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Free Trees for Brattleboro Residents

Free trees for Brattleboro residents, through Community Canopy, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation. Four species are available: flowering dogwood, red maple, red oak and river birch.

Residents can reserve up to two free trees at vtcommunityforestry.org/trees.

The online sign-up process guides participants to the best locations to plant trees. Residents can also sign-up by phone by calling the Arbor Day Foundation at 855-234-3801.


BLACKOUT: How I Became White in America 

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church will present the one-woman show BLACKOUT: How I Became White in America on Saturday, April 25 at 2 pm.  This original show is written and performed by Ethelyn Friend, actor, teacher and writer. Her performance reflects one white woman’s process of facing her direct links to slavery, a somatic, musical, and theatrical exploration of denial, guilt and response.  Friend notes this performance directly addresses “white America.”  The 90- minute show is followed by an optional community conversation.


Can VT Match Up People Needing More Home Heating Fuel 2026-2027 With Foster Kids in Need of Homes?

https://dcf.vermont.gov/foster-care-inquiry – check: I would like to get an information packet -fill out: Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

Well, I guess I flunked this online test of the Vermont Dept. of Children and Families because they never sent me the “information packet”.   Being honest doesn’t help.  I probably started out with something like: “do they come with home heating fuel?”  I went on to explain that I have two empty bedrooms upstairs but I am arthritic and if a child falls down, I can’t pick them up.  If a child runs into the street, I can’t chase after them. 


Twilight Music Presents John Gorka at Next Stage Arts

PUTNEY, VT — Twilight Music and Next Stage Arts present an evening with acclaimed folk singer-songwriter John Gorka on Sunday, May 17 at 7:00 pm (doors at 6:15 pm) at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney.

Described by Rolling Stone as “the leading singer/songwriter of the New Folk movement,” Gorka has spent decades crafting songs marked by emotional depth, wry humor, and a resonant baritone voice. From his formative years at the legendary Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Pennsylvania to stages across the U.S. and Europe, Gorka has built a reputation as one of contemporary folk’s most compelling storytellers.


My Visit With Allen Ginsberg

Reflecting on events in our lives that have helped to create the person we are can help us better understand the person we have become. There are certain times in our lives that pop into our consciousness from time to time, perhaps signaling to us to think about what they mean in our personal evolution.

The year was 1971 or 1972 and a friend and I spent a weekend at Allen Ginsberg’s farm in upstate New York. It was a weekend filled with insight and meaning for me. The world was in flux and the transformations of the 1960’s were lingering in the air.


What’s Cooking at Leda’s Kitchen

Hello Food Lovers,

It is a dream come true to cook the food I love and to share it with you. Thank you, fellow flavor seekers.

This week’s menu includes Ghee Masala Chicken (Dede C. called it “the best thing I’ve ever eaten”), Palak Rajma (Kidney Bean & Greens Curry), and Austrian-Style Pork Stew. Click the link below to see the full menu, place an order, and/or subscribe to my newsletter if you wish. I don’t post every week’s menu here, so the mailing list is the best place to stay connected.


Queralt Giralt Soler Trio Brings Lyrical, Cross-Cultural Soundscape to Putney’s Next Stage Arts

The Queralt Giralt Soler Trio will bring a distinctive blend of global influences and intimate musical storytelling to Next Stage Arts on Friday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45 p.m.

Led by cellist, vocalist, and composer Queralt Giralt Soler, the trio offers an evening of original music and inventive reinterpretations that move fluidly between classical, jazz, and Catalan folk traditions. Giralt Soler’s work is rooted in a deeply personal musical language, where cello and voice intertwine to create textures that are both lyrical and exploratory.


Brattleboro-Putney U.S. 5 Paving Construction Update 04/17/2026

TRAFFIC IMPACTS:

Brattleboro-Putney STP PS 25(11)

Shoulder closures are anticipated Monday and Tuesday of next week in the northern part of the project as a part of the traffic control coordination effort with Green Mountain Power.

Beginning Wednesday, one 1.5 mile long single-lane closure will be in place on U.S. Route 5 beginning at the Interstate 91 overpass in Brattleboro and progressing north. Flaggers will assist with alternating traffic patterns through the work zone. The work zone will shift from northbound to southbound travel lanes and continue to progress north over the course of the week. Motorcyclists should watch for grooved and uneven surfaces. Expect delays in this area.


