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“For the Love of Art”: A Benefit Auction on June 14

by fomag | Arts

West Brattleboro, Vt. – On Sunday, June 14, from 4 to 6:30 pm, All Souls Church Unitarian Universalist invites area art lovers to “For the Love of Art,” a gala reception and fundraising auction for 53 works of art donated to the church by Beverly Alberts. This is an “everything must go to a new home” event, so minimum bids are set a very modest levels, most under a hundred dollars, many under fifty.

Nearly all of the collection is by artists from the local area, including Maisie Crowther, Carolyn DiNicola Fawley, Gennaro Prozzo, Petria Mitchell, Susan McDormand, Karen Becker, Simi Berman, Dorothy Kehaya, Bob George, Trudy Crites, Gib Taylor, Brian Cohen, and Linda Wright, among others. The exhibit includes photographs, prints, and paintings in a variety of mediums, and a few artful posters. Six larger pieces—by artists Jeanne Carbonetti, Arrin Fancher, Bill Hunt, Eric Slayton, and Sally Warren, as well as a 4-panel Chinese screen—will be sold by live auction at 6 pm as the Silent Auction comes to a close.

A Cappella à la Carte: A Meeting, Potluck & Concert

by fomag | Music

Guilford, Vt. – Friends of Music at Guilford’s traditional season finale on Saturday, June 13, is a three-part event dubbed “A Cappella à la Carte.” Set at Guilford Community Church, just off Rt. 5 near I-91, the evening includes a short meeting, a potluck dinner, and a 7:30 concert of vocal music. Each optional segment is open to the general public; admission to the concert is by donation.

    The FOMAG Annual Membership Meeting at 6 p.m. is typically short and entertaining, about 30 minutes, and offers a summary of the year, a look ahead to next season—in this case, it will be the organization’s 50th Anniversary Season featuring some special elements—and election of the board of trustees.

The Very Long Sentence

by cgrotke | Creative

Today, while reading an 1855 account of the local fireman’s festival, I came across the following whopper of a sentence. It kicked off the story, and I thought writers and fans of writing would enjoy it.

The Fireman’s Festival. — Sacred to the memory of departed militia heroes; of officers in short-waisted, shallow-tail coats, who, at the head of their several commands of citizen soldiery, exhibited more of the “pride of circumstance and the pomp of war,” than any Crimean commander has reason to feel; and that of the rank and file themselves, who, in uniforms and without uniforms, of all sizes and nearly all ages, went through their several duties of marching and counter marching with more zeal than discipline, fired blank cartridges at an imaginary enemy without flinching, and only surrendered as the shades of evening came on, after a prolonged and most unequal contest with “Old jamaica or pure New England”; sacred the the memories of this and of those in the hearts of all Vermonters, is the first Tuesday in June.

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 6/8/15

by cgrotke | Media

BCTV Ch.8 schedule for the week of 6/8/15

Monday, June 8, 2015

12:00 am The American Legion Auxiliary Presents: The USO Show 5/24/15

1:40 am Green Mtn Club – 2015 Long Trail End – to – Enders

3:40 am Discussing Issues of VT Law Enforcement

4:56 am That Was The Week That Was – Solarize

Calling All Windham College Alumni

by dtoomey | Education

Plans are in the works for a late September (25-27) reunion when Landmark College celebrates its 30th year. This is the institution that since 1985 has occupied the former Windham campus. The dates are during foliage season, so make hotel/motel reservations soon.

Windham alums (which includes those who attended the College but did not graduate) will meet at the Marina restaurant on Friday evening, 25 September from 6:00-9:00 p.m. The Marina is located at 28 Spring Tree Road (off Route 5 on the West River [exit 3, I-91]; telephone: 802-257-7563.

Mini Antiques Roadshow Live in West Brattleboro

by BAJC Shir HeHarim | Entertainment

Brattleboro Area Jewish Community’s own
mini-version of “The Antiques Roadshow” will appear live on Sunday
afternoon, June 28th from 1:00 to 4:00 at their synagogue located at 151
Greenleaf Street in West Brattleboro. 

