, took ing tower basin. that stance. The NEC has asked Shadis said he also bases Entergy for the chemical con- this assertion on information tent of VY’s cooling tower from Entergy’s 2004 busidroplets. Entergy replied that ness plan the corporation an analysis has not occurred, submitted to the PSB during said Shadis. the power uprate hearings. In The droplets might not pose that plan, Entergy said that a health concern, said Shadis. VY must be mindful of mainBut without rigorous analy- tenance and operation costs. sis, it’s impossible to know Shadis called Entergy’s legal for certain. strategy “swamping.” According to the Centers “It’s mind-boggling how for Disease Control and much [paper] they generate,” Prevention, American Legion he said. members at a convention in If the interveners were basePhiladelphia in 1976 con- ball players swinging at evtracted a pneumonia later ery ball Entergy pitched, said termed Legionnaires’ disease. Shadis, “our arms would break The infection’s source was off.” traced to bacteria growing in Shadis admitted that nearby cooling towers. fighting Entergy in court VY also has multiple main- was stretching the NEC’s tenance issues related to the resources. plant’s age and the expense The hearing marked the of forthcoming equipment midway point in NEC’s nineupgrades developed in the month timeline. Entergy is exwake of the nuclear accident pected to file rebuttals to the at Fukushima, said Shadis. information in the technical Shadis believes the corpo- hearing in a few weeks. Legal ration is “running to failure” back and forth of discovery, by not properly maintain- and interveners filing rebuting components of the plant. tals to Entergy will follow, Some of these mechanical said Shadis. components, although not The next phase of technical considered safety-related by hearings will involve narrowthe NRC, could shut the plant ing and focusing arguments. down if they malfunctioned. Filing of briefs and reply briefs According to Shadis, an- follows in August. other concern is that Entergy, THE COMMONS • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 NEWS A3 ■ Putney Road FROM SECTION FRONT According to Upmal, pedestrians and drivers will benefit from the Putney Road project. AOT representatives discussed the plan with a capacity crowd of people who have property in the area, and others, at a public hearing March 7 at the Selectboard meeting room in the Municipal Center. State statute requires what are known as 502 hearings for proposed highway and bridge projects when the state may potentially acquire property from individual owners. The purpose of the hearing was for AOT to solicit feedback from the public about the project prior to acquiring property. Upmal, and AOT civil engineers Brandon McAdams and Amos Kempton, took comment from the audience. They also provided handouts on the project and Vermont’s right-of-way and acquisition process. The state notified abutters via certified mail of the possibility of acquiring land, said McAdams. AOT staff will also meet with abutters personally. Upmal told the audience they had until March 17 to send comment to the state. AOT will then report back to the Selectboard within 30 days. The project will also go through the state’s Act 250 environmental permitting process, he added. The AOT representatives presented the project’s concept plans that have hung on the wall outside the town planning department. According to Public Works Director Steve Barrett, the project grew out of the town’s and Windham Regional Commission’s efforts to improve Putney Road and address safety concerns for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. The town assigned a committee to work on the issue several years ago. This committee work led to a public hearing and later to a presentation to the Selectboard. The board voted to accept a project concept. The town sent the concept to the state. The state and town have collaborated on the Putney Road reconstruction project, Barrett said. “It’s a really big nut, but that’s why we’re [all] here,” Barrett said. According to McAdams, Putney Road is an “extremely high” crash corridor. Upmal added that, over the past five years, 182 accidents had occurred on Putney Road, resulting in 40 injuries. The new project design is intended to reduce collisions and improve mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The roundabouts would help slow traffic, McAdams said. Upmal added that the Exit 3 roundabout has seen some accidents, though none resulted in injuries as drivers there operate at slower speeds. The current Putney Road has unacceptable E and F grades. The new design would raise the grade to an A. Upmal said that the state also conducted a two-year scoping phase between 2005 and 2008. The project design also syncs with the Putney Road 50-year master plan. The new roadway will have two 12-foot lanes, two five-foot bike lanes, and a six-foot wide sidewalk at the southern end closest to the West River bridge. Starting by the Peoples Bank property, the road will divide into four lanes with a grassy median. Along with the car and bike lanes, the state also will construct sidewalks on each side of the road, which most of Putney Road lacks now, and four roundabouts. McAdams said that the existing Putney Road covers a lot of ground. He anticipated that much of the new design would fit within the same footprint. The new design would also eliminate left-hand turns from the side roads and some of the businesses along Putney Road. McAdams said that many of the collisions on Putney Road were “sideswipes” occurring when drivers attempted to turn left. The bike lane is considered shared-use as cars will have access to it in case of emergency, Brattleboro School Endowment distributes funds for school extras BRATTLEBORO—The Brattleboro School Endowment recently distributed funds to three area elementary schools for use in their winter sports programs. Funds from the nonprofit can be used to support all the extras that make a good education even better, said its president, Jill Stahl Tyler. “Winter sports has been a specific emphasis for the endowment since its creation,” Tyler said. “We hope that the money eventually given each year to the schools can help with paying for such things as artists-in-residence, winter sports programs, field trips — all those things that enrich the quality teaching that already happens here in Brattleboro.” Funds were released to Green Street School, Canal St./Oak Grove Schools, and Academy School at $2 per student, Tyler said. The Endowment is working with the schools, parent groups, and donors to support enrichment opportunities not already funded by tax dollars. “We’re not going to fund a Spanish teacher, say … we knew winter sports were struggling and that’s where we felt we could help,” explained Tyler. By having a source of funds over and above what is provided for through the school district budget, the Brattleboro School Endowment can make a difference and offer special opportunities in education. Winter sports programs, field trips, visiting artists, writers and after school programs can all benefit from Endowment gifts. Through gifts and bequests the Endowment will provide a financially stable funding source with annual assistance that goes directly to the schools for the benefit of the students of Brattleboro. Principal is preserved through careful and conservative management and increased with continued support from the community. Donations are tax-deductible. For more information on the Brattleboro School E n d o w m e n t , v i s i t w w w. brattleboroschoolendowment.org. An adventure is just around the corner. How will you get there? Whether you’re purchasing or refinancing, we offer the same low rates for new and used vehicles. Federally insured by NCUA. VSECU is a credit union for everybody in Vermont. www.vsecu.com 802/800 371-5162 Brattleboro – Price Chopper Plaza, off exit one Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM Putney Road at Interstate 91’s Exit 3, in a 1962 photo. such as a breakdown. According to the AOT, the state and federal government will pick up the project’s tab with the federal government covering 81 percent of the cost and the state picking up 19 percent. “We’re at the beginning of the project,” said Upmal, assuring audience members that the residents would have additional opportunities to comment on the project. Audience members’ reaction to the project spanned the spectrum from very positive to feeling the project was unnecessary. Adam Hubbard called the design “forward thinking,” and believes it would improve traffic flow and property values along Putney Road. Paul Cameron, executive director of Brattleboro Climate Protection, also praised the project design. He said it would help reduce pollution as the roundabouts would reduce idling and effectively eliminate the consumption of more than 500,000 gallons of gas per year. Overall, he said the project would help the town reach its goal of a 30 percent reduction from 2010 levels of emissions, energy consumption, and pollution by the year 2030 as stated in the town plan. Scott Borofsky strongly opposed the project. He said he could not understand why AOT should take on the project at all. “Why?” he asked repeatedly. The expensive project, Borofsky said, would hinder travel and frustrate drivers. He said he did not like the addition of roundabouts, but did praise the sidewalks. “It’s not the city here, and these roundabouts seem to imply it’s going to be,” Borofsky said. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it." Borofsky also asked who would provide an extra fire truck or police officers to handle any increased development on the new Putney Road. He also challenged the AOT representatives’ data on accidents in the Exit 3 roundabout. David Gartenstein, a Selectboard member who stressed he was speaking only for himself at the meeting, echoed Borofsky. “I personally, looking at this, I don’t understand this at all,” he said. The next phase of the project will entail developing preliminary plans, said Upmal. These designs will include more detailed design elements such as storm water runoff systems. DONALD WIEDENMAYER/VERMONT STATE ARCHIVES (VIA UVM.EDU/LANDSCAPE) Brooks House CHallenge: Dream to Reality Leasing Party & Open House Thursday March 14 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. p.m Celebratory wine and hors d’oeuvres The River Garden Main Street Brattleboro now leasinG! Brooks House Development Team [email protected] brookshouse.com 802-257-9329 experience the vision BrookS HouSe Character / History / Green / Modern NO Trophies NO Medals Just WORK! Brattleboro School of Budo 464 Putney Road, (802) 257-4797 www.brattleboroschoolofbudo.com Like us on Facebook NEWS A4 AROUND THE TOWNS Toastmasters to meet BRATTLEBORO — BrattleMasters, the Brattleborobased chapter of Toastmasters International, meets Thursday, March 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Marlboro College Graduate Center, room 2E, 28 Vernon St. The theme of this week’s meeting is “Speak Up to Win,” focusing on what it takes to advocate for oneself on the job and for a more prosperous career. Four new member inductions are also scheduled. Refreshments are provided. The club meets the second and fourth Thursday of every month at the same time and location. Guests are welcome. For more information, visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org. NAMI Vermont hosts Family-to-Family Education Program BELLOWS FALLS — NAMI Vermont, the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will sponsor the NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program for families of persons diagnosed with mental health challenges. The 12-week series of classes starts on March 14 and meets once a week during the early evening hours. The course covers information about schizophrenia; the mood disorders bipolar disorder and major depression; borderline personality disorder; panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder; coping skills such as handling crisis and relapse; basic information about medications; listening and communication techniques; problem-solving skills; recovery and rehabilitation; and self care around worry and stress. The curriculum was written by an experienced family member mental health professional and the course will be taught by NAMI Vermont family member volunteers who have taken intensive training as course instructors. For more information or to register, call Laurie Emerson, NAMI Vermont program director, at 800-639-6480, ext. 102, or write [email protected]. Halifax Senior Meal served on March 15 HALIFAX — The monthly Halifax Senior Meal is Friday, March 15, at noon, at the Community Hall at the intersection of Brook and Branch roads in West Halifax. On the menu is New England boiled dinner, with corn bread, rolls, and a dessert. All seniors are welcome. Sponsored by Senior Solutions. Reservations are appreciated; call Joan Courser at 802-368-7733. BF Winter Farmers’ Market wraps up season BELLOWS FALLS — The last Bellows Falls Winter Farmers’ Market of the season is Friday, March 15, from 4-7 p.m., inside the Train Station. The Farmers’ Market, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in May, is accepting applications now for the 2013 summer season. The market is always looking for farmers, crafters, and prepared food vendors to join. Visit www.bffarmersmarket.com for details and application. The market still has plenty of Harvest Health Coupons to give away. Just swipe your EBT card at the manager’s booth, and the market will match your purchase dollar for dollar (maximum $10 per visit). The farmer’s market accepts both EBT/debit as well as Farm to Family and Harvest Health coupons. For additional information, contact market manager Rachel Ware at [email protected] or 802-463-2018. Wilmington offers rabies clinic WILMINGTON — There will be a rabies clinic at the Wilmington Fire House on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Veterinarian Miles Powers will be in attendance to administer vaccinations, and licensing will be available to Wilmington dog owners. For questions, call the Wilmington Town Clerk’s office at 802-464-5836. Potluck, dance a double Putney fundraiser PUTNEY — On Saturday, March 16, the Putney Community Center will host a potluck dinner and dance fundraiser for Putney Cares and the Putney Community Center from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Suggested donation for the “Big Bash Potluck & Dance Double Fundraiser” is $5 to $10. Folks are invited to bring their favorite dish and/or a beverage for the potluck feast (no alcoholic beverages, please). The DJ’ed music will be an eclectic mix of danceable tunes. The Putney Community Center, located at 10 Christian Square, a block off Main Street, has provided a range of educational, cultural, recreational, and social services for the community since 1925. The historic, wheelchair accessible building has hosted a wide range of activities, including community events, benefits, movies and dances, summer school programs, and is currently the home of the Putney Food Shelf. Putney Cares supports the needs of elders in the community so that they can remain independent for as long as possible. The range of services and programs they provide includes transportation for seniors to medical appointments, lending medical equipment, Meals on Wheels, monthly lunches, the Artist in Each of Us, Gentle Yoga, Living Strong, Folk Dancing, and the monthly foot clinic. Putney Cares also maintains the Noyes House, a home for shared living for seniors in Putney. Tree pruning workshop on March 17 WESTMINSTER WEST — A fruit tree pruning workshop takes place Sunday, March 17, from 10 a.m.-noon, at the Westminster West School, 3724 Westminster West Rd. The demonstration workshop, sponsored by the Windham County Extension Master Gardener program, will be hosted by Gay Foster Acupuncture for Women’s Health Solutions through prayer • Improve Fertility • Fibroids and Painful Periods • Natural Menopause/ Hormone Balance Prayer, based on spiritual reasoning and the power of divine Love, heals illness and uncovers inspired solutions to problems. Christian Science Practitioners: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine John Kohler CS 617-584-5866 [email protected] Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT Linda Kohler CS 617-877-2359 802-289-4087 [email protected] 33 years established practice www.kohlercs.com Come in and check out our ClearanCe Counter! Save 25%-70% Brown & Roberts 182 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 802-257-4566 Open 7 days The Chimney Doctor Chimney & Stove Care Whole System Service •Cleaning •Repair •Installation •Relining •Year-round Service (802) 387-6037 Putney, VT [email protected] www.vtchimneydoctor.com MJ Woodburn Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certified Multiple Addiction Specialist Mike Williams 26 years of Kind & Compassionate Care Assessments, Consultation & Education 802.380.3994 • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Dates set for info sessions for town, school district meetings BRATTLEBORO— Brattleboro’s pre-Town Meeting information session for the town budget is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, at Academy School, 860 Western Ave. Town Meeting Members of each of the three districts will caucus at 6:30 p.m. to appoint members to vacant seats. Districts 1 and 2 have nine vacancies each; District 3 has four vacancies to fill. Anyone interested in being appointed as a town meeting member should be present at the caucus or contact the Brattleboro Town Clerk at 802-251-8129 or [email protected]. Appointees will serve until the annual election in March 2014. At 7 p.m., following the districts’ caucuses, the town will of Hollyhock Farm in Putney. Foster has had many years experience working for Green Mountain Orchard, as well as maintaining clients of her own, and will demonstrate how to prune fruit trees. This is a hands-on workshop, so feel free to bring your own pruning tools. RSVP via email to [email protected]. Donations gratefully accepted. will be raffled off during each seating. All proceeds benefit the church, which actively supports more than 15 local programs that serve the community, including Brattleboro Area Hospice, Meals on Wheels, and Brigid’s Kitchen. From Interstate 91 Exit 1 in Brattleboro, go south on Route 5 just past Guilford Country Store, left on Bee Barn Road, then left again on Church Drive. AARP Chapter to meet March 19 Bereaved Parents Support Group forms BRATTLEBORO — Members of Brattleboro AARP Chapter #763 and friends are invited to attend the chapter’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 19, at 2 p.m., at the Brattleboro Senior Center. The program for this month will be “The Road For Investing and Estate Planning,” presented by Thomas McRae of Edward Jones. BRATTLEBORO — A new eight-week Bereaved Parents Support Group for parents who are mourning the death of their teenage or young adult child will begin at Brattleboro Area Hospice on April 1. The group will meet Mondays from 5-6:30 p.m. Lynn Martin will be the facilitator. The death of a child can be one of the most devastating of losses. Sharing with other grieving parents is often a powerful component in the healing process. Brattleboro Area Hospice also offers other bereavement support groups. These groups RVTC seeks students are free of charge, and it is not for 2013-14 necessary to have a prior connection with Hospice to participate. SPRINGFIELD — The River Call Cheryl Richards at 802- Valley Technical Center (RVTC) 257-0775, ext. 108, by March is now accepting applications for 20 to register. the 2013-14 school year. RVTC offers programs in carpentry, industrial trades, BMH Doula Program mechanical design innovation, business and financial services, seeks volunteers culinary arts, human services, BRATTLEBORO — The criminal justice, horticulture Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and natural resources, tech esDoula Program is seeking new sentials, hands-on computers, volunteers. The training starts audio and video production, and in late March. health careers. A doula is a person who supThe Center also offers ninthports women in childbirth. Any and 10th-graders the opportuwoman who is planning on hav- nity to explore all program areas ing a baby at BMH is eligible to through enrollment in the prehave a doula attend her birth at technical studies program. Their no cost to the mother. Research cooperative education program shows that doulas present at offers job shadows, internships birth can lead to decreased rates and cooperative work opporof caesarian sections, decreased tunities for all students. Many requests for pain medications, programs provide college credit. shortened labors, and increased RVTC serves Bellows Falls maternal satisfaction. Union High School, Black River The doula training starts High School, Fall Mountain March 27, during World Doula Regional High School, Green Week, and runs for six weeks Mountain Union High School, on Wednesday evenings. A $75 and Springfield High School, fee includes books. Anyone in- as well as non-traditional stuterested should contact Carol dents. Download an enrollment Schnabel at [email protected] application at RVTC.org (rvtc. or 802-257-1894. org) or call the guidance office at 802-885-8305. Tax help available at RFPL BELLOWS FALLS — Tax forms from the Internal Revenue Service and the Vermont Department of Taxes are no longer being mailed directly to homes, and fewer forms are to be found in familiar places like post offices and libraries. The Rockingham Free Public Library has a limited supply of common tax forms, and printing available for additional forms and instructions. To order forms and instructions in the mail, call 800-TAX-FORM, or 866-828-2865. For people needing help preparing their taxes, the RFPL has a limited number of appointments available on March 19 and 21 with AARP Tax Help volunteers from the Bellows Falls Senior Center. Call 802463-4279 for more information. Alternately, people can call 211 to connect with SEVCA’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Vermont 211 is a service of the United Way connecting Vermonters to community services. More tax information is available at rockinghamlibrary.org/ taxinfo.html. Guilford Church Sugar-on-Snow supper March 16 GUILFORD — The Sugaron-Snow Supper at