Culture story sections
BILL HOLIDAY’s teaching style was outside the box and outside the classroom – taking students on Field Studies to the places where history happened. He is the author of two books. Bill also gives tribute to his late nephew Reggie Martell through stories of their travels together.
I have a new album of funky instrumental tunes to share with you. It was my winter/spring creative project to distract myself when I had bits of free time, which allowed me some fun playing with keyboards, drum machines, bass, guitar, and other toys to pay homage to some of my musical influences.
When you have a bit of time, give it a listen, and share with anyone you think might like it.
Putney, VT – The enchanting sounds of Gypsy Jazz will fill the air in downtown Putney as Silverback Swing takes the stage for the next installment of the Twilight On The Tavern Lawn summer concert series, presented by Next Stage Arts. The performance takes place Sunday, July 27 at 6:00 PM on the Putney Tavern Lawn, located at 133 Main Street. The concert is free and open to the public, with donations gladly accepted.
Silverback Swing transports listeners to the ambiance of vintage French cafés with music inspired by the legendary Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France. Known for their authentic take on Gypsy Jazz—also called Jazz Manouche or Hot Club music—the group performs classic instrumentals and jazz standards from a golden era of swing.
Brattleboro, VT — On Saturday, July 26 at 6:00 PM, the Bandwagon Summer Series, presented by Next Stage Arts, continues its vibrant season with a special performance by The Blue Dahlia at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), 10 Town Crier Drive in Brattleboro.
Led by Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter and ukulele player Dahlia Dumont, The Blue Dahlia weaves a colorful tapestry of world music that bridges continents, languages, and cultures. Singing in both French and English, Dumont’s sound fuses the romance of French chanson with Latin rhythms, klezmer violin, ska, reggae, and jazz — all steeped in her unique life journey through New York, France, and Senegal.
PUTNEY — The Vermont Suitcase Company returns to the stage this summer with an all-new, puppet-filled mystery, The Duke Is Dead: A Vermont Suitcase Mystery, coming to Next Stage Arts in Putney on Friday, July 25 at 7:00 PM.
Equal parts comedy, mystery, and theatrical whimsy, this one-hour, family-friendly show invites audiences to join a cast of colorful characters—and plenty of puppets—as they attempt to solve the curious case of Duke Didi’s untimely demise. When the Duke is found unresponsive the day before his prized art collection is set to be unveiled at the national gallery, everyone becomes a suspect. Is it his sly niece and only heir? The all-knowing butler? The clueless constable? Or could the national curator herself have something to hide?
Putney, VT – The groove is coming to Putney this July as Next Stage Arts presents Armo and JMMR as part of the 2024 Bandwagon Summer Series, on Saturday, July 19 at 6:00 pm at the scenic Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Road.
An evening of high-energy Afrobeat and futuristic jazz awaits under the open sky, with tickets just $22 in advance, $25 at the door, and kids under 12 always free. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or fold-up chair, enjoy local food from Smokin’ Bowls, and soak in a night of world-class music and community vibes.
In 1922, a big flying event was held on the Retreat Meadows, back when it was still a meadow. The World war had ended and Brattleboro was interested in the potential of aviation for civilians. Pilots flew in for a weekend of events, competitions, and demonstrations at a special aviation event that Governor Hartness, a big fan of flying, helped bring to town. Everything was going fine until late on a Friday afternoon, when disaster struck.
This is the story as it appeared in The Phoenix August 25, 1922. It isn’t hard to imagine how a tragedy such as this would perhaps sour the local citizenry on any plans of aviation or airports for quite a long time.
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AIRPLANE MEET HAS TRAGIC END
Three Passengers Lose Lives When Curtiss Oriole Burns
Were Miss Evelyn Harris and Joseph Trahan and Son – Crowd of About 3,000 Sees Disaster – Inquiry Held.
II. Consider
– Proposed Asthma Policy
Rebecca Olmstead and Susan Grabowski
– Wellness Policy
E11 Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness Policy
Rebecca Olmstead and Susan Grabowski
Program Update: In light of the reduced funding allocation for the Brattleboro Town Arts Fund, we have decided to postpone the launch of the 2025 application cycle until January 2026, effectively combining this year’s and next year’s application process and funding resources.
While the Brattleboro Selectboard voted in April to restore $15,000 for the Town Arts Fund in the revised FY26 Town budget, the finalized budget that was sent to and approved at Representative Town Meeting in May included an additional reduction of $5,000 from the TAF program, for a final award of $10,000 for FY26.