Brattleboro Selectboard Agendas and Notes – April 20 and 21, 2026

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special joint meeting with the Hinsdale, NH Selectboard on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 6:30pm at 11 Main Street, Hinsdale, NH.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 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, labor relations agreements with employees, and pending civil litigation to which the Town may be a party. 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.


Artwork by Gregory Damien Grinnell at Latchis Gallery 4

Guilford VT artist, Gregory Damien Grinnell has worked in multimedia for most of his career, engaging painting, sculpture, film, audio, and site-specific installation to create works that explore both narrative and non-narrative perspectives.

His current practice investigates the sequential nature of these mediums, examining how a body of work can operate as a meta-narrative composed of interconnected sub-narratives. Within this intentionally constructed framework, thematic elements may be read either as deeply interrelated components of a unified environment or as more autonomous actions unfolding within a shared world.


Vermont Astrologers! Aries Stellium, Once in a Lifetime Event Occurring Now!

I don’t know about all this astrology stuff, I am just an amateur infrequently amused by it all.  But, today is HUGE in Astrology.  We have the usual New Moon that occurs every month, but this month we also have four additional planets all in Aries.   So, the line up is Sun in Aries, Moon in Aries,  Mercury in Aries, Mars in Aries, Neptune in Aries and Saturn in Aries;  which makes a line up of 6 Astrological Positions all in Aries today, right now.

What’s the big deal?  This has not happened in hundreds of years.  Seriously, this has not happened in hundreds of years and so Astrologers are going wild today.  Because Moon will continue in Aries tomorrow, as well as the Sun and the four planets in Aries, this will be going on all day today and tomorrow.


Diana Whitney on “Here We Are”

DIANA WHITNEY’s powerful poems tell the truth of her experiences – they are dynamic, subversive, brave. The beauty of her words connect us in their authenticity. Diana is also an advocate for “Out in the Open”, our local LGBTQ+ community, and her new book “Girl Trouble” had just been published.


Brattleboro Committee Vacancies

The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:

ADA Committee
Conservation Commission
Design Review Board (Alternate)
Development Review Board (Alternate)
Energy Committee – 1 year term


Town of Brattleboro Names Julie Perrin Next Director of Brooks Memorial Library

The Town of Brattleboro is pleased to announce the appointment of Brooks Memorial Library’s next Director, Julie Perrin. Perrin, who has spent the past nine years leading the Jaffrey Public Library in Jaffrey, NH, brings extensive experience in library program development, grant writing, and operations management. She will begin on May 11, 2026.

“We’re excited to have someone with Julie’s clear passion and original thought to pick up the thread and help write the next chapter at Brooks Memorial Library,” said Brattleboro Town Manager John Potter. “She’s an experienced leader with a proven track record that includes efficient management, capital fundraising, and facility project management, which is especially important as Brooks undergoes renovations over the next year.”


Road Closure Notice – Guilford Street Extension

Brattleboro, VT – The Department of Public Works will be conducting road repairs from a previous culvert installation on Guilford Street Extension on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

As a result, Guilford Street Extension will be fully closed to all traffic between house numbers #773 and #821 from 8:30 a.m. until no later than 1 p.m. The road may reopen earlier if work is completed ahead of schedule.


Brattleboro Spring Water Main Flushing Schedule

Utilities Division crews will start Spring Flushing of the Town water mains on Friday, April 17 and continue through Friday, May 1.  Occasional daytime flushing will continue through May 8.

Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely as flushing may cause water discoloration, low water pressure and in some areas, and intervals of no water.  Users who experience a short period of discolored water or air in the water lines after flushing is complete should run the cold water for a few minutes to clear the lines.


South Main Drug Bust?

Got a message from a reader that the law enforcement activity on South Main today is NOT immigration-related, despite some people seeing some masked officers.  Typically the police issue a press release after things are over, but people are understandably nervous.  If we get the press release, we’ll put it up.


2025 Brattleboro Water Quality Report

The Town of Brattleboro Water Department’s annual Consumer Confidence Report / Water Quality Report for 2025 is now available. This report can be viewed online at https://brattleboro.gov/water-supply.  Printed copies are available at the Department of Public Works, Tri-Park CO-OP Office, Town Clerk’s Office and at the I-91 Welcome Center in Guilford.