BAJC is hosting an appraisal day with
four experienced appraisers present to evaluate and assess antiques,
collectibles and memorabilia, including books, documents, sterling silver,
glass and art glass, china and pottery, fine art and signed prints, musical
instruments, records and entertainment memorabilia, jewelry, paper documents
and ephemera, small furniture, tchotchkes, and much more – but please,  no firearms, knives, ammunition, or other
weaponry are allowed, and no large and bulky furniture. 

Weekend Comedy Series: Richard Pryor

by cgrotke | Entertainment

Richard Pryor, live in concert from 1979 at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California.

Remember Richard Pryor? He grew up in a brothel, was expelled from school, worked the comedy clubs, and ended up one of the most successful comedy writers and stars of the 70’s and 80’s. Go figure.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Eugene Uman’s Convergence Project

by Not Signed In | Music

Composer and pianist Eugene Uman and his Convergence Project returns for his seventh annual Vermont Jazz Center concert with a special night of high-energy original jazz compositions based on traditional Colombian music on Saturday, June 6th at 8 PM. Other members of the Convergence Project Joining Uman will be Michael Zsoldos, on saxophone, Jeff Galindo on trombone, Stomu Takeishi on electric bass, Satoshi Takeishi on drums and Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, who was the third place winner in this year’s Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

Galactic Orgy – The Soup of Life

by Vidda | Sci-Tech

Unbeknownst to science until relatively recently, the ingredients for making the soup of life were brewed elsewhere, not here on Earth. In the beginning of our solar system this “third rock from the sun” was not yet claimed by all living things.It was barren and in upheaval, withstanding violent geologic forces that evolved from a gaseous formation which struggled to solidify itself. Of all the planetary ‘bodies’ in due course that locked into orbital patterns around the immense gravity of the sun, this crusty, molten body assumed a special place in its elliptical orbital radius around this new sun and its recent origin of a complement of planetary complexes.

Strolling of the Heifers BIG Booksale at Brooks Library

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Come watch the parade and shop for some great books! 

The Friends of the Library’s June Book Sale will be held on Thursday, June 4 from 1PM to 6PM, Friday, June 5 from 10AM to 6PM and Saturday, June 6 from 10AM to 2PM. A great collection of hardback, paperback and coffee table books plus audio books, music CDs and DVD movies. Lots of fiction on sale and non-fiction titles include gardening, travel, sports, science, music and art, biography, history, how-to, cooking and much more! 

Readings at Brooks Library with Peter Gould and Margot Wizansky

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Please join writers  for an evening of readings, Wednesday, June 3, at 7 PM, in the Library’s Meeting Room.

Peter Gould is a writer, director, teacher, adjunct professor at Brandeis University and World Learning, and founder of “Get Thee to the Funnery” summer Shakespeare programs for teens.

His most recent book is Write Naked. Published by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, it is a story of two Vermont teenagers who fall in love as they encourage each other to be honest, artistically expressive, and dedicated to fighting global climate change.

Fire!

by SK-B | Creative

From the fire, I learned what cops are made of. I learned what panic can do. And I learned that cats really do have nine lives. 

The building was renovated: a 6 floor walk-up, a bit too fancy to be called a NYC tenement. Our apartment was on the fifth. On each floor, were two railroad flats running from front to back on either side of the staircase. When I smelled the smoke, I went out into the hall to investigate. 

Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse in Our Community

by Cassandra Holloway - BAPC | Education

1 in 20 Windham County High School Students misused a prescription drug in the past 30 days (2013 VT Youth Risk Behavior Survey)

SEEKING HOST SITES FOR FREE 1 HOUR WORKSHOPS to HELP PREVENT TEEN PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE in OUR COMMUNITY…

Workshop includes:

LEARNING about teen prescription drug abuse and the real dangers to teens.