The recent leak of over 16 000 000 000 passwords is quite serious and was reported when the world was hardly looking. At the time of this writing it was scrubbed from the major US news outlets.
The Advisory Board aims to strengthen CTE programs by providing input for curriculum and related district program activities. The Advisory Board also helps increase community awareness and participation in CTE programs. The Advisory Board makes recommendations but is not responsible for funding or program implementation or supervision.
a. Connection with Young Eagles program in Rutland. The group discussed a number of flight opportunities connected with the Young Eagles program within a reasonable drive from Brattleboro. One of the biggest obstacles is the fact that free Young Eagles intro flights are age limited to 17 years old. Six of the nine students in the program are older than 17. Additionally, we discussed the possibility of scheduling introductory flight, at a cost, with a local flight school as a means to get students in the air in a light GA aircraft.
Updates
DS noted that Tim Maciel sent an email regarding HHB and C7 and C8. That email and her reply are below:
On Jun 11, 2025, Tim Maciel wrote:
I’m sorry not to be able to call in or attend the Policy meeting in person as a non- member, but I’m asking you to consider two requests:
When I read obituaries of people of my own age they no longer use the phrase “he died so young”, but they may say “he lived a full life”. Of course I am reminded of my imminent demise, but it also is a way to learn to cherish the time left on this planet. All kinds of thoughts cross your mind when you reach this point in life.
I always had a fascination with the obituary page, but I now find myself reading almost every word of every obituary. I’m not sure what this means, but I suspect I am comparing my life to that of others my age who have passed on and trying to figure out what I would like to have said about me when I pass.
These are not morbid thoughts. If we accept the fact that we all die then we can embrace the last chapters of our lives and exploit the perspective that a lot of decades on the planet have given us. Some people prepare their own obituaries so they can know exactly what will be said about them. It seems like a reasonable thing to do and I tell myself I should do it but I keep putting it off. Does this mean I am afraid of death?
BEATRICE BIRCH has created a place where folks recovering from addictions and trauma can find health, solace, direction and community. Listen to her story and how INNER FIRE Healing Community helps to connect each person to their own inner fire.
PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present indie-folk duo Sway Wild and singer/songwriter Jake Klar at Next Stage on Friday, July 18 at 7:30 pm.
Sway Wild’s infectious sound explores the corners of rock, pop, funk, and folk, but at its nucleus it is undeniably a music full of joy. Mandy and Dave’s gorgeous harmonies paired with moving lyrics serve to both process and share their jubilation, grief, and frustration with a complex and deeply imperfect society. And Mandy’s electric guitar pyrotechnics and chordal rhythms challenge the listener to comprehend how she manages to extract so much feeling from six strings and an amplifier.
The name Sway Wild evokes a specific feeling. From the beginning, Mandy and Dave intended this band to reflect what the endeavor felt like to them – a pathway to the uninhibited unfiltered core that we all possess. The words themselves are an invitation, if not a command, to seek out this untainted part of ourselves. In many ways, Sway Wild’s music is the product of truly wild places, and, like ribbons of light piercing a dark green canopy overhead, it can help us find the wildness that is unquestionably still within us.
V. Summit Presentation:
– Continuous Improvement Plan in Review – CIP In Review
This presentation can be viewed from the recording of this evening’s meeting, found here.
Local singer/songwriter Jenny Reichman will present a concert of original and cover songs on Friday June 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the backyard patio of 63 Cedar St. in Brattleboro. Reichman has a soft lilting voice reminiscent of the younger version of folk icons such as Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins.
The concert is free but donations will be accepted for the musician. The venue is handicap accessible. Refreshments will be available.
Mark Speno discussed this afternoon’s end of year family picnic at Brattleboro Early Education Center, the new Canal Street School Pre-K facility. It was a great family event celebrating the work of the new Pre-K program. Parental feedback was great and they look forward to expanding next year. Mark thanked the board for their support of this endeavor.
PUTNEY – Twilight Music and Next Stage Arts continue the 22nd Twilight On The Tavern Lawn series of bluegrass, Americana, world, swing, and pop music summer concerts on Sunday, July 13 with Celtic roots music trio Kalos. The seven concert series continues every other Sunday through August 24. All concerts begin at 6:00 pm in downtown Putney on the Putney Tavern lawn (bring a lawn chair or blanket) or at Next Stage at 15 Kimball Hill in case of rain. The series is sponsored by Next Stage, the Town of Putney, Rod’s, and many Putney area businesses and organizations. The concerts are free to the public (donations are accepted) and food will be available. For more information, call 802-387-5772 or visit nextstagearts.org.