Guilford Community Church will be held on Saturday, March 16. There are three seatings: 4:30, 5:45, and 7 p.m. Prices are $10 adults, $5 children age 11 and under, and $3 for preschoolers. For reservations, call 802-254-9562 or email [email protected]. The menu features ham, baked beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, freshly baked rolls, sugar on snow, homemade doughnuts, pickles, and coffee, tea or milk. Maple syrup FALLS AREA COMMUNITY TV Individual, Couples, & Group Therapy Offices in Brattleboro & Bellows Falls THE COMMONS 802- 463-1613 www.fact8.com • Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Organic Mulch Dummerston Kindergarten registration DUMMERSTON — Kindergarten registration will be held on Tuesday, March 26 at Dummerston School on Schoolhouse Road. Call the school at 802-2542733 to make an appointment if you have a child, or know of a child, that will be five before Sept. 1, 2013. Arch Bridge Society to meet March 27 CHESTERFIELD, N.H. — The Chesterfield Arch Bridge Society will hold its first meeting of 2013 on Wednesday, March 27, at 7 p.m., at the Riverview Motel in West Chesterfield. The society was formed in 2009 by a group of concerned citizens to preserve and enhance the Justice Harlan Fiske Stone pedestrian bridge over the Connecticut River. It is the society’s hope that with the increased use of the bridge for cultural and artistic events, it will become a popular tourist destination. All are welcome to their events. Visit www.hfsarchbridge. com for more information. present its budget. The Brattleboro Town School District’s information meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, at Academy School. They will hold their regular meeting at 5:30 p.m., conduct a facilities review at 6 p.m., and begin their budget review at 6:30 p.m. Moore Free Library offers scholarships NEWFANE — Generously funded by the family of the late Robert L. Crowell, the Moore Free Library is again offering a total of $12,000 in scholarships. These awards are open to students residing in Newfane, Williamsville, South Newfane, and Brookline who will be entering their first year of college this fall. The scholarship committee will consider academics, contributions to the community, and financial need. The number of scholarships awarded and the award amounts will be determined by the applications received. Applications should include a brief autobiography (including plans for continued study and the name of the school to which you have been accepted), high school transcript, and a letter of reference. Completed applications should be submitted by May 1 to Board of Trustees, Moore Free Library, P.O. Box 208, Newfane, VT 05345. Sign-ups for Little League in Brattleboro begin BRATTLEBORO — Signups for the 2013 season of the Brattleboro Little League will be held on Tuesday, March 19 and 26, from 4:30-6 p.m., at American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street. Any boy or girl, ages 9-12, who intends to try out for a Little League team must sign up at either of these times. Children who live in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Vernon, Marlboro, Halifax. Newfane, or Putney are eligible to play in the league. Returning players should also sign up as well. A fee of $50 will be collected, and raffle tickets distributed at this time. New players must bring a birth certificate or passport to sign-ups. Tryouts for Little League will be held on Saturday, March 30 at the BUHS gym, with 11- and 12-year-olds trying out at 9 a.m., and 9- and 10-year-olds trying out at 9:30 a.m. Coaches will hold a draft on April 2 to select those who tried on March 30. Coaches and adult volunteers are asked to meet at the Little League field on South Main Street on Saturday, April 13, at 9 a.m., for the annual spring cleanup and grounds maintenance. Any questions? Call David Cyr at 802-254-2470. • A True Recycled Product from Local Trees • “Double Ground” for Consistency • Precise Organic Mineral Coloring Wholesale • Retail • Delivery from 3 to 120 yards Specialized Mulch Blower Distribution Available 802.257.5669 • 603.355.1100 www.DandEtree.com Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM GOT AN OPINION? (Of course you do! You’re from Windham County!) Got something on your mind? Send contributions to our Letters from Readers section (500 words or fewer strongly recommended) to [email protected]; the deadline is Friday to be considered for next week’s paper. When space is an issue, we give priority to words that have not yet appeared elsewhere. The Commons • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT A5 ADVERTISEMENT 2013 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT SECOND WEEK! Women’s Film Festival A Benefit for the Women’s Freedom Center At New England Youth Theatre 100 Flat St., Brattleboro (802) 246-6398 www.neyt.org Saturday, March 16 1 p.m. The Light in Her Eyes 2011 • Julia Meltzer • 87min • USA/Syria • Documentary Houda al-Habash, a conservative Muslim preacher, founded a Qur’an school for girls in Damascus 30 years ago. Every summer, her female students immerse themselves in a rigorous study of Islam. A surprising cultural shift is under way—women are claiming space within the mosque. Shot right before the uprising in Syria erupted, The Light in Her Eyes offers an extraordinary portrait of a leader who challenges the women of her community to live according to Islam, without giving up their dreams. 3 p.m. Raging Grannies 2011 • Pam Walton • 30min • USA • Documentary Raging Grannies is a lively and thought-provoking documentary that tells the story of The Action League of the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula. In ostrich feathers, crazy hats, and boas these women protest with a sense of outrage, a sense of humor, and a commitment to non-violence. They are women over 50, some as old as 90, who are enraged by the conditions under which some people are forced to live, by threats to our environment, by war, and by injustice wherever they find it. As we travel with the Grannies to their many gigs, we see that life isn’t over at 90! American Outrage 2008 • Beth Gage • 56min • USA • Documentary Two elderly Western Shoshone sisters, the Danns, put up a heroic fight for their land rights and human rights. AMERICAN OUTRAGE asks why the United States government has spent millions persecuting and prosecuting two elderly women grazing a few hundred horses and cows in a desolate desert? Tickets Tickets for movies are $7.50 for general admission, $6.00 for students/ seniors. A five-movie pass is available for $30. Passes may be purchased: • By calling the Women’s Freedom Center – 257-7364 • Online at womensfreedomcenter.net. Once on the website, click the donate button, put “film pass” in the message line and we’ll mail them out to you. 5 p.m. Self-Portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works 2008 • Rebecca Dreyfus • 10min • USA • Short Documentary Ms. Plachy is perhaps best known for her weekly pictures in The Village Voice but her images have been widely exhibited both in the US and abroad and have appeared in numerous publications. This film is a rare, soulful and slightly eccentric look into the private world of one of the greatest living photographers, who is ironically camera shy. Legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles makes an on-camera appearance as Ms. Plachy’s subject as well as shooting segments of the film. Ms. Plachy’s son, actor, Adrien Brody has contributed a delightful original score. Little Sparrows 2010 • Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen • 88min • Australia • Drama Little Sparrows is the story of a family of women. In the middle of an Australian summer, we meet three sisters. Nina is widowed with two young children. Anna is an aspiring actress unhappily married to a filmmaker. Christine is a med student who has yet to fully come to terms with her sexuality. When their mother Susan’s breast cancer returns, the family is faced with the reality of their last Christmas together. As each daughter confronts personal change and growth, Susan guides them by revealing a secret of her own. 7 p.m. The Bathhouse 2012 • Jisoo Kim • 6min 19sec • USA • Short Animated The Bathhouse is an animated short film by Korean filmmaker and artist, Jisoo Kim. The film takes the viewer on a luscious and poetic journey from the dark, polluted streets of the modern city, into the sanctuary of the Bathhouse. The women who venture into this place enter as strangers, weary from the toils of the city, but together they undergo an empowering physical and spiritual transformation in this luscious and fantastical paradise. Scarlet Road 2011 • Catherine Scott • 70min • Australia • Documentary Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression, Australian sex worker Rachel Wotton specializes in a long overlooked clientele— people with disabilities. Working in New South Wales—where prostitution is legal— Rachel’s philosophy is that human touch and sexual intimacy can be the most therapeutic aspects to our existence. We follow her from conducting sex and disability workshops to speaking to the World Congress on Sexual Health about her mission to observing her overnight stays with severely disabled clients. Rachel has made it her life’s work to end the stigma surrounding these populations; the depth, humor and passion in this documentary may transform the way we see sex workers and people with disabilities forever. Sunday, March 17 1 p.m. Jungle Radio 2009 • Susanne Jäger • 90min • Germany • Documentary The Jungle Radio takes us deep into the jungle of Nicaragua, where feminist Yamileth Chavarría has launched a radio station with a unique mission: denouncing domestic violence against women and children. Although Chavarría receives many death threats, she refuses to give in to intimidation: “If they shoot me on the air, everyone will hear it.” 3 p.m. The World Before Her 2012 • Nisha Pahuja • 90min • Canada/India • Documentary Two young women follow divergent paths in the new, modernizing India-one wants to become Miss India, the other is a Hindu Nationalist prepared to kill and die for her beliefs. Moving between a beauty boot camp, an annual Hindu militant camp for girls and the characters’ private lives, The World Before Her dramatizes the tension between traditional and modern perspectives toward women in today’s India. Initially representing the two threads as mutually exclusive worldviews, Pahuja ultimately draws surprising parallels in the way women are perceived and the opportunities that are afforded them at both extremes, convincingly depicting each as real sources of both oppression and empowerment. 5 p.m. Graceland Girls 2012 • Jordan Salvatoriello • 28min • USA/ Kenya • Short Documentary Educating its adolescent girls has proven to be the cornerstone of Kenyan development, yet so many are denied equal access to education, social and economic equality and respect. Graceland Girls provides an intimate look at how the high school students at Graceland Girls School in central Kenya have, so far, defied the odds. Using a combination of video and digital photographs – taken by both the subjects and the filmmaker – the girls express the beauty and pressures of empowered Kenyan girlhood and share their personal struggles to find hope for a better future. Words of Witness 2012 • Mai Iskander • 70min • USA/Egypt • Documentary Every time 22-year-old Heba Afify heads out to cover the historical events shaping her country’s future, her mother is compelled to remind her, “I know you are a journalist, but you’re still a girl!” Defying cultural norms and family expectations, Heba takes to the streets to report on an Egypt in turmoil, using tweets, texts and Facebook posts. Her coming of age, political awakening and the disillusionment that follows, mirrors that of a nation seeking the freedom to shape its own destiny, dignity and democracy. 7 p.m. For more info, visit www.womensfilmfestival.org Weightless Traveler 2010 • Eva Colmers • 10min • Canada • Short Animated Without possessions to tie her down, young vagabond Bo is taking off: to the big city, the desert and the jungle. With street-smart and magic, she overcomes any obstacles on her way to find a true home. The unique shadow projection and intriguing sound track make The Weightless Traveller a special delight to view. Deaf Jam 2012 • Judy Lieff • 70min • USA • Documentary Aneta Brodski is a deaf teen introduced to American Sign Language (ASL) Poetry, who then boldly enters the spoken word slam scene. In a wondrous twist, Aneta, an Israeli immigrant living in the Queens section of New York City, eventually meets Tahani, a hearing Palestinian slam poet. The two women embark on a collaboration/performance duet - creating a new form of slam poetry that speaks to both the hearing and the Deaf. Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM NEWS A6 T h e C o m m ons • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 CORRECTIONS • Dr. Rebecca Jones had suspicion, but no proof, of drug use taking place at the Elliot Street Cafe, a business that she co-owns. A reporting error in “Redefining a neighborhood” [News, Feb. 20] mischaracterized the drug activity as definitively taking place in her medical practice, which is in a separate building across from the cafe. A file photo accompanying the same story was taken at a part of Elliot Street that falls outside of the area where the FEET Neighbors group has focused its outreach, community building, and activities. • A number of reporting and copy editing errors in “Guilford votes to send grades 7, 8 to Brattleboro” [News, March 6] are corrected in a letter on page C2 this issue. VY’s safety record gets approval from the NRC Marking the second anniversary of Fukushima disaster By Andrew Stein vtdigger.org The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently completed its 2012 performance review for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In a letter dated March 4, NRC Branch Chief Ronald Bellamy told Chris Wamser, site vice president of Vermont Yankee, that the plant’s safety was up to par. “The NRC determined that overall, Vermont Yankee operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives,” Bellamy wrote. This finding comes after former Public Service Department Commissioner Liz Miller sent the NRC a series of letters asking why the NRC was not strengthening its oversight of the plant in light of a string of human performance errors in 2012. As the NRC’s letters stated then and the annual assessment letter stated this month, those incidents are considered by the regulatory commission to be “green” or of “low safety Above: Participants gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro to adopt the town of Namie, a town that is five miles away from the crippled reactor complex. Putney, Hanover, N.H., and Greenfield, Amherst, and Wendell, Mass. all established similar relationships with similar towns. Right: A line of people hold a vigil at the Vermont Yankee gate in Vernon on Sunday. Retreat launches new health record system BRATTLEBORO—The Brattleboro Retreat has gone live with a new electronic health record system, a nearly $2 million investment it says will improve accountability and patient care and safety. According to Robert E. Simpson Jr., Retreat president and CEO, the move is “a truly auspicious and critically important event for the Retreat. “An electronic health record is a crucial component in modernizing patient care and ensuring patient safety; goals that match perfectly with the Retreat’s philosophy of care and workplace culture,” he said in a press statement. The Retreat selected Netsmart’s myAvatar as its electronic health record (EHR) vendor in large part because it is a fully integrated system specifically designed for mental health and addiction care, and because of what Simpson said was the company’s solid reputation and commitment to supporting mental health and addiction software in clinical settings. Netsmart lists its primary U.S. offices in Kansas, New York, Ohio, and Illinois. EHR eliminates paper documentation, duplication of documents, and problems associated with illegible handwriting. It also interfaces with current and anticipated computerized systems and allows multiple clinical disciplines to seek and access information at the same time. Along with reducing clinical errors and supporting consistency of care across an organization, an EHR facilitates the exchange of medical information with providers both in-state and across the country, Simpson said. Health care facilities across the nation are increasingly turning to electronic health records as a condition of participation in both private and public reimbursement programs. The federal EHR Incentive Program specifically asks providers to utilize the capabilities of EHRs to achieve benchmarks that can lead to improvements in patient care. Simpson said that according to a national survey of providers published at www.healthit.gov, 79 percent report their practices run Producer more efficiently with an EHR; 70 percent report enhanced data confidentiality with an EHR; and 82 percent report that prescribing medications electronically through an EHR saves time. As part of its investment, the Retreat also has improved its internet bandwidth and added wireless capacity that can be expanded and utilized as the system is refined and adapted to meet demands, Simpson said. The Brattleboro Retreat, at 75 Linden St., is a private, notfor-profit mental health and addictions hospital that provides comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient services for children, adolescents and adults. Month OF THE significance.” Such incidents included a missing risk analysis, a missing flood seal and a poorly installed condenser. The Vernon plant shut down last Saturday night to begin a scheduled refueling for its 31st operating cycle. In a press release, plant officials hailed the reliability of the plant since its most recent refueling in November 2011. “Running for 493 consecutive days is a testament to the condition of the plant and the safety focus of our workforce,” said Wamser. “During this refueling, we will take the time necessary to carefully perform testing, maintenance, and capital Rich Earth Institute awarded grant for urine reclamation project BRATTLEBORO—The Rich Earth Institute (REI) has received a $15,000 grant from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to conduct a second season of field trials with Jay and Janet Bailey of Fairwinds Farm on Upper Dummerston Road. The Rich Earth Institute is a nonprofit research and demonstration organization founded in 2011 by Abe Noe-Hays and Kim Nace. Dedicated to closing the food nutrient cycle, the mission of REI is to advance and promote human manure as a resource. In 2012, REI’s Urine Nutrient Reclamation Project recycled 600 gallons of human urine by collecting, transporting, sanitizing, and applying it as fertilizer to a hay field. The project will expand this summer to 3,000 gallons of urine. All aspects of the research will be replicated, refined, and fully documented. Urine contains vast quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — elements required for healthy soils. Instead of collecting nutrients for reuse as REI proposes, our current system mixes human waste with potable water and transports it to a wastewater Immanuel Episcopal Church Sunday Services: 8:00 & 10:00 am 20 Church St, Bellows Falls, VT 802-463-3100 immanuelepsicopal.org Green River Aprons improvements which will position the plant for safe and reliable operation for years to come.” Vermont Yankee’s staff are being supplemented during the refueling by other workers, including Entergy employees from other nuclear plants, radiation protection technicians, engineers, inspectors, millwrights, electricians, pipefitters, boilermakers, welders, painters, equipment operators, insulators, carpenters, and laborers. Plant officials say that the influx of maintenance workers during the outage creates about $2.5 million of economic activity in the region through local purchases of goods and services. treatment plant. Treatment plants use an energy-intensive and relatively inefficient process to extract these same elements in an attempt to lessen water pollution. They then discharge nonpotable water back into rivers. Similar to the evolution of solid waste management systems, where planners started with extracting glass bottles and then paper, metals and plastics from our landfills, extracting nutrient-laden urine from our wastewater stream could greatly reduce potable water consumption as well as alleviate pollution to our waterways. It will simultaneously create a source of local, inexpensive, and abundant fertilizer. “There is a heightened awareness now of the need to close the food nutrient cycle and to create infrastructure based on a sustainable flow of nutrients in our environment,” said Nace. REI is collaborating nationally with engineers in the sanitation industry, water quality advocates, soil scientists, and microbiologists at the EPA. Additionally, REI is working with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation for permitting and regulatory purposes. Urine is being collected for REI through informal donations from local volunteers. To participate, write info@richearthinstitute. org. Urine also can be collected formally via waterless urinals and new source separating toilets, which are gaining popularity, especially in Europe. A demonstration model is installed at the REI office in Brattleboro. Tours may be arranged by calling Nace at 802-579-1857. For more information, visit www. richearthinstitute.org or visit their Facebook page. DEAD HARD DRIVE!! Guilford, VT W e’ve all wondered about our paths leading us to certain lives, and it would seem that Kathy Thomas and Edith Platt took a circuitous route to ultimately founding Green River Aprons. Edith was making quilts, and anyone who makes quilts knows that fabric remnants are a big part of one’s life. Kathy, who exhibits a particular propensity for order, suggested making an apron with the remnants. Thus began a process of continuous refinement. The choice of 100% cotton soft fabrics is quite deliberate, with precise attention to grouping fabrics together, sometimes in startling ways, and rarely do more than two or three of the same apron emerge from the workshop. They take no more than one yard of fabric, apply the pattern templates which have been immortalized by Kathy in masonite, and then Kathy lays out and cuts them with a rotary cutter equipped with a tungsten blade (an industrial pizza cutter, basically). Then, Kathy sews the inside seams and Edith sews all of the precise external seams on their Swiss-made Bernina mechanical sewing machines. Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM Be sure to d rop by the Co-o p on Friday, Marc h 15 from 11am-2 pm to visit with bo th fine seamstresse s. They will en tertain and enthrall , and also raffle o ff a beautiful ap ron! *Ask about data recovery options TOWN & VILLAGE Wednesday, March 13, 2013 page A7 Watershed Council wants more information for hydro relicensing SAXTONS RIVER—March 1 marked a major deadline for public comments on five hydroelectric facilities on the Connecticut River seeking renewal of their operating licenses. The Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) submitted more than 100 pages of comments and study requests to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for additional information needed to make sound decisions about license renewal. The five hydro projects included in the 2018 relicensing are Wilder, Bellows Falls, and Vernon dams in Vermont, and Turners Falls Dam and Northfield Mountain Pump Storage Project in Massachusetts. These facilities account for more than 30 percent of hydropower generation in New England. The new licenses will be virtually unalterable, and the operating conditions FERC places on the new licenses will affect 175 miles of the Connecticut River for the next 30 years. CRWC’s comments focus on improvements to the ecological health of the river and recreational opportunities for the public. It believes that recreational and educational opportunities, such as improved fishing and boating access, reasonable walkable portage facilities, more and better campsites, and migratory fish viewing facilities that support educational programs and are ADA accessible, must continue. The group said it also wants to see riverbank erosion minimized by moderating river flow and reservoir fluctuations, and wants studies conducted exploring the option of a closedloop system at the Northfield Mountain Pump Storage Project in Massachusetts. Many more studies are needed to improve aquatic species habitat, CRWC says. Important factors to consider include efficient and successful fish passage; minimum river flows to support fish habitat and spawning; and impacts of dams on American shad, American eel, dwarf wedgemussel, and the endangered shortnose sturgeon. Finally, CRWC wants studies ■ SEE HYDRO, PAGE A8 Library offers genealogy, local history workshop BRATTLEBORO—Brooks Memorial Library hosts a workshop on local history and genealogy with Linda Hay, former Academy School librarian, on Saturday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m. in the Brooks Memorial Library meeting room. If you’re a family historian, a writer, a historical adventurer, or are simply curious, you’ll find the daily lives ordinary people lived in the past a wonderful story worth piecing together. That’s what Hay found in researching what life was like in Guilford in one particular year. Out of that emerged an unexpectedly lively picture, she said. Hay’s talk will cover her search for documents, methods for teasing out the fascinating details from apparently boring statistics, and how she synthesized her findings to bring history to life. The workshop is free and open to the public and requires no registration. The library is at RANDOLPH T. HOLHUT/THE COMMONS Windham County Sheriff Keith Clark and Deputy First Class Melissa Martin confer before their presentation at the Putney Annual Town Meeting on March 5. Putney debates sharing deputy with Westminster By Eben Holderness the two contracting options and answered the many budgetary questions Putney residents PUTNEY—Putney vot- voiced for more than an hour. ers decided via voice vote The first option, he exat their annual town meet- plained, was for the town to ing on March 5 to allow the keep its current full-time contown’s Selectboard to tract with the Windham make a final decision County sheriff, who on whether Putney currently assigns a n d n e i g h b o r i n g ANNUAL Deputy First Class Westminster should Melissa Martin to duty TOWN share a 70-hour per MEETING in the town. week contract with For the past four 2013 the Windham County years, Putney has paid Sheriff’s Department. for its contract using Westminster voters had al- a federal grant, which expires ready decided at their own in September. The proposed March 2 town meeting to ap- $40,000 listed in the town prove a budget for a shared meeting article was to be added Windham County sheriff con- to a current $20,000 fund tract. Putney Selectboard Chair to pay for the remaining 10 Josh Laughlin, however, said months of fiscal year 2014 not that Westminster voters had covered by the grant. acted prematurely in their In total, the town would pay decision. around $70,000 for a full-year “In my opinion it was a mis- contract. take that it was put on the The other option was to Westminster article as being share a contract for 70 hours shared with Putney, because a week between Putney and Putney had not agreed to a Westminster. This would alshared contract prior to that,” low more fluidity, as the same he said. sheriff could respond to calls At the meeting, Windham from both towns. Costs and County Sheriff Keith Clark ex- hours spent in each town would plained the differences between “be split down the middle,” The Commons 224 Main St. Hay has a wealth of experience exploring the past in Brattleboro and Vermont generally, owing to her three decades working in local libraries. Since her own school days, her passion has been finding and using primary documents to understand people and their world. Many of these resources are now available online. Others abound at local libraries and historical societies. Join Hay for an illustrated talk, followed by hands-on examination and analysis of typical sources from the Brattleboro area, including the challenges of deciphering records written with a quill pen. For more information or to check on weather cancelations, call Brooks Memorial Library at 802254-5290, ext. 0, or write info@ brookslibraryvt.org. Clark said. Putney residents were divided on the issue. “It’s great that we have the opportunity to possibly share sheriff services with Westminster, but I think it’s in our best interest to keep it a Putney-only position,” Kathleen Lawrence said. “Westminster is roughly 50 square miles, Putney is 30. If [Martin] got a call right now it could take as long as 35 minutes to drive from Westminster. Also [Martin] is part of Putney, she’s been doing a great job, and I think we should keep it as just a Putney position.” Lawrence continued to explain that there are roughly 1,400 households in Westminster, compared to 950 in Putney, which could result in a large volume of calls coming in simultaneously. Martin received more than 300 calls in the past year from Putney alone, although the number of calls the sheriff in Westminster received was less. Other residents, such as Eva Mondon, felt similarly to Lawrence. “We have a crowded school and need a full time sheriff in Putney,” she said. “We have three private schools here, we need full time coverage. Let’s not be naive about this sharing business: response time is very important.” Questions were also raised regarding the differences in financial benefits the town would receive from tickets issued by the sheriff should they share a contract with Westminster. “The amount that goes back to the towns is set by the state,” Clark responded. “We report to the town what tickets we’ve written and what the initial fine was. Once the ticket is written, we don’t control them.” Approximately one-fifth of the initial fine printed on the ticket is deducted for various fees, leaving the town with the remaining profits. Following additional discussion on the financial aspects of the decision, a straw poll to determine whether Putney should join Westminster in a shared sheriff contract found it should be passed. However, residents opted instead to amend the article to give the Selectboard a final decision in the matter. Putney General Store proprietor to step aside Historical Society: ‘We’re going to keep this thing open, one way or another’ By Jeff Potter The Commons PUTNEY—The Putney General Store will remain open, even though store operator Ming Chou will leave this summer. That’s the vow from the Putney Historical Society, the nonprofit that owns the building. Historical Society board member Lyssa Papazian said that Chou, who is working toward a smooth transition with the board, is coping with health concerns, and with no family in the area to help with the store and serve as backup, “it’s not doable for him.” “We certainly expected to see him here a long time,” Papazian said of Chou, who signed a 20year lease for the space in 2011. “We’ll be sad to see him go.” Attempts to reach Chou at the store were unsuccessful. Papazian said that the board has encouraged Chou to list the business for sale, and she said that Chou has maintained a transparency with the board about the store’s “healthy, strong, and growing” operations and finances, a characterization that she said was confirmed by an independent grocery consultant who analyzed the store’s business health. In addition to the inventory and equipment, Chou brings to the table a “healthy customer count” and the “goodwill he created out of nothing,” Papazian said. “At the same time, we’re exploring the possibility of hiring a manager and taking [the store] over ourselves,” Papazian said. The building was constructed from the ground up after a 2008 fire leveled the historic structure on the site. With help from the Preservation Trust of Vermont and community investors, the Historical Society purchased the store, which had been the longest continually operating general store in the state’s history. The Historical Society was on the home stretch of finishing renovations in 2009 when a fire — later determined to be arson — consumed the building in 2009. Chou, from Sterling, Mass., told The Commons in 2011 that he fell in love with the old Putney General Store more than a decade ago on a trip to Vermont and twice tried to buy it before the fires intervened. “We will miss him,” Papazian said, describing Chou as “an incredibly generous person” who “gives at the drop of a hat” to community causes and organizations. OLGA PETERS/COMMONS FILE PHOTO Whatever happens with Chou, Putney General Store proprietor Ming Chou, shown here during the store’s she said, “We’re going to keep this thing open, one way or grand opening celebration in 2011, plans to step down this summer because of health issues. another.” Publication of the Town & Village section of THE COMMONS is brought to you by a grant from Vermont Community Foundation www.vermontcf.org Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM NEWS A8 T h e C o m m o ns • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Children create mural for Greater Falls Warming Shelter BELLOWS FALLS—A group of children from the First Universalist Parish of Chester has created a mural to brighten the Greater Falls Warming Shelter. Working with artist Jamie Townsend of Springfield as part of a religious education project focused on social action and homelessness, the youngsters painted a colorful scene depicting hands holding a heart and a bird singing in a tree while the sun shines brightly down on them all. The mission of the Greater Falls Warming Shelter is to provide a safe, warm overnight shelter during the winter months for those in need. It serves towns in the Greater Falls area principally, including Rockingham, Westminster, Athens, Grafton, North Walpole and Walpole, N.H. The mural will hang in the shelter, which is located in North Walpole, N.H., this year. The shelter is open every night during the winter season (November to April) from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The children unveiled the mural at the shelter’s recent benefit showing of “E.T.: The ExtraTerrestrial” at the Bellows Falls Children from the First Universalist Parish of Chester with the mural they created with the help of artist Jamie Townsend for the Greater Falls Warming Shelter. NUTS ’n’ BOLTS n Hydro Plumbing & Heating Serving the brattleboro area with reliable profeSSional Service Residential • commeRcial - bathRoom & kitchen Remodeling - complete heating systems - wateR pumps & systems 802-254-4963 1090 Western avenue West brattleboro Miele vacuums... FLETCHER for seriously clean living. TREE SERVICE Jordan Fletcher Westminster West, VT 05346 ~ Hazardous Removals ~ ~ Pruning ~ Cabling ~ FREE ESTIMATES Miele vacuum cleaners not only clean your floors – they clean the air your family breathes. Miele’s AirClean 802-869-1731 Sealed System™ captures and retains over 99.9% of To advertise, call dirt, dust and allergens. 802-246-6397 decide what additional studies will be required of the companies by July, after releasing a draft document based on the information submitted to them this past week by many different organizations and individuals. CRWC river stewards Andrea Donlon and David Deen are participating in the formal proceedings and are working to engage the public in the process. For more information about these projects, visit CRWC at www.ctriver.org. So..... you want to go out for dinner and you don’t know where to go? Why not try The Bistro at Blue Moose! Come experience our distinctive dinners or just drop in after work for a lighter bite on your way home! 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Townsend is a painter, illustrator, and sculptor who says his artistic mission is to share art with the community, to teach kids about art, and expose them to the power of art. “When an artist shares or donates his art to a community, it becomes theirs to embrace,” he said recently, citing how, in much of Europe, art is appreciated and supported, even in the smallest towns. Rev. Telos Whitfield, pastor of the church and a board member of the shelter, said the board was grateful for Townsend’s involvement and the children’s dedication to the project. “I’m sure this mural will bring a literal and figurative ray of sunshine to the guests at the warming shelter,” he said. Since its opening in November, the shelter has housed more than 35 different guests, with a maximum allowed of 10 each night. It expects to remain open until early April. Information about the shelter is available on Facebook or by writing gfwarmingshelter@gmail. com. 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Not responsible for typographical errors. 800-235-7337 • 802-254-9104 Proof generated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM While quantities last. 800-235-7337 802-254-9104 1300 PUTNEY ROAD BRATTLEBORO, VT Not responsible for typographical errors. Not responsible for typographical errors. THE COMMONS B1 SECTION B • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday, March 13, 2013 H AV E page B1 voice, WILL travel Vocalist Karrin Allyson, who With a SHOUT New Vermont has performed for audiences Performance Lab around the world, comes to the Vermont Jazz Center artist-in-residence By Richard Henke Reggie Wilson The Commons B RATTLEBORO— Jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson explains what brings her to the Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m., in concert with, “A World Tour in a Single Night.” “In a word, work,” she said, laughing. “That’s my job, to go where the people want me. I travel around the world for concerts. I just did a wedding in Beirut that was really amazing. And often you don’t know until the last minute where you might have to go,” she said. “I have concerts pending in a couple of weeks at music festivals in both Russia and China. This jazz business is not for the faint of heart. You really have to be dedicated to the music and to your audiences,” she said. Allyson will be performing at VJC with with Steve Cardenas on guitar, George Kaye on acoustic bass, and Todd Strait on drums. Tickets are $20 general admission or $15 with student identification. Allyson has recorded 13 original studio albums, all under the Concord Jazz label, and earned four Grammy nominations along the way. She’s regarded as among the top vocalists in jazz today. Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times describes her as “a musician’s musician, and for once the overused term actually makes sense...” Allyson lives in New York City, and has performed at top stages around the world, including major jazz festivals in Brazil, Japan, Australia and Europe, as well as the most legendary venues in the United States, including regular appearances at New York’s Blue Note and Birdland. This will be Allyson’s first time singing at VJC, which she got to know along with its director, Eugene Uman, through her love of community in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, where she has a “getaway house.” “I’m thrilled … Eugene is such nice man, and plays piano beautifully,” she said. A diverse artist, Allyson sings in English, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish. Her songs are drawn from bossa nova, blues, bebop, samba, jazz standards, and other jazz modalities, as well as ballads, pop standards, the Great American Songbook, soft rock, and folk rock. She has also recorded vocal performances of several instrumental jazz compositions, using both scat and vocalese techniques. According to Wikipedia, vocalese is a style or genre of jazz singing wherein words are sung to melodies that were originally part of an allinstrumental composition or improvisation. In “Wild For You” (2004), she even performs jazz takes on Joni Mitchell, Carol King and Elton John. Allyson grew up in Omaha, Kansas, where her father was a Lutheran minister, and her mother was a psychotherapist, teacher and classical pianist. Allyson studied classical piano, sang at her local church and in musical theater, and also began writing songs. In college, where she studied classical piano, she also was lead singer for her own all-girl rock band, Tomboy. She developed an avid interest in jazz, performing both ■ SEE ALLYSON, PAGE B2 KARRIN.COM Internationally known jazz musician Karrin Allyson will perform Saturday, March 16 at Vermont Jazz Center. asks community to help his ensemble give voice to a spiritual journey PENTACLE.ORG Reggie Wilson, artist in residence at Vermont Performance Lab. By Richard Henke The Commons G UILFORD— Join choreographer Reggie Wilson and two vocalists from his Fist and Heel Performance Group at a “Community Shout” for “(project) Moseses Project,” a dance performance work exploring representations of the Biblical figure Moses in story, myth, and history. Wilson is the first artist-inresidence through the Vermont Performance Lab’s new Hatchery Project, a multi-year collaborative residency partnership supporting dance and other performance artists. Guests are invited to add their voices and bodies to this performance, which VPL Director Sara Coffey calls a “transformative sing-along” rooted in tales and songs from Africa, the Caribbean, and the American South. The event is Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Broad Brook Grange in Guilford. Wilson is using his residency at VPL to develop a “sound montage” of tales and songs for “(project) Moseses Project,” which will have its world premiere this fall at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. Wilson says his ensemble’s work examines the migration of peoples and culture out of Africa and into the rest of the world, and considers “how we lead and why we follow.” “I wonder about the methodologies of why we like to be led, why we sometimes want our leaders to be very strict, and at other limes loosey-goosey. I found it exciting that these issues are very contemporary but also quite ancient,” he says. “Broadly speaking, ‘(project) Moseses Project,’ is the story or myth (of Moses) seen through the black Afro-American community and the the black church, as well as the African cultures like Egypt and Nubia. There are a lot of ways of looking at this material. Different folks will come to the piece with different assumptions, and I desire to honor this diversity,” he adds. Wilson will be joined at the Grange by vocalists Rhetta Aleong and Lawrence Harding, also of Fist and Heel. Many Moseses Careers are spent interpreting the figure and import of Moses of the Old Testament, from rebel to teacher to prophet to Great Emancipator. Against this backdrop, Wilson says his project was inspired by his rereading of Zora Neale Hurston’s 1939 novel, “Moses, Man of the Mountain,” which blends that story with black folklore and song for an effect the New York Times called, “A narrative of great power. Warm with friendly personality and pulsating with … profound eloquence and religious fervor.” “Hurston was a big influence on me. She was an anthropologist, a scholar, and an artist at a time when few black women were any of these things. “The story, rewritten in a black idiom, reads well and is ■ SEE WILSON, PAGE B3 New BMAC exhibits showcase contemporary art of China Renowned photographer Liu Bolin among featured Chinese artists in museum-wide installation BRATTLEBORO—Two remarkable new exhibits of Chinese contemporary art and photography will be on display at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) beginning Saturday, March 16. Featuring the work of renowned photographer Liu Bolin and 20 other contemporary Chinese artists, the new exhibits invite visitors to take a deep exploration of contemporary Chinese artistic expression. Museum visitors will also have the opportunity to contribute their own creations to a related interactive exhibit in the museum’s family-friendly Ticket Gallery. Four of the museum’s six galleries will be dedicated to “Hot Pot: A Taste of Contemporary Chinese Art.” This exhibit features the work of 20 contemporary Chinese artists, ranging from painting and photography to sculpture and metalwork. Collectively, their work addresses ■ SEE CHINA, PAGE B2 “Hiding in the City No. 87 — Demolition,” by Liu Bolin. BRATTLEBORO SUBARU March madn... Kindness sale FREE 2 yr/24,000 miles Plus THE SMART CHOICE Maintenance plan BRATTLEBOROSUBARU.COM O% ** financing on all New Subarus Plus Free Oil Change For Life Program NO $ Down Lease!! (why be mad??) Pre Owned Specials!! **Limited terms. *42/mo. lease, 10k per year, Plus tax, title, reg, doc, first payment. Must qualify for SMF tier 1 approval. See dealer for details. 