Hello

Stories

Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto: Kora & Accordion in a Luminous, Cross-Cultural Dialogue

by hahrenholz | Music

Friday, April 24 | 7:30 PM | Next Stage Arts, Putney, VT

Experience the transcendent music of Ablaye Cissoko and Cyrille Brotto, two masterful musicians bringing their acclaimed project Djiyo—meaning “water”—to Next Stage Arts. With the kora and diatonic accordion at the center, the duo creates a luminous dialogue that flows like a river across cultures, blending Manding and Occitan traditions into a sound both meditative and deeply human.

After nearly three years of touring and over 100 concerts worldwide, Cissoko and Brotto reunite for an intimate performance full of grace, warmth, and emotional depth. Their music is at once contemplative and quietly ecstatic, inviting listeners on a spiritual journey that clears the mind and awakens the senses. Hailed as “a gem from start to finish” by Songlines UK, Djiyo exemplifies the beauty of musical conversation and cross-cultural collaboration.

Brattleboro Water Main Break on Main Street

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is currently responding to a water main break on Main Street between High Street and Grove Street.

Crews are on-site assessing the situation and beginning necessary repairs. As a result of this break, residents and businesses in the immediate area may experience:
• Temporary loss of water service
• Reduced water pressure
• Discolored water

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – March 24, 2026

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom.  Prior to the regular meeting at 5:15pm, the Board will convene and is expected to move directly into executive session to discuss contracts and labor relations agreements with employees. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Closed captioning will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town website by the end of the day.

How Can Landlords Who Pay For Heat Afford To Continue To Rent?

by Cris Ericson | Business

If a landlord has a legally binding Tennant agreement where the landlord pays for a reasonable amount of heat in an apartment or rented house or duplex, and if the landlord can not afford to pay for home heating fuel anymore because of the high prices, then what?

I was researching the lowest priced multi-family homes in Vermont, there’s one for $99K in Brattleboro and other low priced homes in Springfield and Rutland.   I was trying to convince my 41 year old niece in California, with her seven year old daughter, who recently got divorced, to move to Vermont.  I showed her ads for Teachers wanted, she has her Masters degree in special education from a University in Massachusetts.  She has no blood relatives in California, other than her own daughter.  She has relatives in Vermont, including her cousins, and Aunt in Rutland who was a Teacher for many years.    I showed her online information about how Teachers in Vermont can apply for a Grant for a downpayment for a house.  I told her about the housing shortage, and how she could buy a multi-family house and  rent rooms to teaching assistants or other lower income hard working Vermonters, in order to meet all the costs of owning a home.

Never Forget

by RDavis | Activism

I can hear the cries of six million souls pleading to the living to make sure what happened to them never happens again. Yet, our world today is facing a threat too similar to the one that was faced when Hitler and his team of murderers tried to wipe out an entire race of people and dominate the world.

Maybe people who think they understand history do not know what it meant when the Jews who survived the Holocaust told the world that they must be vigilant and never let a tyrant wantonly kill people while removing any possibility of peace.

Trump is a modern day version of Hitler, Mussolini and all of the mentally deranged generals in history who have preceded them.

Celebrate Latin American Culture with Veronica Robles Quartet at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Step into a vibrant world of music, dance, and tradition as the Veronica Robles Quartet brings its electrifying performance to Next Stage Arts in Putney on Sunday, April 19. Doors open at 1:15 PM with the show beginning at 2:00 PM.

Veronica Robles, a celebrated female mariachi singer, musician, and Latin American folkloric dancer and choreographer, has become a cultural icon in Boston’s Latino community. Known for her powerful voice and dynamic performances, she weaves together music, dance, and storytelling to celebrate Latin American heritage and the beauty of cultural diversity.

Helen O’Donnell on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Creative

As one of our premiere local gardeners, HELEN O’DONNELL talks about the heart and soul of growing plants and making gardens, and the influence of working at Hidcote Manor and Great Dixter Garden in England, and Hayward Gardens here in Westminster West. With her husband, sister and their families they own and operate The Bunker Farm in E. Dummerston. Helen is also a painter and printmaker.
Enjoy Helen’s wonderful stories of connecting to the land.

Important Dates and Details for Brattleboro’s Open Town Meeting

by Not Signed In | Politics

During Town Meeting Day, held on March 3, 2026, Brattleboro voters discontinued Representative Town Meeting. Representative Town Meeting, which had been originally scheduled for March 21, has been canceled, and Open Town Meeting will replace it on April 11.