From The History Sidebar, WOW

by Andie | History

“1876:

Carl Ridle, a boy 14 years old, stole a tub of butter from J.W. Frost & Co’s store, and the next day carried it to Mr. Haynes produce store and offered it for sale. He was sentenced to the reform school for the
remainder of his minority.”

Times have changed, fortunately.  Still so much more to accomplish, though, in addressing crime and punishment.

Summer Classes Offered at Vermont Weaving School

by dena | Arts

Vermont Weaving School is please to announce it’s summer retreat schedule.  All classes are held in Putney, VT and are open to both new and experienced weavers.  Classes are small and tailored to your own skills, experience and learning style.  All equipment is provided. 

A three day Beginning Weaving Retreat will be held from July 27-29.  Participants will learn the basics of floor loom weaving, complete a sampler and a scarf, learn how to plan out their own projects and explore color and pattern in weaving.  Cost is $285 plus materials ($235 if registered before June 15).

Questioning The Arts – Do We Need Them? Can We Help Them? Can They Help Us? And More

by Lise | Arts

After reading over the comments to the story on the Our Town arts grant, I found a lot of questions percolating that don’t yield quick or easy answers.  Although it’s our tendency as a culture to treat arts as a frill, they’re clearly important to people, as evidenced by the amount of interest in this topic.  Art matters, as they say.  So let’s think about art.  On to the questions, in no particular order:

1) What is “the arts sector”?  Professional artists?  Businesses and organizations?  What about the many arty people who do art for its own sake and provide an audience for all the other artists?  Where is the arts sector?  Should the arts sector work together?

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 6/1/15

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 Schedule for the week of 6/1/15

Monday, June 1, 2015

12:00 am Abydos Egypt – Uncovering Egypt’s Ancient Past Pt 3

1:04 am SAFSTOR: 5/20/15 – Robert Strahan, Mike McKenney

1:32 am Theatre Adventure: Courageous 4/16/15

3:00 am The American Legion Auxiliary Presents: The USO Show 5/24/15

4:40 am Discussing Issues of VT Law Enforcement

Ronald Did Not Get Fired

by SK-B | Creative

In about one minute on a Friday, Armand destroyed a fragile family which was trying to make a go of it. 

Most of the crews Armand sent out could fix a few common problems. As advanced training, Armand had told them: “If you don’t know what to do, tell them that it is too serious to fix on site, and bring the unit back to the shop”.   

Ronald worked in the back, fixing air conditioners. I was Armand’s office manager, meaning that I got paid a dollar above minimum wage, and kept track of invoices. Armand loved oppressively hot, stifling July days when New York became unbearable. It brought in business.

Weekend Comedy Series: Monty Python

by cgrotke | Entertainment

There are so many good Monty Python clips, bits, movies and discussions that it was hard to decide what to feature here this week. Given the confusion, I decided to take us back to the beginning, the very first episode of their TV show for the BBC.

So, imagine it is October of 1969, and you’ve tuned into the BBC for a bit of news, or perhaps a look at gardening in Wales. All is peaceful and orderly, until this program begins.

The Chris Kleeman Band Kicks Off The 13th Annual Twilight on the Tavern Lawn Concert Series Sunday, May 31

by Not Signed In | Music

Twilight Music begins its 13th annual Twilight On The Tavern Lawn series of folk, world beat, rock, jazz, zydeco, Celtic, swing, blues and bluegrass summer concerts on Sunday, May 31 with with an evening of hard driving, house rocking, in your face blues by The Chris Kleeman Band. The seven concert series continues every other Sunday through August 23. All concerts begin at 6:00 pm in downtown Putney on the Putney Tavern lawn (bring a lawn chair or blanket) or at The Putney Community Center at 10 Christian Square in case of rain. The series is sponsored by the Town of Putney, Soundview Paper Company, The Putney Food Co-op, The Stockwell Brothers and many other Putney businesses and organizations. The concerts are free to the public (donations are accepted) and food will be available.