1234 Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT • 802-251-1000 Proof generated March 12, 2013 10:41 PM COURTESY PHOTO Like us o n Fa c eb o o k! C THE ARTS B2 Help Wanted To place your employment ad, call Nancy at (802) 246-6397 or email ads@ commonsnews.org New England Career Connection 802-254-3310 Master Electrician Licensed in NH or VT Deduction Coordinator $13-$13/hr SHEAR DESIGNS HAIR STUDIO & TANNING seeking full or part-time hairstylist or booth rental. Higher commission & benefits with experience and clientele. Call 603-313-4262 or [email protected] Additional 80+ Openings: T he C o m m o n s IndieFlix now available through Brooks Memorial Library BRATTLEBORO—Now that you’ve watched the Academy Awards, stream independent films to your favorite digital device—via your library card. Brooks Memorial Library has added another digital service to its suite of online services with IndieFlix, a digital streaming service offering nearly 2,000 films. IndieFlix is similar to other digital content to download eAudio and eBooks from the library’s website in that users create an account, register with their library card number, and then set to streaming content. The company’s website says the service “curates the best from film festivals around the world,” and offers “unlimited access to award-winning independent movies, shorts, documentaries, Swing Shift Machine Op • Star CNC Program/Op CNC Programmers • CNC Lathe Operator • Cable Harness Assembly • Food Service Sanitizer • Bottling Production • Clean Room Assembly • Packagers / Inspector and Web series. Discover films that launch careers, blaze new trails, and that artists make for the love of the craft.” Films may be streamed to your computer or mobile device. Moreover, IndieFlix films may be streamed to your television with a Roku player. Without a library card number, this service costs customers $69 per year. IndieFlix through Brooks is funded by the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library. For more Information, call 802254-5290, Ext. 0, or visit www. brookslibraryvt.org . To use the service, click on “Borrow and Download,” then select “Digital Media.” Fiddle Frenzy planned at Stone Church Arts WWW.NECC-VT.COM Reliable, self-starting hard worker needed. Part time. Will be cross-trained in car washing & detailing. Apply in person. Ask for Rick, Joe, or Connie. No phone calls please. Burton Car Wash, 201 Canal Street, Brattleboro. Office Manager Brattleboro Office Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters is looking for a full time office manager. Responsibilities: Full Time (some Saturday mornings). Overseeing all accounting and associated procedures for a regional 3 retail store chain. Salary commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package offered. Please e-mail cover letter & resume to: [email protected] No phone calls please. Open 7 Days a week for daily updates! Find us on Mexican Night EVERY Wednesday 5-9PM View our menu on our website! THE Thursdays: OPEN MIC Sunday Brunch 10-1, West River Trail Head w/ Kevin Parry 7-10pm Jazz with Draa Hobs Starts Here! Putney Rd, Brattleboro, VT • 802-257-7563 VermontMarina.com Fiddler Emerald Rae. BELLOWS FALLS—On Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m., Stone Church Arts presents its annual celebration of Spring and Celtic music, the St. Patrick’s Fiddle Frenzy. This year, they welcome two veterans to the Fiddle Frenzy, cellist Eugene Friesen and fiddler Emerald Rae, as well as two newcomers, multi-instrumentalists Rachel Clark and Bob DeMarco of the Celtic duo Blackbird. Join them for this one-of-akind musical party at Immanuel Episcopal Church, “The Stone Church on the Hill,” at 20 Church St. Friesen has broken new ground for the cello, using it in a wide variety of non-classical settings and creating new techniques to expand its role as a solo and accompanying instrument. He has also performed thousands of concerts for young audiences on cello and electric cello as “Celloman.” He is a multi-Grammy award winner for his work with the Paul Winter Consort and a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Rae is an American singer and multi-instrumentalist. She grew up in a musical family where country music and rock ’n roll were prevalent and has spent the last 20 years studying all facets of folk music. With a degree in film Courtesy photo scoring from Berklee College of Music and a National Scottish Championship under her belt, Emerald has become well-known in the Boston area for her versatility, her dynamic power-house playing style, and her unique perspective. Clark comes from a family rich in music. Both her mom and dad play professionally as classical musicians. She lived in Sweden as a child and was drawn to Celtic music in her teens. She plays the Irish flute, penny whistle, accordion, and piano. DeMarco’s mom came originally from County Limerick, Ireland, and inspired his love for Celtic music. When he was a boy, she frequently sang in Gaelic and loved to play the fiddle and piano. Bob plays the fiddle, guitar, cittern, and piano. Admission is $17 for adults ($13 for seniors and children under 12) in advance and $20 ($15) at the door. Tickets are available at Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls, Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, N.H., Brattleboro Books, Misty Valley Books in Chester, and at http://www.brattleborotix. com (www.brattleborotix.com), or available at the door. For more information or directions, go to http://www.stonechurcharts.org (www.stonechurcharts.org) or call 802-463-3100. The Tri-state region’s premier center for jazz. S a t u r d a y, M a r c h 1 3 t h a t 8 p M S a t u r d a y, M a r c h 1 3 t h a t 8 p M OUR OWN ORGANIC EGGS! featuring Marty Ehrlich & Cameron Brown Five-time GrammyEhrlich nominee; & Cameron Brown featuring Marty Masterful improvising and killer arrangements extraordinary singer with a penchant rve Stand is now open thru October! Masterful improvising and killer arrangements for bossas and classic gems e’s featured flavor is e our Come se , TRAWBERRIES~n~CREAM” chickens ackyard b n ic garde gan our ESH RASpBERRy SWIRL” 72 C otton M ill o Hrill x with y d n relawww.vtjazz.org am e r c B r attleBoro, Vta05301 shing ice es BERRIES~n~CREAM” refre91 (802)e254-9088 o ff e xit 1, i nterstate nch b on our e under th es e tr le p ap wn GARDEN VEGGIES! mM! • FRESH ORGANIC SAINT PATRICK’S DAY SPECIALS! OUR OWN ORGANIC EGGS! HOMEMADE Serve Stand is now open thru October! Corned Beef & HOMEMADE Grass-fed ne’s featured flavor is e our Come se Corned Beef Hash STRAWBERRIES~n~CREAM” ickens, Beef ckyard ch Corned ba & our own eggs garden organic ur RESH RASpBERRy SWIRL” x with yo Cabbage m and rela ice & ea cr (served all day) g uEBERRIES~n~CREAM” refreshin s own am an rt r serve ed n gurt udget ated &hbudget & —from from salads er fare alads fare p.m. m. n China three central themes: image and identity, environment and politics, and reinterpreting artistic traditions. An integral part of Chinese culture for more than 1,000 years, hot pot is a communal dish of broth, meat, vegetables, and other ingredients, each of which retains its distinctive flavor and texture. “Here at BMAC, the hot pot meal serves as a metaphor for the art of China today in all its complexity and variety, for Chinese artists’ experiences and perceptions of the world, and for their individual and collective memories,” says BMAC Chief Curator Mara Williams. “Just as people gather around a hot pot to eat and socialize, our ‘Hot Pot’ encourages viewers to experience and savor, as a community, the contemporary art of China.” Alongside “Hot Pot” is a major exhibit of the work of performance artist and photographer Liu Bolin. “The Invisible Man” features 14 large photographs from Liu’s “Hiding in the City” and “Hiding in New York” series. In addition to their political and metaphorical commentary on Chinese government and culture, Liu’s stunning photographs address and challenge notions of identity — for the viewer, artist, and subject. “Camouflaged in a particular setting then photographed by his assistants, Liu employs concealment as a method for addressing activeness/passivity, identity, and appearance,” says BMAC Curatorial Intern Elissa Watters. “The concealed individual in Liu’s photographs often looks directly at Robin MacArthur. from SECTION FRONT the viewer from the center of the scene. Fixed in position, the individual is a distinct part of the space he inhabits, and the works raise the question of what it means that the hidden figure’s gaze is the artist’s own.” In keeping with BMAC’s efforts to make contemporary art accessible to a diverse audience and people of all ages, the museum’s interactive Ticket Gallery offers visitors a hands-on activity inspired by Liu Bolin’s use of camouflage in his artwork. Examining the role of camouflage in nature, from the perspective of both predator and prey, participants will create creatures in an attempt to hide them within different habitats represented on the gallery’s painted walls. In connection with the new exhibits and supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, BMAC has organized 15 educational and engaging events, ranging from hands-on activities for kids to kung-fu demonstrations, films, and lectures by experts on Chinese culture and environmental policies. The museum’s exhibits and gift shop are open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. Regular admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $4 for students. Members and children under 6 are admitted free. Located in downtown Brattleboro at the intersection of Main Street and routes 119 and 142, the museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 802-257-0124 or visit www. brattleboromuseum.org. John Rose. Franklin Reeve. UI&U hosts poetry reading BRATTLEBORO—Union Institute & University is holding its third annual poetry reading this Saturday, March 16, at 3 p.m., featuring Robin MacArthur, John Rose, and F. D. Reeve. The event is free. Union Institute & University is at 157 Old Guilford Rd. MacArthur is an affiliated professor at Union Institute & University. A mother, writer and educator, she represents half of the indie-folk duo Red Heart the Ticker. Her essays and short fiction have been featured in Orion magazine, Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review, and on National Public Radio. Rose’s work has appeared in numerous journals, including Old Crow, Jack Mackerel magazine, and Today’s Poets. Described by James Tate as “a powerful and original poet,” Rose has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Reeve has published 10 volumes of poetry, seven books of fiction, 12 books of translations, three books of literary criticism, four libretti, and countless uncollected essays, articles, stories, poems, reviews, and translations in journals including The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The Sewanee Review. Reeve has won numerous awards and honors including the 2012 Award of the New England Book Festival for his novella “Nathaniel Purple.” For more information, call Ben Mitchell at 802-869-3378. Film, discussion on migrant workers in Vermont planned for March 22 Saturday, March 16 8 Music pm Giuffreof Jimmy Giuffre Whirrr!Whirrr! The Music The of Jimmy • FRESH ORGANIC GARDEN VEGGIES! with The Harrison/Schuller with TheSextet Harrison/Schuller Sextet Karrin Allyson erve • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 799 $ 999 Cabbage Dinners TO-GO! A hearty meal for 4 includes homemade Irish Soda Bread $ benche on our e under th es apple tre (served with homemade Irish Soda Bread) 3500 $ (please call ahead) Specials are for: Fri March 15th Sat March 16th Sun March 17th “Home of the Cajun Skillet” year round, everyday OPEN DAILY 5:30AM-9:00PM Rte 9 West Brattleboro, VT • 802-254-8399 www.chelsearoyaldiner.com Proof generated March 12, 2013 10:41 PM Cellist Eugene Friesen. Courtesy photo B R A TT L E B ORO — O n Friday, March 22, Migrant Justice will show the new documentary HIDE, which takes viewers inside the daily lives and struggles for dignity of eight migrant farm workers from Latin America working on Vermont dairy farms. The film showing will be followed by a discussion led by Migrant Justice and migrant farm workers. The film is produced by Elori Kramer and Peter Coccoma in collaboration with Migrant Justice. There will be two showings. In Keene, N.H., the film will be shown at the Keene State n Allyson in her college’s jazz swing choir and in her own jazz ensemble. In 1990, she moved to Kansas City, where she began her recording career with Concord Jazz. “I always liked to sing,” she says. “I was never too shy. You see I’m a bit of ham. I have a great commitment to the music I play, but I do like to have a little humor in my concerts also.” Allyson believes that jazz should not be rigidly intellectual, but spiritual and soulful — and fun. “Bonnie Raitt, one of my idols, told me when I got to meet her at the Grammy Awards, ‘We do it for love. That is the best part.’” “The Grammy Awards are a little silly,” she says. “I don’t mean that I don’t appreciate them. I consider it a great honor to have been four-times nominated for the Grammy. But the extravaganza, the big televised show, seems a little overblown.” College Student Center at 3 p.m. In Brattleboro, it will be shown at the Hooker-Dunham Theater, 139 Main St., at 7:45 p.m.; it will be preceded by a reception at 7 p.m. Donations are suggested. The events are co-sponsored by Southern Vermont Migrant Workers Solidarity Committee, Vermont Workers Center, Post Oil Solutions, Keene State College, Keene State College Fair Trade Club, and Keene State College Diversity Commission. For more information, contact http://www.migrantjustice. net/HIDE (www.migrantjustice. net/HIDE). from SECTION FRONT She said that jazz artists get their awards not during the televised show, but earlier in the day, along with winners in classical, spoken word, and other “less popular” genres. “At least nowadays, this ceremony can be streamed on your computer. Jazz artists almost never perform on the nighttime show. However, I do remember a time when Ella [Fitzgerald] and Mel Torme actually sang as they gave awards. Talk about seeing pros in action,” she said. Allyson says she picks different material when she performs for different audiences or at different venues. “Not everything is right for every audience,” she says, “I don’t have a set concert I take with me when I go performing. When I decide what to do at a specific place, like here in Vermont, I take into consideration where I’m playing, such as the size of the hall and its acoustics. I like variety in my shows, and so I choose from blues, ballads, bebop, and pop.” She says how she puts a show together “always turns out to be loose, but still well-thought out. I don’t like to do the same thing twice. When I recently performed at Blue Note, where the club turns its audience over during the evening, I do two shows a night, and each of those were very different from each other. “The places where I perform can vary a lot. I have performed to very small crowds at private parties. I have appeared at venues like here at VJC, bigger at Birdland, which is the largest jazz club in NYC, or the 92nd Street Y, which is bigger still. “Yet no matter how big the space, I still try to make the music feel intimate. I learned this from great artists whom I have had the honor to see: jazz legends like Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan or Carmen McRae, who had the gift to always to make you feel they are singing to just you.” The one thing Allyson says she dislikes about critics is when when they go out their way to point out, “Oh, you sound like so-and so.” “Reference points are fine, but in the end, as an artist, you struggle to find your own voice,” Allyson says. Tickets for Karrin Allyson at the Vermont Jazz Center, 74 Cotton Mill Hill, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, are $20 general admission; $15 with student identification. (Ask VJC about educational discounts.) Tickets are available at In the Moment in Brattleboro and www.vtjazz.org. Reserve tickets by calling the VJC ticket line at 802254-9088, ext. 1. THE ARTS • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 very funny,” Wilson says. In addition, Wilson was inspired by his travel to Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Mali. There, he discovered how different cultures interpret the story of Moses uniquely. Wilson explains, “I discovered that there was not one Moses, but many Moseses, and the myth changed as each culture assimilated (him). “For instance, I found it interesting how there are parts of the story we remember, and other parts that seem foreign to us, and how those parts differ among groups. The story involves deep cultural contextualization.” And in some places, he says, there seems at first blush to be no context. “One member of our group admitted that the only thing he ever knew about Moses was the (Val Kilmer-starring) animated motion picture from DreamWorks, “The Prince of Egypt” (1998) says Wilson. “But then I thought that was as valid a way into the story as any.” This seemed especially true as the scholar with whom Wilson had his long discussions about Moses in Israel happened to be a consultant on the film. Wilson notes that his project was widely embraced by many he spoke with from across the Jewish faith, though a few people questioned his assimilation of this revered figure. “For a few, there is one right way to represent Moses, and our work is something of a challenge. This perhaps has made me a little nervous about what I am doing in this piece. I hope it is transparent that this work is about my relation to this material, and that I believe there is meaning in this material outside the religious Jewish context,” Wilson says. Moses is the most important prophet in Judaism. He is also considered an important prophet in Christianity and Islam, as well as other faiths. Wilson says he has taken scholarship into a studio to turn this story into what he calls a “postmodern-contemporary dance performance piece.” The important thing, he contends, “is what goes on right in front of me, and how I develop it choreographically, as I transform … scholarly material to movement.” Ultimately, the performance will combine live music with pre-recorded songs: many field songs Wilson has collected in his travels from places as diverse as the American South and the Caribbean. He also will employ hymns from the black church as well as modern pop music. Something to shout about Wilson says he enjoys hosting Community Shouts. The Grange event will contain elements of a ring shout, or an ecstatic, transcendent religious ritual, as first practiced by African slaves on plantations in the American South, in which worshipers move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping their hands. As Wilson explains, “The black church came out of this early musical ritual.” “Moseses” has been a work in progress for more than two years. During this spring and summer as part of the Hatchery Project, Wilson will be engaged in a series of residencies to finish and refine the piece. At this week’s VPL residency, he is limiting his focus to the piece’s sound. Visitors at the Grange event should expect part lecture and part demonstration, but no dance. “The only thing I will be doing as a choreographer (that night) is to try to control everything that happens, which I am afraid to admit is a weakness of us choreographers,” Wilson says with a smile. From the Hatchery According to VPL Director Sara Coffey, Wilson is the first artist-in-residence through VPL’s new Hatchery Project, a multiyear collaborative residency from SECTION FRONT partnership supporting dance and other performance artists. “We’re excited to link our work and our small rural communities with a national effort that will enable us to connect with such exemplary performing arts organizations and bring exceptional artists like Reggie Wilson and members of his Fist and Heel Performance Group to Vermont,” Coffey says. With lead support by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and additional funding by the National Endowment For The Arts and the four partner organizations, The Hatchery Project will devote approximately $600,000 over the course of three years to specially designed multi-site creative residencies for four artists: Luciana Achugar, Beth Gill, Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar (Big Dance Theater) and Wilson. VPL’s three partner organizations are The Live Arts Brewery and Philadelphia Live Arts Festival in Philadelphia; Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University; and The Chocolate Factory in Long Island City, New York. Each Hatchery artist will receive financial and administrative support to conduct residencies at the partner sites, which will tailor their residencies to the artists’ practices and goals. Fist and Heel Wilson says he founded Fist and Heel in 1989 as a vehicle for choreographic development and for presenting his performance work. At VPL, he says he was given his first chance to look solely at the music outside of the “distraction” of dance, and to be able to record in a sound studio. His company’s name derives from a time when enslaved Africans in the Americas, denied their drums, reinvented their spiritual dance traditions as a soulful art form that white authorities dismissed as “fist and heel” worshipping, according to Coffey. The group blends contemporary dance with African traditions from the rich spiritual traditions of the African Diaspora. Wilson says he believes that much of what has come out of Africa continues to influence world events, and that this fact is being “erased” from public consciousness. As Fist and Heel’s artistic director, Wilson uses what he calls an intersection of cultural anthropology and movement practices to investigate what he describes as Africa’s marginalization. Drawing on the ritual and body languages of the blues, and slave and spiritual cultures of Africa, Wilson employs postmodern choreographic structures to create multi-disciplinary performance works, or what he calls Post-African Neo Hoodoo Modern dance. Wilson, described as a dance ethnography artist, has presented at such venues as Dance Theater Workshop in New York City, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts, and other prestigious international venues. Wilson was the recipient of the Minnesota Dance Alliance’s McKnight National Fellowship (2000-2001), a 2002 BESSIE, and a 2002 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2009 he was the Herb Alpert Award recipient in Dance, and also a Prudential USA Fellow. In 2012 he was named a member of the inaugural class of Doris Duke Artists, an initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which awards artists in contemporary dance, jazz, theater, and multidisciplinary work an unrestricted, multi-year cash grant of $225,000. Broad Brook Grange is at 3940 Guilford Center Rd. “Community Shout” is free, but space is limited. For reservations call Vermont Performance Lab at 802-257-3360 or write info@ vermontperformancelab.org. L et us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world. —Voltaire heLP ChARLes C harles Marchant of Townshend has a collection of 20,000 postcards and historical photos, and he would like to know more about the people and places they show. Each issue we will publish one of his images with a question or two in the hopes that readers can help him preserve a piece of Vermont history for future generations. A family group, identified as “Ed Wright, Aliza Burkhart and husband Leo, Will, and Maggie, taken at Burkharts’.” Does anyone recognize this family? If you can help Charles Marchant, please call him at 802-365-7937 or email [email protected]. Publication of this postcard is underwritten by: henRY hooK The Commons CRossWoRD “Centennials” CENTENNIALS Henry Hook 1. 