At Open Town Meeting, all registered voters who are present can discuss, debate, amend, and vote on the town budget and on other binding and non-binding items. Below are some helpful dates and documents to review prior to the meeting.

An All-Star Klezmer Evening at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Two of the most exciting ensembles in contemporary klezmer and Yiddish music come together for a rare double bill at Next Stage Arts on Friday, April 17. Doors open at 6:45 PM; the show begins at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $10 for livestream access via nextstagearts.org.

Jake Shulman-Ment & Abigale Reisman: Two Strings

Violinists Jake Shulman-Ment and Abigale Reisman are redefining the klezmer string band tradition. Their collaboration, Two Strings, combines breathtaking virtuosity, a deep connection to Yiddish and Eastern European musical traditions, and fearless improvisation. Joined by longtime collaborators Pete Rushefsky on tsimbl and Raffi Boden on cello, Jake and Abigale present a mix of original compositions, newly set early 20th-century radical Yiddish poetry, and rediscovered works from forgotten manuscripts. Their music—haunting, ecstatic, and deeply alive—blurs the line between past and present, sounding at home in a concert hall, a wedding canopy, or a lively tavern.

Windham County Heat Fund Benefit Concert March 21

by RDavis | Music

It may look like the heating season is almost over, but for the most vulnerable among us this is the hardest time to keep warm. Fuel assistance funds have been used up and they rely on the Windham County Heat Fund to fill the gap. Many allotments have already been cut back and now fuel prices are going crazy. Home heating fuel has gone up one dollar a gallon this past week and it is rising.

Help your neighbors and hear some great jazz on Saturday March 21, 7:30 p.m. at the Vermont Jazz Center.

Leda’s Kitchen Menu for 3/19, Featuring Saag Paneer

by LedaS | Food

Hello food lovers,

On the menu at Leda’s Kitchen this week:

SAAG PANEER (GF/Vegetarian) $28 for 24oz (2-3 servings)
“Off the charts scrumptious!” —Nettie L. A saag that goes above and beyond: small-batch house-made paneer combined with organic spinach, lots of onions, ginger, and garlic, and  finished with a hint of cream to elevate the soft, earthy flavors of the dish.​ Mild.

KALA MASALA CHICKEN CURRY (GF/DF) $28 for 24oz (2-3 servings)
The chicken curry that fed countless Dosa Kitchen customers for a decade. Free-range chicken in a base of tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and a spice mix (kala masala) created for us in India. Medium-hot spice.

Change to Brattleboro’s Open Town Meeting Warning

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Town has identified a technical error in the April 11, 2026, Open Town Meeting Warning. The Warning contains two articles labeled Article 11 and two articles labeled Article 12, which affected the numbering of the remaining articles.

The Town has issued a revised Warning with the article numbers corrected. The only change made was to the numbering of the articles; no substantive changes were made to the content of the Warning.

Are We Safe?

by RDavis | Activism

Most countries in the world that attack other countries expect some degree of retaliation on their own soil. But the United States has engaged on multiple fronts and has seemed to be safe from any major retaliatory attack. There was 9/11, but that was not in response to us starting a war.

Trump has been attacking countries all over the world and, when he does so, he puts U.S. military bases and their personnel into the line of fire, but our country has not been attacked. The question in my mind lately is whether or not Iran is going to be satisfied with killing a few American soldiers in response to the no-reason attack on their country.

Diana Whitney Celebrates New Poetry Collection Girl Trouble at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Books

PUTNEY — In honor of National Poetry Month, Next Stage Arts presents an evening of poetry, conversation, and dancing with poet Diana Whitney on Friday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. The event celebrates the release of Whitney’s new poetry collection, Girl Trouble, which early readers are calling “unstoppable” and “deeply subversive.”

Whitney will read from the new book and be joined in conversation by poet Eve Alexandra, whose prize-winning collection None of Us in White was released in 2025. The evening will conclude with a dance party, celebrating the spirit of connection and community that poetry can inspire.

NXT Rockumentary Series Shines Spotlight on an Outsider Musician

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts continues its acclaimed NXT Rockumentary Film Series on Wednesday, April 8, with a powerful documentary exploring the life of an outsider musician. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the screening starting at 7:00 p.m. A suggested donation of $8 is requested.

The film offers a thoughtful and compassionate look at the struggles and triumphs of a musician working outside the mainstream. Audiences will be drawn into the beauty and vulnerability of his art while witnessing the challenges he faces in everyday life. The documentary delves into the intersection of creativity, mental health, and the relationships that sustain him, creating a moving portrait that lingers long after the music ends.