4. 7. 11. 14. 17. 19. 21. 23. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 31. 32. 35. 37. 39. 40. 41. 44. 46. 51. 56. 58. 59. 60. 62. 64. 65. 67. 69. 71. 72. 75. 77. 80. 82. 84. 87. 90. 91. 92. 94. 95. 96. 99. 102. 103. 104. 107. 109. 113. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. Thursday, March 14 7:30 pm THE STRAY BIRDS and KEITH MURPHY Acoustic folk guitar/banjo/fiddle/bass trio – Maya de Vitry, Oliver Craven (The Steel Wheels) and Charles Muench - plus Brattleboro’s own singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Keith Murphy Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery 139 Main Street, Brattleboro Ticket reservations and info: 802-254-9276 www.twilightmusic.org Proof generated March 12, 2013 10:41 PM 3 4 6 5 7 18 17 Ewe said it Have a bug Sugar suffixes Spider’s prey Beatles descriptor Face of a coin Mohammed’s predecessor Coastal resort region 1913 inauguration VIP Exaggerated 1913 novel Reserve fund Bone (prefix) Range Fenway scoreboard letters Jackie of action flicks Yes-__ questions Jazz-age dance Panama, e.g. Moviefone owner Hanks role Paris-born maestro Gloat, maybe 1913 novel Dear Moses’s brother Breadwinner Come back in Alter the chart Spandex brand Luncheonette order 1990s Olympian Kerri 1996 heist movie, “__ Off” Frequently, in verse Wonder Woman’s weapon “__ Have No Bananas” Passing notes? Father of Peyton and Eli “Bye Bye Bye” band Least obvious Leader arrested in 1913 Totally enjoy something “__ I done?” Margarita extra Couples retreat? Trophy room? Meyers and MacFarlane End-of-March comparison Graph line Long-lived Chinese dynasty John Edwards’s other woman Nigerian tongue Early-1990s Surgeon General Novello NYC skyscraper that opened in 1913 Effervescent Activist who died in 1913 Sawhorse Whopper topper Gospel singer Adams Frat. counterpart Blue Greek war goddess Genetic stuff Cheerios grain 10 9 8 12 11 20 19 13 14 15 16 54 55 85 86 116 117 22 21 24 23 25 26 27 28 32 33 35 34 47 48 49 42 50 61 66 73 74 59 63 68 70 89 97 96 103 90 93 98 110 111 112 119 120 121 101 102 108 107 114 115 122 124 123 106 113 118 94 100 99 105 104 79 84 92 95 109 78 83 82 91 71 77 88 87 64 69 76 75 81 80 53 62 67 72 45 58 60 39 44 52 57 65 38 43 51 56 31 37 36 41 46 30 29 40 125 127 126 © 2013 Henry Hook 16. 18. 20. 22. 24. 30. 32. 33. 34. 36. 38. 39. 42. 43. 45. 47. 48. 49. 50. 52. 53. 54. 55. 57. 61. 63. 65. 66. 68. 70. 73. 74. 76. 78. 79. 81. 83. DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 2 1 ACROSS Curtain-call doings “Peek-__!” Mary Kay rival Tapestry Knows about Closer to X than G Buckeyes’ home Figure out Salem’s county Quick drinks Leader Subsist Part of YSL Burden imposed in 1913 Correctly 85. 86. Western star? Pele’s real first name Map enlargement NYC transit letters 71°3’37”, for Boston (abbr.) Proposes as a candidate Complaint Cuckoo’s announcement Humanitarian whose hospital opened in 1913 African lute Macadamize “Give me liberty” man “Culpa” preceder Pre-Carson host Ardor Lemieux milieu Dead heat Charged bits Eccentric Very, in Versailles Batter’s hope Random House co-founder Part of Q.E.D. National park in Tanzania Baseball manager Tony La __ Resentment “Kapow!” Logan of “60 Minutes” 17th-century actress Nell Big brass Painter Ben Japanese port city Tackles’ teammates Addams cousin Cantab’s rival CPR specialists It may be said thrice after “1, 2” TomKat’s kid Toll rds. 88. 89. 93. 95. 97. 98. 100. 101. 102. 103. 105. 106. 108. 110. 111. 112. 114. 115. 116. 117. Found the means Indisposed Chevy SUV LaMotta player “__ hesitates...” “Citizen Kane” cast member Joan of Arc, e.g. Mushroom type Limerick scheme Floats lightly First name of 44-Across Timmy : Lassie :: __ : Astro Coach Don Lb. fractions Louse eggs “To Live and Die __” Lush K-P filling Pop, to the very young Pesky insect Last issue’s solution “What Is It?” WHAT IS IT? Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon S A S L O N T O B A N O R A K T A T E W H T O H E S A D A A M U Y E N S C I I L L E M B A S E E S H E E S H B E L A Y E R Y I N S S W A M P L U I N A A I I L E C L A T F A K I N G G I J P L O P L I I E L T W O O S E Y O U H A V E G R I D T R A I O E R T F E I S T P E L A I N E C O T T I C S I E F T R A L N K S A P S R A N C O A N N U I S P T H R E E L R N A M E Y U M A S L I P S H W O R D T A R T L E S U R E R S H E A R S E N O M A T T M I S A H O Y S T E W E A T S A M M O W A N T I I O R D A R E A M B W R U N G S L L T O R E S C A R O L L T E E T N A E A L A M E W E C A U A S B S S O M E O N E F O R G O T T E N T H E T H E R I R S O R B E S N T Y O U A R E S O R T A I L O G O U T S N A G D Y K E T F N T R O D U C T E H E Y R A R E L O U © 2013 Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon PUBLICATION OF THE CROSSWORD IS UNDERWRITTEN BY Brattleboro Tire 558 Putney Rd., Brattleboro • 254-5411 commons JOHN PENFIELD’S BRATTLEBORO TIRE LUBE, LUBE, OIL OIL & FILTER FILTER Twilight Music Route 30, Newfane, VT 802-365-7916 www.newfanecountrystore.com 26 26 $ $ 95 Most cars. to 5 qts. 5W-30 FullUpSynthetic Oil + 2* 95 Service SpecialS TIRE sALE OFF UP TO $10000 $ 25 env. fee Special Oil & Filters Extra. 95* & Filter ChangeSPRING FREE CHECKOVER *Special Oil Weights & Special Filters Extra Plus $2.25•Env. 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PRice $40 Red #6 Due Now vT STaTe expires 3/15/13 THE ARTS B4 I n str u ct i o n arts & community CALENDAR THURSDAY FRIDAY 14 n MONDAY V i s u al arts a n d sh o ws . Your 16 n Community St. Patrick's 16 Space: Camouflage/The n Day Celebration: This event starts with W I L M I N G T O N , BRATTLEBORO Invisible Man (Liu Bolin); and Hot Pot: A Taste of Contemporary Chinese Art: In "Your Space," Liu chooses camouflage as a metaphor for individuals and their placeor lack of itin contemporary Chinese society. In "The Invisible Man" Liu embodies in photographs the role of the conflicted citizen in a country torn between tradition and "progress," communal interests and individual freedom. In this exhibit "Hot Pot" serves as a metaphor for the art of China today in all its complexity and variety, for Chinese artists' experiences and perceptions of the world, and for their individual and collective memories. Selected images from 20 artists' slideshows are on view. n . Through Sunday, June 23. n Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, 10 Vernon Street. WEDNESDAY 14 n a Vermont Humanities Council presentation on "The Irish Wave in the Green Mountains" by Vince Feeney. He'll discuss how thousands of Irish immigrants settled in Vermont from the late 1840s through the 1860s. Following this, the Friends of the Library will host an Irish potluck. The celebration closes with a lively Irish dance performance. n 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. in Memorial Hall. n Free. n Pettee Memorial Library, 16 South Main Street. Information: 802-464-8557; www. petteelibrary.org. 16 n CHESTER . Maple Fest Dinner: Everything you eat will be made with a bit of maple syrup: roast turkey breast with cranberry sauce, carrots and parsnips, baked beans, crucifer salad, pumpkin muffins, 14 n . GUILFORD Sugar-onSnow Supper: n Three seatings: 4:30, 5:45, 7 p.m. n $10, $5 children, $3 pre-schoolers. n Guilford Community Church, Corner of Route 5 and Guilford Center Road. Information: For reservations: 802-254-9562 or [email protected]. Music . 14 n BRATTLEBORO The Stray Birds and Keith Murphy: Acoustic folk trio Maya de Vitry, Oliver Craven, and Charles Muench with instrumentalist/songwriter Keith Murphy n 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. n $16, $14 students/seniors. n Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery, 139 Main Street. Information: 802-254-9276; www. hookerdunham.org. 14 n . DJ Rob Wampum: Dance the night away. n 9 p.m. - 11:45 p.m. n No cover. n Metropolis BRATTLEBORO Wine Bar, 55 Elliot Street. Information: 1-802-4902255; www.metropoliswinebar.com. . Swing 15 Band: PlayingButterfly hot classic swing n PUTNEY grooves from the '20s, '30s and '40s. Joe LoMonaco percussion; Scott Sizer on trumpet, harmonica and vocals; Mark Anagnostopulos guitar and vocals; Walter Slowinski clarinet, sax and vocals; and Lynn Lovell upright bass and vocals. n 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. n No cover. n Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Road. Information: 802-345-3769. 15 n . Kevin Parry: On guitar and vocals. Plays acoustic rock and roll takes requests. n 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. n West Dover Inn, Route 100. WEST DOVER Information: 802-464-5207. 15 n . Wildcat O'Halloran Band: Contemporary Blues. n 9 p.m. n No cover. n Inferno, BRATTLEBORO 19 Elliot St. Information: www.wildcatohalloran. com; 802-258-6529; www.reverbnation.com/ venue/theweathervanemusichall. 16 n B E L L O W S F A L L S . Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils: Experience a night of Big Easy excitement with the big smoky voice of Samirah, a New Orleans native, and her engaging repertoire in the Windham Ballroom. A portion of ticket sales go to Black Sheep Radio. n 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.). n $20 in advance, $22 at the door. n Popolo Restaurant, 36 Square. Information: 802-460-7676; www. popolomeanspeople.com. 16 n . St. Patr ick's Fiddle Frenzy: BELLOWS FALLS Cellist Eugene Friesen is joined by the Vermont Celtic duo "Blackbird." n 7:30 p.m. n $17 ($13 for seniors and children under 12) in advance; $20 ($15) at the door. n Stone Church Arts/Immanuel Episcopal Church, 14-20 Church Street. Information: 802-463-3100; www. stonechurcharts.org. 16 n . The Break Maids: Rock/funk all female band. n 8 p.m. in the Phelps Barn. n No cover. n GRAFTON Grafton Inn, Main Street. Information: 802-8432211; www.graftoninnvermont.com. 16 n . The Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition: Zandonai's "Francesca Da Rimini" n 12 noon. n $26 Saturday; BRATTLEBORO $24 Sunday encore performance; $10 students in grades K-12. n Latchis Theatre, 50 Main Street. Information: www.bmcvt.org/the-met-live-in-hd; 802-254-1109; www.latchis.com. 16 n . Molly and her band provide music and stories. Spanning the Irish traditional and alternative playbook, there will be everything from haunting airs to rowdy drinking songs, reels, jigs,slides, readings from Irish greats and some surprises. The very first Gathering was performed at the Common Ground in 1984 and the tradition has continued almost unbroken every year since. Molly on vocals, whistles and keyboard; James Pentland on guitar; Louisa Engle on fiddle; Chris Bakriges on keyboard; Dan Lydon on bodhran; and Sir George on vocals and spoken word. n 7:30 p.m. n $7 at the door. n Bluedot, 139 Main Street, #607 (2nd fl., in the Hooker Dunham Building). 16 n . Karrin Allyson: Jazz Vocalist: Allyson, BRATTLEBORO who sings in English, French, Portuguese, Italian Spanish, and plays classical piano, performs with Steve Cardenas on guitar, George Kaye on acoustic bass, and Todd Strait on drums. n 8 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. n $21, $16 students. n Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, #222. Information: 802-254-9088; www.vtjazz.org. 17 n B E L L O W S F A L L S Band, firmly rooted in the traditions of the early decades of bluegrass and country music, and the classic bluegrass music of the Seth Sawyer Band. n 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. n $15 in advance, $20 at the door; $5/$10 for students, children under 12 free. n Bellows Falls Opera House, Rockingham Town Hall, The Square. Information: 802-463-2525; http://compassschool.ticketleap.com. It’s March, and we are reminded of the contributions of women all month, including at the Co-op! Cooperatives have given women around the world a way to work together democratically to bring their products to market, offer services, and empower themselves to better their families’ and communities’ lives. according to the United Nations, women “organizing themselves into collective enterprises enables them to overcome barriers to pursuing economic activities.” We have many women cooperative producers in our Co-op: african Market baskets, Hope for Women housewares, Co-op 108 natural care products from right down the road in Haydenville, Ma. Come visit and see! Just by purchasing something that strikes your fancy, you may very well make a difference to a whole community through some enterprising women, right next door or halfway across the world. BrattleBoro Food Co - op Now with Mon - Sat 7–9, Sun 9–9 • 2 Main Street, Brattleboro BrattleboroFoodCoop.coop OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR 802 365 4600 Hand-Cut Meats & Oven Ready Entrées Custom Cuts & Special Orders Full Service Deli Including Hot & Cold Lunches Now Featuring Certified Organic Beef & Chicken Store-Made Salads • Cold Beverages • Fresh Seafood Call ahead for Pizza Fried Foods & Grinders on the Deli Line 365-4180 Located on Scenic Rt 30, In Townshend, Vermont M-F 6 AM-9 PM SAT 7 AM - 9 PM SUN 8 AM -9 PM Pet Food, Bird Seed, Equine, Pet & Stable Supplies, Tack, Hay, & Shavings Open Monday – Friday 9:00-5:30, Saturday 10:00-2:00 802-365-7800 Located on Riverdale Road (Just off Rte 30, Behind River Bend Farm Market) Townshend VT Proof generated March 12, 2013 10:41 PM . Beginners Tai Chi & Taoist Exercises: This PUTNEY ancient form of martial art has been practiced for both health and self defense. It increases strength, flexibility, and vitality well into old age. Tai Chi Chuan is not performed in the same manner as most western calisthenics or sports as it requires a tremendous amount of mental and physical concentration and control. It is sometimes described as a moving meditation. Taught by Thomas Garbarino. n 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays through June 13. n $180 for the series or $65 per month. n Medicine for the People, 25 Main St. Information: 802-387-3028; www. medicineforthepeople.org. 16 n . Pruning and Grafting Workshop: DUMMERSTON Participants receive instruction while pruning old and young fruit trees and practice grafting apple trees. Caring for trees, the proper tools to use, and the knowledge, confidence and skills P er f o r m i n g arts 16 n G U I L F O R D . been described as a dance ethnography artist. His performance pieces combine movement, languages and song of African slave and spiritual cultures in the Americas with post-modern elements and his own personal style to create what he calls "post-African/Neo-HooDoo Modern" dances. Wilson and his Fist and Heel ensemble will also lead a Community Shout, a transformative sing-a-long where participants will connect to their rhythmic voices and bodies. This event is made possible in part through the Vermont Performance Lab. n 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. n Free. n Broad Brook Grange, 3940 Guilford Center Rd. Information: 802-257-3361; www.vermontperformancelab.com/events. Community b u i ld i n g 17 n . Open Music Collective/Open Mic/Coffee House Series: Jazz Jam with Jamie PUTNEY MacDonald. Hosting the event every third Sunday of the month is "Vermont Timbre": Amelia Struthers and Mike Mrowicki. They'll also perform the featured set on this, the first night, and share music from their work in progress: "Songs To Light the Way." Musicians, storytellers, and other local-vores who wish to share their art are welcome. Or simply listen and enjoy. n 6:30 p.m.; Open Mic sign-up at 6 p.m. n $5 suggested donation. n Next Stage Arts Project, 15 Kimball Hill. Information: 802-387-0102; [email protected]. . The Art of Calligraphy: This is an introSAXTONS RIVER duction to the Pilot Parallel Pen, which gives a smooth flow of ink without drips or blobs and makes it easy to achieve the thick-and-thin lines that characterize fine calligraphy. Taught by Lynn Hoeft, concentration will be on the Italic alphabet (also called Chancery Cursive) developed in Italy during the Renaissance. Using these letterforms, participants will create invitations, fancy cards and envelopes, certificates and journals. n 9. a.m. - 11 a.m. on Sundays through April 6. n $56 members, $68 non-members includes materials. n Main Street Arts, 37 Main Street. Information: 802-869-2960; www. mainstreetarts.org. 16 n . BRATTLEBORO LA Smooth Style Salsa: For beginner and intermediate/advanced dancers. Five-week series. Timing, steps, combinations, partnership. n 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. beginners; 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. intermediate/advanced. n $50 for a series, $12 drop-in; $75 for both, $18 for drop-in ($40, $60, $8, $15 for students). n Stone Church in Brattleboro, 210 Main Street. Information: Ray, 802 579-9990; ray@ shallwedance.biz. 16 n B E L L O W S F A L L S . Painting Workshop: Paint the beautiful New England winter landscape. Values, composition and basic watercolor techniques will be emphasized. Students work from photo reference and learn to create a finished painting from a favorite winter subject. Robert O'Brien will demonstrate his approach and provide hands on guidance to each student. A critique will be held at the end of the session. n 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. n $60 members, $80 non-members. n Saxtons River Art Guild, United Church. Information: Barbara, 603-756-9389. 16 n . Yo g a , Acupuncture, Meditation: P U T N E Y 17 n . Open Music Collective/Open Mic/Coffee House Series: Jazz Jam with Jamie PUTNEY MacDonald. Hosting the event every third Sunday of the month is "Vermont Timbre": Amelia Struthers and Mike Mrowicki. They'll also perform the featured set on this, the first night, and share music from their work in progress: "Songs To Light the Way." Musicians, storytellers, and other local-vores who wish to share their art are welcome. Or simply listen and enjoy. n 6:30 p.m.; Open Mic sign-up at 6 p.m. n $5 suggested donation. n Next Stage Arts Project, 15 Kimball Hill. Information: 802-387-0102; [email protected]. T he wr i tte n w o rd 15 n . Open Readings: Read your own work; BRATTLEBORO poetry, prose, or come to listen to local writers. There is an eight minute time limit for each reader. Refreshments will be served. This event is held every third Friday of the month. n 7:30 p.m. n Donations go to Write Action. n Bluedot, 139 Main Street, #607 (2nd fl., in the Hooker Dunham Building). L o cal h i st o r y . through March 30, 2013. Sponsored by Post Oil Solutions. n 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. n Robert H. Gibson River Garden, 157 Main Street. [email protected] 802-257-4886; www.brattleborovt.org/RiverGarden.html. BRATTLEBORO . rian, a researcher into local history, or just curious, the daily lives ordinary people lived in the past can seem a mystery. Wary of much of what passes for "history" in older sources, it's become librarian Linda Hay's habit to look for "facts" which have not been obscured by points of view. She'll discuss searching for documents, methods for digging out fascinating details from apparently boring statistics, and ways of combining the findings to "make history come alive." Join her for an illustrated talk, followed by "hands on" examination and analysis of typical sources from the Brattleboro area, including the challenges of deciphering records written with a quill pen. n 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. n Free. n Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street. Information: 802-254-5290; www.brooks.lib.vt.us. F i l m a n d v i de o 14 n . " A Wo m a n Under the Influence": Mabel, PUTNEY a wife and mother, is loved by her husband Nick but her madness proves to be a problem in the marriage. This is a film by actor/director John Cassavetes. Hosted by Clark Glennon. n 7 p.m - 9-30 p.m. n By donation. n Next Stage Arts Project, 15 Kimball Hill. Information: 802-3878500; www.nextstagearts.org. 16 n . Women's Film Festival: This 22nd annual BRATTLEBORO festival is a fundraiser for the Women's Freedom Center. Saturday: "The Light in Her Eyes": A conservative Muslim preacher and founder of a Qur'an school for girls in Damascus challenges the women to live according to Islam without giving up their dreams. "Raging Grannies": The Action League of the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula consists of women ages 50 to 90 who are enraged by living conditions, by environmental threats, by war, and by injustice. "American Outrage": Two elderly Western Shoshone sisters fight for their land rights and human rights. "Self-portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works": A look into the world of one of the greatest living photographers, Ms. Plachy. "The Bathhouse": The women who venture into this place enter as strangers and undergo a physical and spiritual transformation. "Scarlet Road": Australian sex worker Rachel Wotton specializes in a long-overlooked clientele: people with disabilities. Sunday: "Jungle Radio": Deep in a Nicaraguan jungle, a radio station denounces domestic violence. "The World Before Her": Two young women follow divergent paths in the new India: one wants to become Miss India, the other is a Hindu Nationalist. "Graceland Girls": So many Kenyan adolescent girls are denied equal access to education, social and economic equality and respect, but some defy the odds. "Words of Witness": Defying cultural norms and family expectations, 22-year-old Heba Afify takes to the streets to report on an Egypt in turmoil. "Weightless Traveler": Young vagabond Bo takes off to the big city, the desert, and the jungle, overcoming obstacles on her way to find a true home. "Deaf Jam": Aneta Brodski, an Israeli immigrant deaf teen introduced to American Sign Language Poetry, enters the spoken word slam scene. She meets Tahani, a hearing Palestinian slam poet. They embark on a collaboration/ performance duet: a new form of slam poetry that speaks to both the hearing and the deaf. n Times vary. Through Sunday, March 17. n $7.50, $6 students/seniors, $30 5-movie pass. n Women's Film Festival; New England Youth Theatre, 100 Flat Street. Information: Tickets: 802-257-7464; womensfreedomcenter.net. 17 n B R A T T L E B O R O . Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home: A story of awakening consciousness offering a glimpse into the moral struggles of farmers and the emotional lives of farm animals. Presented by Vine Sanctuary, providing a safe haven for animals who have escaped or been rescued from the meat, dairy and egg industries or other abusive circumstances. n 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. n Free. n Stone Church in Brattleboro, 210 Main Street. 20 n . Vacanza i n I t a l i a Fi l m Fe s t iv a l : "Under the Tuscan Sun ": Diane Lane BRATTLEBORO This class led by Deirdre Kelley highlights the many benefits of physical movement through yoga asana, community-style acupuncture, and the relaxation and integration of the mind and body through gentle meditation techniques. n 12 noon - 2 p.m. n $40. n Medicine for the People, 25 Main St. Information: 802-387-3028; www.medicineforthepeople.org. 17 n . Nature Drawing Group: Develop your drawing skills in a supportive setting. n 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Sundays through April 7. n SAXTONS RIVER $15 members, $18 non-members; drop-in rate $6 members, $7 non-members. n Main Street Arts, 37 Main Street. Information: 802-869-2960; www.mainstreetarts.org. 17 n B R A T T L E B O R O . Community Circle Dance with Bobbi Bailin: All dances are taught. No partner needed. All are welcome. n 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. n By donation. n Aikido Studio, 11 Cottage Street. Information: 2579108 or 380-3291. 18 n . Strong Living for Older Adults: This BELLOWS FALLS is a safe and effective way for adults age 40plus (with clearance from your physican) to increase strength, improve balance, and maintain healthy bones. Experienced instructors lead each class through a series of exercises and provide guidance to help participants modify exercises for their individual level of ability and fitness. Dumbbells and leg weights provided. Classes meet every Monday and Thursday. n 11 a.m. - 12 noon. n $2 donation. n 1 Hospital Court. Information: 802-722-3607; wecares@ sover.net. 19 n . East Coast Swing Classes: For beBRATTLEBORO ginners and intermediate dancers. Five-week series. n 6:30 p.m. beginners; 7:30 p.m. intermediate. n $40 for a series ($60 for both); $10 drop-in ($15 for both classes); students $8/$12 (both). n Stone Church in Brattleboro, 210 Main Street. Information: Ray, 802 579-9990; ray@ shallwedance.biz to-pre-register. W ell - b e i n g L i fe i n O n e Ve r m o n t To w n : A Genealogy & Local Histor y Workshop : Whether one's a family histo- Winter Farmer's Market: Every Saturday BRATTLEBORO 16 n 16 n Far m ers ’ m arkets 16 n needed to work on your own fruit trees at home will be discussed. n 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. (pruning); 11 a.m. - 12 noon (grafting). n $40. Reservations required. n Scott Farm, 707 Kipling Road. Information: 802-254-6868; www. scottfarmvermont.com. Community b u i ld i n g C h o r e og r ap h e r R e gg i e Wilson: Wilson, an African American, has AMPLE PARKiNG! Happy St. Pat’s From The Folks At River Bend! Certified Organic . Compass School Bluegrass Benefit Concert: Featuring the Corey Zink BRATTLEBORO Molly Melloan's Irish Gathering: . adults age 40-plus (with clearance from your physican) to increase strength, improve balance, and maintain healthy bones. Experienced instructors lead each class through a series of exercises and guide participants in modifying them to meet their level of ability and fitness. Dumbbells and leg weights provided. Classes meet every Monday and Thursday. n 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. n $2 donation. n Congregational Church of Westminster West, 44 Church St. Information: 802-722-3607; [email protected]. cheesecake, chocolate cake, white cake, carrotdate cake, coconut cream, pecan, apple, and cranberry nut. There will also be a raffle of assorted items. This annual event is a fundraiser for Partners in Service, bringing faith communities and human service agencies together. n 6 p.m. n $10 adults/$5 for children for dinner; $5 for 6 raffle tickets. n St. Lukes Church, 313 Main Street. Information: Call 802- 875-2784 for reservations. 16 n WESTMINSTER WEST Strong Living for Older Adults: This is a safe and effective way for C ele b rat i o n s , f est i v als , c o m m u n i t y m eals . . series providing the basic skills needed to create delicious, healthy meals. Visual equivalents, organic vs. non-organic, basics to stock in your freezer and cabinet, and classifying herbs and spices will be covered. n 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Through Thursday, March 21. n Free. n Pettee Memorial Library, 16 South Main Street. Information: 802-464-8557; www. petteelibrary.org. SATURDAY TUESDAY W I L M I N G T O N , Lear ning to Cook with House to House: Instructional Skills: This is the second class in a 3-week 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 SUNDAY • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 T he C o m m o n s plays a 35 year-old writer from San Francisco who has just gone through a divorce that has left her with terminal writer's block. In a drastic step, she buys a house in the Tuscan countryside after a visit to Italy. A new life includes a new love that gives her a fresh start. n 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. n Free. n Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street. Information: 802-254-5290; www. brooks.lib.vt.us. 16 n . Refilling Your Well: Focusing, mindfulness BRATTLEBORO meditation, guided imagery, facilitated by Psychosynthesis counselor Robin White. Repeats April 6. n 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. n $15 to $25 (sliding scale); financial aid available. n Curves, 464 Putney Road. Information: 802-257-3500. 20 n . Spring Cleansing for Optimal Health: Learn to choose, use, and prepare BRATTLEBORO healing foods and herbal remedies to: safely cleanse toxins from your organs for increased energy, detoxify heavy metals from your cells for brain and mood health, and reduce pathogen overgrowth for better digestion and immune strength. Reduce pain and discomfort associated with degenerative disease, autoimmune disorders and chronic pain conditions. A bowl of local, vegan, homemade soup will be served to all who sign up in advance(bring your bowl, if you're able). Time for questions. n 12 noon - 1:30 p.m. n $10 to $25 sliding fee. n Biologic Wellness Center, 205 Main Street, Ground Floor. Information: [email protected]. K i ds a n d f a m i l i es 16 n . Tales of Br-er Rabbit: Br'er Rabbit may be smaller PUTNEY than Br'er Fox or Br'er Bear, but he was blessed with a good dose of wits. In this collection of trickster tales where everyone seems to be trying to trick everyone else, Br'er Rabbit not only manages to survive among the local predator population, he seems to have a pretty good time doing it! This is a Magical Moonshine Theatre performance. n 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. n $8. n Sandglass Theater, 17 Kimball Hill. Information: 802-387-4051; www.sandglasstheater.org, www.sandglasstheater.org. 18 n . Story Hour: Spring: Themed stories WILMINGTON, and activities for young children and their caregivers. n 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. n Free. n Pettee Memorial Library, 16 South Main Street. Information: 802-464-8557; www. petteelibrary.org. Ideas a n d ed u cat i o n 18 n . Teen Advisor y Council: You can BELLOWS FALLS have a say in what programs the Library offers teens by joining the Teen Advisory Council. Meets monthly on Mondays. n 5 p.m. n Free. n Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster Street. Information: Sam Mekell, Youth Services Librarian, 802-463-4270, www. rockinghamlibrary.org. 18 n . Bone Health Myths: True Bone H e a l t h i s N o t A b o u t Ta k i n g Calcium and Vitamin D: Studies BRATTLEBORO show that taking calcium and drinking milk both actually increase osteoporosis. You probably know somebody who has used calcium, yet their bones keep getting worse. Find out why. You'll also find out which foods, supplements and herbs can work to increase bone health and help prevent problems in the future. Using these simple, inexpensive, holistic strategies, you can help prevent or reverse osteopenia, osteoporosis, and bone fractures at any age. n 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. n $10 to $25 sliding fee. n Wisdom of Healing, 95 Main Street, #2. Information: cindy@ wisdomofhealing.com. 20 n . A Healthy Brain: Improve Your Memory Naturally: One of the greatest B R A T T L E B O R O concerns many of us have as we age is the loss of memory and brain function. Supporting the brain with nourishing foods and safe herbal remedies is an powerful way to improve memory, focus, attention, test scores, and overall quality of life. Learn about natural options for coping with our world of high-speed technology, the push in schools, and highly competitive workplaces; sensible options for preventing dementia, brain fog, memory loss, and learning difficulties your family can begin to incorporate right away. Time for questions. n 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. n $10 to $25 sliding fee. n Wisdom of Healing, 95 Main Street, #2. Information: Pre-register at cindy@ wisdomofhealing.com. THE COMMONS S E C T I O N C1 B C • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 VOICES Wednesday, March 13, 2013 • page C1 OPINION • COMMENTARY Join the discussion: [email protected] M I L E S T O N E S , C3 S P O R T S , C4 Wednesday, March 13, 2013 page C1 Drone dilemma ESSAY No wonder kids in places like Yemen are afraid to go to school and people think twice before attending weddings or funerals I Saxtons River HAD TO SEE the con- troversial film Zero Dark Thirty for myself to decide if, as charged, it advanced the case for “enhanced interrogation methods” — military-speak for torture. It did not, in my view. What it did was affirm the hideous and inhumane nature of torture, no matter where it is carried out and by whom. It should never be used by any country that positions itself as a moral leader. Now, I need to see the documentary Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield. It is likely to confirm my growing antipathy toward the everincreasing use of drones, especially following the recently leaked memo that has alarmed so many in public and private quarters. Reading “Bug Splats,” a piece by George Monbiot in The Guardian in December, made me think about drones. Why, Mr. Monbiot wondered in the essay, written shortly after the Newtown massacre, were the murders of children by a deranged man in Connecticut any more worthy of the world’s grief than the children killed in countries like Pakistan as a matter of American policy? If the victims of drone strikes are mentioned at all, he wrote, “they are discussed in terms which suggest they are less than human.” An article in Rolling Stone, he said, alleged that “people who operate drones describe their casualties as ‘bug splats’ since seeing bodies through a green video image gives them the sense of an insect being crushed.” This is harsh and emotional stuff. So I went in search of fact and further opinion. FACTS WERE HARD to come by since much of what happens with drones is classified. But here are some things I learned. • The Pentagon has about 7,000 drones. A decade ago, it had 50 of them. • In the 2012 budget, the Obama administration asked Congress for almost $5 billion for more drones, now seen as crucial for fighting terrorism. • A reported 1,900 insurgents in Pakistan’s tribal regions have been killed ELAYNE CLIFT by American drones since 2006, and in 2011, a drone in Yemen killed Anwar alAwlaki (an American and Yemeni imam alleged to have connections to al Qaida). Here’s the problem: the United States is not at war with Pakistan or Yemen, and that makes their use in these countries officially illegal. For the first time in history a civilian intelligence agency is using robots to carry out military missions — killing people — in countries where the U.S. is not officially at war. Proponents of drone use argue that so long as their use is grounded in sound intelligence information, the drones enable the U.S. to attack terrorists with a fair degree of precision without risking American lives. Mistakes happen in war, they say, but not as much “collateral damage” — killing of innocents — occurs as would if bombs or troops were being used. If we didn’t use drones, they argue, what action could the U.S. take to stop al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations? But concerns are beginning to surface as drones become more ubiquitous and more deadly. A United Nations panel led by Ben Emmerson, special investigator for the UN Human Rights Council, has begun to look at “drone strikes and other forms of remotely targeted killing.” Of particular concern are 25 selected drone strikes that have been conducted in recent years in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and the Palestinian territories. Noting that it is not only the U.S. coming under scrutiny — 50 other states have the technology to develop “active drone arsenals” — Emmerson says “it is completely unacceptable to allow the world to drift blindly toward the precipice without any agreement between states as to the circumstances in which drone-strike targeted killings are lawful, and on the safeguards necessary to protect civilians.” ■ SEE DRONES, PAGE C2 ROBIN MACARTHUR S UGAR B OOGIE As the sap starts flowing, people drop in after thawing from a long winter H Marlboro ALF THE PEOPLE on your road park their cars near the highway and walk; the other half fasten their seat belts, take a deep breath, and gun it, bucking ruts and jerking wheels as their bodies get slammed this way and that. The kids on the school bus hold on to the seats in front of them and scream as the bus driver (your mother) presses the pedal to the floor, tightens her jaw, and keeps the bus pointed forward with bedrock determination. Car struts get shot, the alignment goes out of whack. You step out of your car in the driveway, and your boots sink down six inches. You track it onto the porch, and into the hall, and into the kitchen. Ten miles away, in the town with paved streets, people are wearing sundresses and sandals; you’re still in jeans and the Muck Boots you’ve been wearing for six months straight. Around here, March and April are called “mud season.” But there is one consolation. Mud season is also sugaring season. Mud and sugaring go hand in hand during these cold nights, warm days. The frost under the roads settles, creating sinkholes; the sap in the maple trees runs, filling buckets. You walk down the road with your twoyear-old daughter to the sugarhouse, looking, hoping, for steam, and there it is: a thick waft of sweet, moist air billowing out of the vented roof. Inside, your parents are throwing logs into the evaporator, ROBIN MACARTHUR describes herself as a “writer, mother, and musician who lives on the rock-studded hillside in southern Vermont where I was born.” This piece originally appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of Orion (orionmagazine.org). checking levels, pouring beautiful resincolored syrup into the glass Mason jars neighbors have brought by. Firelight shimmers through the cracks of the iron doors. You run across the (muddy) road with your daughter to collect sap and watch her press her lips against the metal spigot; from where you stand it looks like she is kissing the tree. “Yum!” she exclaims, pulling away, her face smeared with sap and tree bark and moss and snot. PEOPLE DROP BY: a family bearing bowls of soup, a single man proffering a sixpack of beer. It’s an open house, the sugar shack, and everyone knows it. This dropping in is a way of keeping the sugar makers company — they’re in here for 10 hours at a time most days — but it’s also what happens to people in spring. You begin to thaw. You want to see faces again, converse, be outside for long stretches of time. Neighbors bring in wood; you scoop scum from the back pans; your daughter pulls out empty plastic jugs for your mother to fill. The fire hisses. The steam rises. You crack open beers. A party: “Sugar Boogie,” your dad and daughter call it. That night you make pizzas, cooking them on the open grate of the evaporator door. You throw on red pepper, fresh mozzarella, pesto from last summer’s garden. You sit on old tractor and bus seats turned into makeshift chairs and eat off your hands. Later, someone steps through the door with a bottle of Glenlivet and cups. Last year, you all determined, after much sampling, the perfect combination of scotch and near-syrup; now you attempt to find that perfect ratio once more. OUTSIDE, it grows dark. The room fills with hooting laughter. Once in a while, you hear a car revving up the road, gunning it through deep pockets of mud. You watch the steam, the fire, the glistening faces, and you’re glad you’re not in that car, out on those roads, trying to get somewhere. You step out the back door to take a leak in the snow and look up at sparks shooting out of the rusted chimney, an ash-flecked moon rising above the trees. You could go back inside, but instead you linger for a while: pants down, grinning, grateful for this dissolution of walls and of boundaries between inside and out, for this synchronicity between what the trees do and what people do, for the fact that it’s (finally) warm enough for you to be out here half-naked, knee deep in a pile of snow, not wanting to be anywhere but the very spot your boots are planted. VIEWPOINT Has the tribe really spoken about the skatepark? We could have handled this controversial issue as a community, allowing for a more unified and respectful decision-making process T Brattleboro HIS WHOLE skate- park ordeal reminds me of the reality show Survivor, where inside alliances are formed and galvanized, strategies are plotted, and immunity from public process and scrutiny is granted, then granted again for privileged access to the spoils of a valued green-space splendor and the once-spacious neighborhood playground haven it will permanently occupy as its reward. There, the producers create a fractious and desperate atmosphere to maximize drama and to present pop-up obstacles. At this point, castaways bump into one another to try and find With boosted and boasted preference and favoritism granted to the proponents, ophas lived in the neighponents to the plan are painted borhood surrounding the THIS COVETED, longtime, as people who don’t respect Crowell Park for the last 15 and familiar place — a distinct our youth and are given no years and has spent over part of our lives — will be con- place setting at the table. two years working with crete-converted and compacted However, our reality is very two groups opposed to the as an attraction, an overwhelm- far removed from that island skatepark. ing draw, and a landing pad for and more evolved — at least, skateboarders from all around. one would hope, as we are a secure ground (maybe even The increased commotion community with many intellioverlapping territory) to find will purportedly not genergent, well-thought-out choices some leverage point and bearate noise from an unsupervised and a multitude of assets at our ing to stand firm. concrete area open until evedisposal. Those left behind are contin- ning hours, even when comJust as I would not prioritize ually driven off and treated as bined with users funneling one of my kids’ needs over the some intrusive annoyance. through from Routes 9 and 30. needs of the other when makThat same description apWe have been forced into ing a parental decision, neither plies to a lot of us who are a win/lose situation with one should one group be preferred neighbors to Crowell Park. The dominant, yet select, group by the town at the expense of concrete skatepark plan has prevailing the entire way. another. LES MONTGOMERY Proof generated March 12, 2013 7:01 PM now miraculously arrived here at its apparent hand-selected, but unsuitable, resting place. The very people who live near Crowell Park have clearly experienced such treatment. We could have handled this controversial issue as a community, allowing for a more unified and respectful decisionmaking process. We could have evaluated criteria with fresh ideas for all proposed sites when time was of the essence, when awareness peaked and the issue demanded our attention. There was plenty of opportunity to do so. No insurmountable harm would have resulted in an effort to reach out for unified resolution at this critical juncture to find the best solution. THE SKATEPARK will be a permanent concrete structure that replaces something else — the simpler things that we take for granted until they’re gone for good. Things like shade on a hot summer day. Some natural space conveniently close by for small children with parents. The Crowell Park site has so many demands that are emerging and will emerge for the skatepark: drastic alterations, hidden costs, and complications. The skatepark will be unsafe, and we all will live with its impacts for a long, long time. Isn’t it worth a second look at other possible sites? VOICES C2 McKay’s Used Cars 1227 Marlboro Rd. West Brattleboro 802.254.5275 Mon–Sat 9:00 – 5:30 The Hotel Pharmacy 20 Elliot St, Suite 1 Brattleboro, VT 05301 802-254-2303 fax 802-257-0023 hotline 802-258-3008 FREE DELIVERY to Surrounding Towns Text when Ready! Curbside Delivery! Locally Owned and Operated since 1982 by the Giamartino Family! Timely and Personal Service From People You Know! Located in the Historical Methodist Church on Elliot Street • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 LETTERS FROM READERS House needs to fix ‘death with dignity’ bill O (Route. 9 West) THE COMMONS ur representatives in the Vermont House will soon take up a bill having to do with end-of-life choice, or patientdirected dying. This action follows the passage of an endof-life bill by the Senate last month. Credit is due the Senate for its serious consideration of a carefully written bill based on Oregon’s “death with dignity” law and the experience with it over the past 14 years, but the Senate’s bill is woefully lacking. It’s a one-page amendment of the original, carefully-crafted 22-page bill and focuses primarily on physician protection rather than giving a terminally ill, mentally competent Vermonter a sound and sensitive way to make a request for, and for a doctor to prescribe, medication that would be selfadministered to hasten his or her death. The House needs to restore to the Senate bill the legal standards and safeguards in the original bill for both patients and doctors to ensure that patients have true end-of-life choices. For example, the kind of choice needed in the bill is a terminal patient’s own informed decision to make after he or she has received counseling on alternative end-of-life services that include hospice care, palliative care, and the kinds of pain control that are available. The patient should also express desire both orally and in writing for medication to hasten the end of his or her life, and this request should be witnessed by qualified individuals who can attest that he or she is of sound mind, acting voluntarily, and is not being forced to make this request. Taking control of one’s life and ending it in this way is the most serious of decisions a terminal patient can make. It has to be respected and treated as such. While it might not be the choice for most people, it should be one that’s legally hotelrx.com Protect Vermont from industrial wind R We Go Beyond Patient Care Expanded Hours at Grace Cottage Family Health Dr. Ewa Arnold will see patients beginning at 7:30 a.m., Monday - Thursday Other providers are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday Townshend, VT w www.gracecottage.org w (802) 365-4331 China Buffet 1.00 OFF Lunch Buffet or $ 1.50 OFF Dinner Buffet $ Dine In Only Exp. 3/30/13 Good only at China Buffet, Brattleboro, VT Chinese Restaurant Dine in & take Out 801 Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT 802-254-8888 • www.chinabuffetVT.com LORI FRANDINO ANTIQUE & VINTAGE ORIENTAL RUGS Good selection of older rugs, many with slight to moderate wear and very affordable. P.O. 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More Healthy, More Deliciou MATT SKOVE/AUDIO DESIGN Home Stereo/Flat Screen TVs Home Theater Installation Car Stereo/Remote Car Starters Sales and/or Installation “I’ll come to you!’’ 802-257-5419 www.audiodesignvt.com JANET SINCLAIR Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine Adults, Children & Animals National Board Certified since 1988 139 Main St. Brattleboro 802-254-4103 brattleboroacupuncture.info OPEN HOUSE Friday, March 22, 2013 1:00 to 4:00 80 Atwood Street, Brattleboro, VT Visit Career Center Programs Meet instructors and see students’ current projects For more information call 802-451-3586 CHOOSE SUCCESS! www.wrccvt.com Proof generated March 12, 2013 7:01 PM E: “Bipartisan support for a ‘pause?’” [Town & Village, March 6]: It is critical that Vermonters understand that these senators, joined by State Representatives Carolyn Partridge and Matt Trieber, support Senate bill S30 after careful review of all the issues, including: • the cost of actual energy produced, both in terms of money and the environment, • economic impact to homeowners, second homeowners, and tourism, which produces many more local jobs than the wind developers at less environmental impact, • harm to wildlife, such as the eagles nesting in Townshend, • watershed disruption, which will increase flooding, • health concerns of hundreds of families. Note these facts: • The project in Windham/ Grafton will produce more power than Lowell/Sheffield and Searsburg combined. • Towers might be ¼ mile from many residences, not ¾ of a mile, the distance between the Therriens, the family who spoke about ill effects of living near industrial turbines. • Compared to the top five states, Vermont has 1/2000th of the wind resource but already has developed 16 times its comparative proportion, according to the Department of Energy. Vermont cannot save the world and has done its share in wind development, but foreign developers can stop us from saving Vermont, and they have more than their share in millions of dollars of taxcredit money taken from your pockets. Contact your legislators — Senator Jeannette White in particular — and urge the passage of S30 to keep our mountains green. Maurice J. Morey Windham Not voting is sometimes the better choice I didn’t go to town meeting, but I went to vote today. I vote only on the issues that I feel strongly about, or that I know are the right thing to do (like funding local charities, libraries, etc.) and which are in danger of losing funding if I do not vote. On some issues, I just do not have an opinion, so I do not vote on those articles on the ballot. I really don’t think it matters who the town clerk (or several other town positions) is; either way he/she’s going to be filing papers in an office doing the job. If he/she doesn’t, he/she gets “fired” next election. Because Rockingham is a small rural community, everyone knows everyone and everyone’s business. Unfortunately, it becomes a popularity contest in a town this small. I don’t know what most of these positions entail as far as the job description goes; how in the hell am I qualified to hire them for the job? Here in Bellows Falls, it’s all about who knows whom and how respected they are in the community. It’s social class awards ceremony. Town Meeting here is just a huge drama-fest where a handful of strong-opinioned people (the far-right or far-left wingnuts, usually) who actually have no clue about the job duties or article being voted on harass other people in public by asking loaded questions or criticizing every proposal. So, if I say that I didn’t vote on most of the issues this year, don’t assume that I don’t care, but rather know, that actually, I have just given up on the town and its ability to sustain itself. The few people who share my views (which are based on what would be better for me, in my low social class) who get into these positions have very little power to change things because the powerful/popular people in the higher-ranking social class are elected alongside them, and they negate each other’s work, effort, and ideals. In effect, the whole town is stagnant because of the small and closed nature of the community, where the largely divided social class rules the town’s action (or rather, lack thereof), regardless of the actual detriment or benefit to the inhabitants. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should, nor does not voting imply that someone is anti-democracy. Voting is one of the more obvious acts of freedom and of choice that exist in the U.S.A. Choosing to vote or to not vote is also an obvious act of freedom and choice. When I am forced to vote, I don’t consider that very free. The fact that so many people do go into the election and just mark something because they feel they have to as their duty indicates a lack of freedom, not an expression of it. I believe that the outcome of a democratic election is more important than the act of democratic voting. I would prefer to abstain from causing harm with my ignorance than to subject everyone to a result based on my ignorance. Phae O’Guin Bellows Falls available to those whose life is ebbing away in such physical and mental suffering that death becomes more inviting than continuing life that lacks meaningful quality. I want such a choice to be available if I’m in this kind of terminal condition when my time comes. Bill Schmidt Dummerston Megawatts don’t add up R E: “Bipartisan support for a ‘pause?’” [Town & Village, March 6]: There are several important corrections that need to be made with respect to my comments. Most important: For New England to achieve 20 percent of our energy coming from wind power, we need to build 9,000 MW. Today, New England has around 700 MW installed. Onshore wind power is twice as, and in some cases three times more, expensive than conventional sources. Lisa Linowes Lyman, N.H. Blame Ratzinger, not me J oseph Ratzinger — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI — will go down in history as one of the most disgusting, hypocritical, unrepentant, criminal sinners in modern times. To anyone offended by my comments, blame Ratzinger and years of abuses by the Catholic Church, not me. They did the deeds. Daniel Kasnitz Brattleboro A matter of temperament B en ‘Spoon’ Agave: Providing expertise to ‘make a good town better’” [News, Feb. 27] was great and gave me a good glimpse into Mr. Agave, whom, after reading this article, I determined I could not support. I supported Kate O’Connor for the simple reason that she has a better temperament to be on the Selectboard than Mr. Agave. Plus, I really did not like than two hours as mentioned. how he said that he was “run• The tuition Guilford will ning against the O’Connors pay the first year is $230,000 and everything that name for all seventh and eight grade represents....” students, not $230,000 per No, Mr. Agave, you were student. not running against the • Mike Szostak’s name was O’Connors. You were running correctly spelled once but not against Kate O’Connor, who, twice. • Kudos for correctly spelling I believe, is a far better person Carol Jaenson’s name; it wasn’t for this role than you. Laura Straffe in an article I read elsewhere. Brattleboro Bevan Quinn Guilford Errors in Guilford story R E: “Guilford votes to send grades 7, 8 to BAMS” [News, March 6]: • Guilford Central School was a first-grade-througheighth-grade school from 1957 to 1969. A kindergarten class was added in 1969. • The school board member mentioned is Penny Lussier. • The vote was taken by paper ballot, requested from the floor in lieu of a voice vote, not via Australian ballot. • The entire discussion and vote on the article was one hour and 45 minutes, not more Editor’s note: We regret the errors. Forest Moon thanks supporters for fundraiser F orest Moon: Celebrating Cancer Survivorship thanks all those who made our recent fundraiser at the Stump Sprouts Lodge and Cross Country Ski Center in Hawley, Mass., a success. Forest Moon lights a path through cancer, but we can’t shine that light without lots of help from individual, corporate and foundation supporters. A fresh snowfall overnight and a crisp, bright January afternoon made for excellent trail conditions. And the hearty homemade dinner was a terrific way to relax and share the fun after an afternoon of skiing and snowshoeing. We especially acknowledge Lloyd and Suzanne Crawford, our hosts at Stump Sprouts, and volunteers Edite Cunha and Betty Wolfson for serving a delicious dinner, and Dave Maxcy, Marianna McKimm, Rol Hesselbart, and Ken Simons for helping with rentals and ski lessons. We also thank Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters for providing prizes for the raffle. All the funds raised will be devoted to Forest Moon’s free support programs for cancer survivors and their loved ones in northern Massachusetts and southern Vermont and New Hampshire. Upcoming programs include “Circus for Survivors” workshops at the New England Center for Circus Arts, 10week writing workshops in ■ Drones Such safeguards will not come soon enough for the 64 children killed during the first three years of Barack Obama’s administration. (Drone attacks began during the George W. Bush administration. One of them killed 69 children.) During those three years, a report by the Stanford and New York University law schools suggests, there were 259 drone strikes. They killed an estimated 569 civilians. Some say that is a conservative estimate. IT IS WORRYING, then, that President Obama’s choice to head the CIA is John O. Brennan, deputy national security advisor, a man who calls Greenfield and Brattleboro, and a couples retreat in Jacksonville, Vt. Later in August, we’ll offer a weekend retreat at Stump Sprouts. For more information, call 802-246-1368, or visit www. forestmoon.org. Richard Ewald Brattleboro The writer works as executive director of Forest Moon. FROM SECTION FRONT drone targets “cancerous tumors.” No wonder kids in places like Yemen are afraid to go to school and people think twice before attending weddings or funerals that might be mistaken for a gang of plotters. Writing in The Guardian in January, Simon Jenkins sounded this alarm: “The greatest threat to world peace […] is from drones and their certain proliferation. [...] Drones are now sweeping the global arms market [with] some 10,000 said to be in service.” Some reports, he said, say that “they have killed more non-combatant civilians than died in 9-11.” The threat of serious backlash looms. A Yemeni writer told The New York Times that al-Qaida recruiters “wave pictures of drone-butchered women and children.” National membership of al-Qaida in Yemen is now three times larger than it was in 2009. If that doesn’t worry you, consider this. Last February, President Obama signed a law compelling the FAA to allow drone use for commercial endeavors in this country. These uses range from selling real estate to dusting crops and monitoring wildlife. Hollywood may even use drones to film, and local police will be freer to deploy flying robots. While drone manufacturers drool, safety concerns increase. I understand that drones, used with an abundance of caution for selective anti-terrorism operations, backed by stringent legislation, might be a necessary part of our arsenal. But I can’t get the picture of those innocent children out of my mind. And no one should have to fear going to school, attending a wedding, or mourning at a funeral, especially when the one being buried is a child. Elayne Clift (www.elayneclift.com) writes about women, health, politics, and social issues. THE COMMONS C3 • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 MILESTONES Births, deaths, and news of people from Windham County Obituaries • Tad Clawson of West Townshend. Died March 2, after a brief illness. Husband of Heidi Andrus Clawson for 30 years. Son of the late Robert and Muriel Smythe Clawson. Brother of Jill Berghel and her husband, Bill, of Memphis, Tenn. He graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Business Administration and went on to an insurance career as partner in the agency, BonoClawson Associates. After retirement, he became an independent consultant for investments and small business management. He was very active in his church, volunteered in the overnight shelter in Brattleboro, and also served in the chaplaincy program at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield. A longtime member of the Brattleboro Country Club, one of his great passions was golf. He took up the sport early in life, and won the local club championship at age 16. He went on to win numerous other trophies over the years. For him, golf became a metaphor for life — a place to practice focusing one’s thoughts. He explained that when you hold a good and steady thought, the golf shot is straight and true. He was a straight shooter, both on the golf course and off. In addition to his deep integrity, his good nature, storytelling, and sense of humor could always be counted on. More recently, he delighted in learning to play the bass guitar, picking out the bass notes by listening to his favorite recordings, and even played in a gig or two. MEMORIAL INFORM ATION : In accordance with his wishes, there will be no memorial service. Donations to the West River Community Project, (a nonprofit organization at the renovated West Townshend Country Store), 6573 Route 30, West Townshend, VT 05359, or to the Brattleboro Country Club Junior Golf Program, P. O. Box 478, Brattleboro, VT 05302. • D a n i e l P. D e L u c a of Jupiter, Fla. Died March 4 at the Broadmoor Assisted Living Facility in Fort Pierce, Fla. Husband of Ginger DeLuca. Father of Daniel DeLuca of Bolton, Conn., and Kelly DeLuca of New Haven, Conn. Brother of Maria DeLuca of Brattleboro and the late Paul DeLuca. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Margaret and the late Michael DeLuca, he lived in Greenwich, Conn., before moving to Jupiter, Fla., in 1978. He attended Norwalk Tech, and received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for Pratt & Whitney in West Palm Beach, Fla., for 29 years and was an Associate Fellow with an expertise in fatigue fracture micromechanics and engine service investigations. He received nine patent awards while working at Pratt & Whitney and authored many technical papers. Some of his notable accomplishments include an entry in Who’s Who of Engineers and inventing many metals for the defense and aerospace industry. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A memorial service was held March 12 at Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home in Jupiter, Fla. Donations to Treasure Coast Hospice, 5000 Dunn Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34981. • John G. Fuchs, 67, of Bellows Falls. Died March 4 at Springfield Hospital after collapsing at the Rockingham Annual Town Meeting. Husband of Deirdre Nora O’Shea for 44 years. Father of John and Matthew Fuchs. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of John and Marie (Holzman) Fuchs, he was a 1967 graduate of Manhattan College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree, and a 1968 graduate of University of Massachusetts, where he earned a master’s degree. He was a lifelong educator and an avid gardener with a love of reading and collecting books. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A memorial service was held March 8 at Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. Memorial donations may be made to Parks Place, 44 School St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101, or to Our Place Drop In Center, 4 Island St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101. • John Francis Kennedy, 85, of Bellows Falls. Died Feb. 27 in Key West, Fla. Husband of Jean Ann Kenneally Kennedy for nearly 52 years. Father of Jeanne F. Kennedy and her husband, Rick Bascom, and the late Jack Kennedy. Born in Bellows Falls, son of the late Timothy and Hattie (Farr) Kennedy, he attended Bellows Falls High School where he became a Hall of Fame football player, and also excelled on the BF baseball diamond as a catcher. Upon graduation, he was awarded a football scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina, but chose instead to serve his country in the Pacific as a Marine. After World War II ended, he worked in construction before enrolling first at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and then transferring to the University of Vermont, where he earned an engineering degree in 1959. After obtaining his degree, he embarked upon a engineering career. With transit and machete in hand, he surveyed the backwoods of Northern New England, engineering interstates, access roads, and ski resorts, first for the state of Vermont and later for Perini Construction Co. In 1967, John founded Soils Engineering in Charlestown, N.H., which he ran for over 25 years. A devoted father, John passed on his value of education and his love of the outdoors to his children and, later, his grandchildren. Having the name of John F. Kennedy brought smiles and comments wherever he went, enhancing the glint in his eye that sparkled whenever he was about to begin a tale. Masterful in both the art of storytelling and fishing, he accrued a lifetime of anecdotes from time spent on both fresh and salt waters. For him, it was never about the size of the fish he caught, it was about the size of the adventure. He retired to Northern Maine at his summer camp trolling East Grand Lake until he knew its inlets by heart, declaring he never had a bad day on the water. Winters were spent in Little River, S.C., until John’s son-in-law convinced him that Key West winters were friendlier, and there were plenty of fish there just waiting to be caught. He embraced all of life’s experiences. From youthful dives from the top of the old Arch Bridge, falling to the Connecticut River 100 feet below, to, at age 84, venturing into the rainforests of Nicaragua to visit one of his granddaughters serving in the Peace Corps, no leap was too large. ME MOR I A L I N FOR M A TION : A memorial service will be held this summer in New Hampshire, at a date to be determined. Donations may be made to http://runforgrumps.com (runforgrumps.com), for a triathalon that benefits Leukemia research, or to the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. • David A. Ladd, 59, of Saxtons River. Died March 1 at his home. Husband of Chonqsuk Ladd. Father of Shannon and Shawn Ladd. Brother of Roger Ladd and Barbara Pellett. Born in Laconia, N.H., the son of Winnie (Lovely) and the late Maurice Ladd, he attended Kurn Hattin School in Westminster, VT, graduated from Hartford (Conn.) High School, and then joined the Air Force. He attended Officers Training School, rising to the rank of captain. He served as a NATO officer in Europe and as a base commander in Korea. He attended the University of New Hampshire and earned his B.A. from Troy State University in Alabama. At the time of his death he was Postmaster of the U.S. Post Office in Bellows Falls. He was a member of American Legion Post 37 in Bellows Falls, the Cribbage Club at the Loyal Order of the Moose in Bellows Falls, and the National Association of Postmasters. He was a beloved husband, father, and a friend to all. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A memorial service was held March 6 at the Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. • Duane Edward Miller, 58, of Westminster. Died March 4 in Williamsburg, Mass, the result of an accidental fall while on a job site. Husband of Lori J. Bell for more than 27 years. Father of Samuel Miller of Marlborough, N.H. and Matthew Miller of West Dummerston. Brother of Donald Miller of Sumter, S.C., Virginia Parry of Englewood, Fla., Lynn Hume of Lempster, N.H., and Kathleen Nightingale of Winchester, N.H. A resident of the area since the age of five, he was born in Bessemer Township, Mich., the son of Duane Edsel and Joann (Rose) Miller. He attended New England Kurn Hattin Homes and was a graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School, Class of 1974. He went on to attend Keene State College. For the past several years, he was a selfemployed commercial painter and owner of Team Paint based in Westminster. Previously, he had worked at Kurn Hattin Homes for 18 years as a house parent. He loved the outdoors and helping the area youth, serving as a mentor. A large percentage of his workforce included young single adults from the greater Bellows Falls and Brattleboro area. In conjunction with his painting business, he also was an arborist. MEMORIAL I N FOR M AT ION : A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m., at Grace Community Evangelical Free Church in Spofford, N.H. A reception will follow the services to be held in the church’s fellowship hall. Donations to New England Kurn Hattin Homes, P.O. Box 127, Westminster, VT 05158, attention: Connie Sanderson. • Joyce Turner Porett, 71, of Beach Park, Ill. Died Feb. 18 at Highland Park (Ill.) Hospital. Wife of Peter M. Porett for nearly 42 years. Mother of James J. Porett. Sister of the late Terry Turner. Born in Brattleboro, daughter of the late Luther Turner and Dorothy (Graves) Turner, she was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1960. She worked at Vermont National Bank for several years and met her future husband at the wedding of Charles and Elaine Ranney in 1970. She got married a year later and moved to her husband’s hometown of Lake Bluff, Ill. She loved growing up in the Brattleboro area, and her love of Vermont remained strong throughout her life. She and her family took annual summer trips back to her beloved Brattleboro. She was a loving wife and mother and coowned the former Lake Bluff Hardware with her husband. She was a member of the Calvary Way International Fellowship in Libertyville, Ill. MEMORIAL INFOR MATION : A memorial service was held March 1 at Village Church of Gurnee, Ill., with entombment at Warren Cemetery Mausoleum in Gurnee. A memorial gathering will be held this spring in the Brattleboro area for New England-area family and friends. Details to be announced. Donations to the Arthritis Foundation, Compassion International or http://www.CaringBridge.org (www.CaringBridge.org). • M a r y Ann “Andy” B e r t l e s Stewar t, 93, of Brattleboro. Died March 4. Wife of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart for 42 years. Mother of Harriet Stewart Virkstis and her husband, Richard, and Potter Stewart Jr. and his wife, Robin Stern, all of Brattleboro, and David B. Stewart and his wife, Peggy, of Chatham, Mass. Sister of Cornelia Pollard, and her husband, Robert, of Palm Beach, Fla., the late Katharine Ley, Katy Redwine, William Bertles, and John Bertles. Born in Grand Rapids, Mich., the daughter of the late William Matthew and Katharine Hummer Bertles, she grew up in Glen Cove, N.Y., and then Tucker’s Town, Bermuda. She attended The Green Vale School, The Fermotta School, The American School in Bermuda, and Bennington College. While living in Bermuda with her family at the beginning of World War ll, she had a job at Pan American World Airways. During this time, she met and became engaged to an Englishman, Christopher Scrutton, who was in the RAF. Soon after the engagement, he and his plane were lost during a mission over the Sea of Gibraltar. She later moved to New York City, and was working for Life when she met thenEnsign Potter Stewart when he was home on leave from naval duty in the Mediterranean. They married soon thereafter. She continued as a photojournalist for Time and Life in Washington, D.C., until the war ended and the Stewarts were reunited. They spent their early years in New York, where their daughter had been born, and soon moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where their two sons followed. In 1958, the family moved to Washington, D.C. when Mr. Stewart was appointed to the Supreme Court. As the wife of a Supreme Court Justice, she had occasion to know and befriend many interesting people. Much as she enjoyed and appreciated the exciting social aspect of her Washington life, her vast store of energy and knowledge was endlessly funneled into various humanitarian causes. She sat on many boards, too many to name, but was particularly interested in juvenile justice, the court system, family and child services, the Visiting Nurse Association, the prevention of crime and delinquency, women’s rights and issues of equality, prisoners’ rights and rehabilitation through the arts, and women and the arts. She was appointed an Ambassador to UNICEF during the George H.W. Bush Administration and also sat on the National Osteoporosis Foundation Board and the Board of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. After her husband’s death in 1985, she lived on for many years in Washington, until 2008, continuing to be active and involved with her contributions of time and energy into philanthropic endeavors. She spent the final four years of her life in Thompson House in Brattleboro, where she lived her final days with courage, grace and dignity; with patience, gratitude, and a loving heart. MEMOR I A L I N FOR M ATION : A celebration of her life will take place in Washington D.C. in the spring, and in Franconia, N.H. in the summer. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery. Donations to the Thompson House Activities Fund, Grace Cottage Hospital, or Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. • A n n e Vo r c e , 8 4 , o f Manlius, N.Y. Died Feb. 9. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., the daughter of Harold and Frances Brown Vorce. She retired as an art teacher for the Dryden School District. After retiring, she moved to Newfane, where she lived until her move to Manlius nine years ago. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Newfane. Surviving are her niece, Virginia True of Chittenango, N.Y., and her nephew, Richard Leland Judge of Deland, Fla. MEMORIAL INFOR MATION : A graveside services will be held in the spring in Valley Cemetery in Syracuse. Transitions • Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced Sean Amos, MD has joined its Department of Hospitalist Medicine. Amos is a 2003 graduate of Harvard Medical School and has worked as a hospitalist on a contract basis in several settings. Most recently, he worked for St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe, N.M. Amos was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 2006. The BMH Hospitalist staff is a team of physicians specializing in internal medicine who provide immediate care to patients experiencing acute medical conditions when they are admitted to the hospital. The other hospitalists are Amy Gadowski, MD, Christopher Meyer, MD and Aida Avdic , MD, who also serves as Hospitalist Director. • Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has hired B r i a n Richardson as EMS Liaison/ Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. His responsibilities will include maintaining and strengthening relationships with EMS first response services and EMS agencies that transport patients to BMH. He will also oversee all policies, procedures and programs related to emergency preparedness. He has been involved in EMS for nearly 25 years and has been a paramedic for the past 20 years. In 2008, he joined Brattleboro’s Rescue Inc. as the Assistant Chief of Operations and Agency Training Coordinator. • New England Youth Theatre announces that four new board members and one student representative are joining its board of directors. They are Rusty Blossom, who has taught high school English with a focus in Shakespeare for 38 years; MaryEllen Bixby, who has taught youth for 42 years and counting and also serves on the Vermont Humanities Council; Todd Mandell, a psychologist and theater aficionado; and Chip Greenberg, an architect with a major focus in design of arts and education buildings, including the 2007 New England Youth Theatre building. NEYT’s new student representative, elected by the NEYT mentors, is Kaelan Selbach, an active NEYT mentor who most recently played Romeo in Peter Gould’s Romeo & Juliet last October. Bo Foard will serve as NEYT’s new board president. And at the most recent meeting, the following officers were also elected: Chip Greenberg as Vice President, Kirsten Beske as Secretary, and Steve Fitch will remain Treasurer for another year. s, Our Familie rs... Serving you Since 1901 Beth Perkins Funeral Director Manager Honoring Lives and Celebrating Memories Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home 57 High St Brattleboro • 254-5655 • kerwesterlund.com One-Of-A-Kind Memorials | Green Funerals | Bereavement Travel | Veterans Benefits Available Pets for Adoption Windham County humane SoCiety Make a friend for life 916 West River Road, Brattleboro, VT 802-254-2232 View all at: wc h s4 pe t s.o rg Hi! I’m Edward, but you can call me Eddy. I’m a cuddly kinda dude when I feel like it. I would be a great mouser because I love to play play play..But I do not like other cats at all, I do love dogs though. Every dog I meet I want to be friends with so I would really love to go to a home with dogs. Older children would be ok too. So come on in and take me home today! Jesse James here! I came in to WCHS as an outlaw stray but I’m not as wild as my namesake. I enjoy snuggling and being a lap cat. I think a home with older children would be great and I might be able to get along with calm dogs and cats, it depends on how you introduce us. I’m a wonderful guy with a lot to offer the right family. So please come in and take me home today! Hi friends, Lucy goosey here! I’m a social Shepard looking for her forever family. My ideal home would be with someone who is as active and social as I am! I love meeting new people, cats, dogs, critters.... I’m great with all of them! I would be a fabulous family pooch, or could live with just a person or two; as long as I get my love and exercise, I’m happy! Come in and meet me!! My name is Zeke, and I’m on the lookout for an active family! I’m one big dude, and I would love nothing more than a person or family to take me in and show me around the woods. While cats are cool, they’re too much for me; I don’t think I should live with one! I’m all about people, and could live with people of all ages. Come on in, let’s hang out! This space is graciously sponsored by: 648 Putney Road Brattleboro, VT 802.257.3700 onest o p c o u n t ryp e t .c o m Proof generated March 12, 2013 7:01 PM 149 Emerald St Keene, NH 603.352.9200 C4 THE COMMONS • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 SPORTS Wednesday, March 13, 2013 page C4 Colonel boys fall short in quest for state hockey title T he only thing worse than losing a playoff game and falling one game short of playing for a state championship is being a senior and tasting that bitter defeat in the last game you’ll ever play for your school. For the eight seniors on the Brattleboro Colonels boys’ hockey team — Jimmy Podlaski, Romello Lindsey, Nik Rancourt, Ryan Cobb, Andy Harris, Philip Perkins, Adam Griffin, and Jason Molina — last Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Burr & Burton Bulldogs in the Division II semifinals at Withington Rink was crushing. For a long time after the final whistle, the Colonel seniors lingered on the ice or on the bench, the pain of this loss written all over their faces. And while the Colonels enjoyed one of their best seasons in years, finishing with a 17-3 regular season record and the second seed in the tournament, the disappointment of coming so close to a trip to the finals will take a long time to go away. It was a night filled with emotion and passion at Withington. The rink was packed and the fans of both teams were into the action from the opening faceoff. Unfortunately, it was the Colonels who were deflated before many fans had a chance to get inside the rink. With the game just 22 seconds old, Burr & Burton defenseman Nate Eisenman beat Colonels goalie Greg DiSilva with a slap Leland & Gray center Ashley Goddard (25) battles Richford’s Elle Purrier for a loose ball during the first half of a Division III playoff game in Townshend on March 6. RANDOLPH T. HOLHUT Sports Roundup shot to DiSilva’s glove side that he never saw because he was screened on the play. Forward Chris Kornaros got the assist. But Podlaski brought the Colonel fans to their feet when he streaked in from the right wing and wristed a shot to the top right corner past Bulldogs goalie Zack Stuart at 13:25 in the first period. That was the only puck Brattleboro could get past Stuart as the Colonels fired 26 shots, half that number coming in a frantic third period where the Colonels desperately tried to force overtime with a tying goal. DiSilva also faced 26 shots, but he never saw the two he couldn’t stop. As was the case with the first goal, Burr & Burton’s second goal came on another screen. This time, it was defenseman Elijah Brown who beat DiSilva on his glove side at 11:01 of the second period. Brock Pollard got the assist on what ended up being the winning goal. Brattleboro coach Eric Libardoni had nothing but praise for his seniors. “They’re the best,” he said. “They played hard for me for four years. They should be proud of everything they did. I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids to coach.” Burr & Burton, the third seed in the tournament, will face defending champion U-32 for the state title at UVM’s Gutterson Rink on March 13. RANDOLPH T. HOLHUT/THE COMMONS were the hallmark of this game. The Rebels, who have failed to make it past the first round since 2001, were trying to make history against the Rockets. After trailing 7-4 at the end of the first quarter, the Rebels rallied in the second to earn back the lead. The offense was led by senior captain Alex Morrow, who scored eight of the Rebels’ 10 points that quarter. By halftime, the Rebels led 14-13. In the third quarter, things started to fall apart noticeably for both teams. Although the Rockets could not produce the points they needed to run away with the game, their great defense prevented the Rebels from taking control. Senior captain Ashley Goddard was the only Rebel to put up any points that quarter, as the Rockets came back to tie it 19-19. The final quarter seemed to take the longest, as points continued to be scarce for both teams. Two quick baskets by A Family Business senior captain Chelby Nystrom and sophomore Haley Buffum Since 2001 gave the Rebels the early 23SERVING THE Girls’ basketball 19 lead, but the Rockets rallied BRATTLEBORO AREA • In a close but ragged right back. first round Division III playRichford junior guard 24 Hour Full off game, the eighth-seeded Johanna Sherrer hit a three, Service Business Leland & Gray Rebels lost to followed by a basket by sophoHeating Oil • Kerosene the No. 9 Richford Rockets, more forward Hannah Gleason 27-25 in Townshend on March and a foul shot by sophomore Non-road & On-road 6. center Gabby Coons to give the Diesel It was close throughout, as Rockets a 25-23 lead with less Toll Free neither team had more than a than two minutes remaining. four-point lead. Turnovers and After Buffum tied the game missed shots by both teams with a jumper, Coons sank what ultimately was the winning basket in the final minute. With just 15 seconds to go, the Rebels had one more op“The SMALL Credit Union portunity to tie the game. The ball was passed in and the with a BIG HEART” Rebels took their time setting up on offense. It was clear that www.members1cu.com this would be the final play of 10 Browne CT PO Box 8245 the game. The ball was successfully passed around to N. Brattleboro, VT 05304 Buffum, the heroine of the seNCUA Tel. (802) 257-5131 Insured to nior night win against Bellows 250,000 Fax (802) 257-5837 Falls. The 15-foot jumper bounced over the rim and into the hospitable arms of the Rockets, who held on dearly through the final buzzer to get the 27-25 win. Family Owned & Operated Since 1987 Coons led the Rockets with 11 points and had the final goSt. Patrick’S Day Banner Sale ahead shot for the Rockets. For March 15th-17 th10-50 % OFF the Rebels, the player of the game was Morrow who led the Items Over $10- StOrewIde! team in scoring with 10 points. 10,000sq ft Antiques, Collectibles, 888-722-3331 MEMBERS 1ST CREDIT UNION Twice Upon A Time Furniture, Jewelry, and Vintage Clothing 63 Main St, Brattleboro VT 05301 802-254-2261 • www.twicetime.com instant oil change, llc 668 Putney Road • Brattleboro, VT Full time Mechanic on Duty! See us for all your automotive needsShockS • STRuTS • BRakeS • exhauST www.stopngooil.com • It’s not too soon to think Buy Direct from the Farmer Mount Snow discounts extended • Mount Snow has extended its discount pricing to Brattleboro Area Middle Schoolers and their friends. During the rest of the season on Sundays, tickets are $33 per youth and $38 per adult for a full-day lift ticket. Tickets must be purchased as a group, and at least 10 people must go each week in order to receive the special price. To confirm your place, write [email protected] or call 802254-2879 to leave a message before 6 p.m. the Saturday night prior. Tickets are distributed at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday inside the rental area. Bowlers needed for Bowl for Kids’ Sake • Families, friends and teams from work are invited to celebrate the 32nd Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake to benefit Youth Services’ Big Brothers Big Sisters program on Saturday, April 6. The fundraising event is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with teams signing up for a one-hour time slot at Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road. Call Youth Services at 802257-0361 for pledge sheets and to reserve a lane or for more information about becoming involved. To learn more or to sponsor your favorite bowlers with an online donation, visit www.youthservicesinc.org/bowling. With additional reporting from Robert Litchfield in Townshend. RANDOLPH T. HOLHUT/THE COMMONS Brattleboro’s Jimmy Podlaski, left, celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period of their Division II semifinal game against Burr & Burton last Friday at Withington Rink. At right is Burr & Burton defenseman Elijah Brown, who later scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory. m a ke a e W By the Pound or by the Bushel Gilfeather Turnips Winter Squash Potatoes • Carrots Cabbage • Herbs Kale • Chard • Salad Greens Fresh-Cut From Our Greenhouse Cider Donuts, Breads, Cookies & PiesBaked From Scratch Using Our Own Berries & Apples! Seeds, Potting Soil, and Spring Planting Supplies Are Here! Since 1982 We Accept EBT Cards Route 30, Newfane 802-365-4168 uto loans eas ier! Fudge Homemade Jam Local Cheeses Honey Maple Syrup Gift Certificates Available www.duttonberryfarm.com facebook.com/duttonberryfarm 802.254.5050 • Fax: 802.251.7274 Proof generated March 12, 2013 7:01 PM Softball meetings planned about softball season. The first organizational meeting of the Brattleboro Area Softball Association is Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Center on Main Street. On the agenda: election of board members, an update on the summer season, and the status of the town’s new West River Park. A follow-up meeting Wednesday, March 27, at 7 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Center, will cover league rules and review of divisions. The final meeting is Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Center, which will be the deadline for the submission of rosters and liability forms and the collection of fees. Distribution of game balls will also take place. Weather-permitting, Monday, April 29, will be Opening Day with games at Living Memorial Park and West River Park. Apples - Sweet Cider [email protected] auto sales 802.257.3033 She and Goddard accounted for 76 percent of Leland & Gray’s total points. “It just wasn’t our night,” said Morrow after the game. “Our shooting was off, and I do give them credit for coming such a long way and how they handled the pressure at the end. They kept their composure when we didn’t, and I think that’s why they held on in the end.” • Tenth-seeded Brattleboro got an early exit from the Division I playoffs with a 31-20 road loss to No. 7 Rutland in a first-round game on March 5. The Colonels had plenty of good looks at the basket, but the shots would not go in, and that spoiled a great defensive effort by Taylor Bird, Kayla Savage, and Abbie Lesure. The Colonels finished with an 8-13 record. The good news is that Bird, Savage, and Lesure will be back next season, along with six other underclasswomen, including junior forward Ari Harrison, who for the second straight season was knocked out the lineup by injury. If Harrison stays healthy, and this year’s sophomores and juniors step up, next season will be brighter. • The second-seeded U-32 Raiders pummeled the 15thseeded Bellows Falls Terriers, 72-29, in a first-round Division II playoff game in East Montpelier on March 6. The Terriers fell behind early and never caught up. Madison Bennett led U-32 with 16 points, while Emily Dufault and Chelsea Wilder led Bellows Falls with 10 and seven points, respectively. • The fifth-seeded Winooski Spartans cruised past the 12thseeded Twin Valley Wildcats, 51-31, in a first-round Division III playoff game on March 6. Abbi Molner led the 7-14 Wildcats with nine points, all of them coming in the opening half. Colton Butler and Hannah Swanson each added six, while Christina Moore added five. Fallon Perrault had 15 points to lead the 15-6 Spartans, who built up a 2619 lead at the half, and pulled away after that. 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