Books As Greenery

by AnneODyne | Books

If you’re a reader, fond of acquiring books, and have ever moved, you know there’s a day of reckoning when the sheer mass of paper harkens back to its original arboreal form. There’s also the curious phenomena where the sight of the cover, or even the pages themselves, trigger a corresponding site in the brain, bringing back some of the content and memories of reading, circumstances and experience. Books are not just objects, they can become part of our identity. But these are considerations for another time.

The bulk and burden of books may or may not be a vanishing element in our lives, as digital media proliferates, and reading actual volumes wanes as an entertainment or information source. It seems to me fitting that the packed box or carton of books has so much heft. Books ARE heavy in more ways than one. There’s no way around it. Having recently moved sparked an intensive bout of assessment. Are all books keepers indefinitely? Are they really toss-able? Or, heaven forbid, burnable, as an act of lightening and transformation rather than censorship and intimidation? It’s beneficial to recall; All is transitory in this world.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Dominican Jazz Guitarist Yasser Tejeda, on May 25

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Dominican jazz guitarist Yasser Tejeda, on Saturday, May 25 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Road, in Putney.

“This Bandwagon Series, we’re excited to have a lot more Latin-influenced artists like Yasser Tajeda,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Yasser was one of the headliners at this years’ GlobalFest at Lincoln Center, and when I saw his virtuosity on the guitar, his expression, and the joy he brought to the music of the Dominican Republic, I knew he’d be a great fit for our programming.”

Yasser Tejeda is an award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer. According to Billboard, Yasser is giving traditional folkloric music a new spin with jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms in “a frenzied celebration of ancestral union.” At the same time, Juan Luis Guerra, the most influential Dominican artist in the world, praised his mission, calling it a “marvelous example of what’s happening with Dominican music.” Yasser hopes to incite an awakening while inspiring new generations to explore, promote and uplift their roots.

Tejeda has released three commercial albums, La Madrugá (2023), Kijombo (2019), and Mezclansa (2009), with his group Palotré, while also surprising his followers with an acoustic EP called Interior in 2021. Mezclansa was dubbed one of the “100 essential recordings of Dominican music” by the Dominican National Association of Art Writers (Acroarte). His second album Kijombo received six awards from Dominican Republic’s Premios Indie, including Best Album. La Madrugá, which is Tejeda’s latest offering, features his latest collaboration with Vicente García, “En El Naranjo”, as well as the singles “Tu Ere’ Bonita” and “Todo Va a Marchar”.

A Bit More About the Next Guilford Play

by DonInGuilford | Arts

People have been asking Guilford Center Stage about our upcoming play, as both the playwright and the play will be new to our audience.

We were chatting with a high school teacher, Marc Considine, way up in Hardwick, Vermont, about Charles Henry, who painted the four theater curtains at Broad Brook Community Center, and also some at Hardwick Town House. He coaches a very ambitious after-school drama club at Hazen Union High School, and had produced the Charles Henry play, “A Battle of Wits”, which we also staged in 2016.

He mentioned that he had written scripts for his students, and we asked him to send us one his kids had performed at a regional high school drama festival, and that’s the play we’re performing.

“Love Lost Diaries” will have three performances at Broad Brook Community Center: Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday May 5 at 2:00 pm. One of the lead actors in that 2016 play, who has appeared in almost all our productions, Julie Holland, is directing this show.

Medicare Advantage Fraud In Plain Sight

by RDavis | Activism

The federal government may be finally realizing just how fraudulent the insurers are who provide Medicare Advantage policies. According to the Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP)”… federal administrators stood by their initial 3.7% increase, sending a message to corporate insurers that the Medicare Advantage gravy train may finally be slowing down.”

That would be something close to miraculous considering that many Advantage insurers have been found to be acting fraudulently and that most studies indicate that the Advantage program is draining money from the Medicare program at an alarming rate.

Five of the top 10 Advantage insurers have been accused of fraud by whistleblowers as well as the federal government.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda April 25, 2024

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom. Prior to the meeting at 5:30pm, the Board will convene and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss contracts and real estate negotiations. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town Website Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard by the end of today.

Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 5:00pm in the Brooks Memorial Library Community Room.

The Brattleboro Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 24, 204 at 6:30pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.

Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – April 18, 2024

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

One way alternating traffic patterns with flaggers will be implemented on Vermont Route 142 adjacent to the construction site on Monday and Tuesday next week. The northbound shoulder will be closed all week long and motorists are advised to watch for vehicles entering and exiting the construction site.

Delivery of steel to the abutment site on VT 142 is currently scheduled for Wednesday, April 24th, Monday, April 29th, and Wednesday, May 1st. The delivery route is planned to provide direct access from the south along VT 142 from Massachusetts Route 10. Flaggers and Uniformed Traffic Officers will be available to assist with the delivery, however it is not anticipated to require a lane closure. When the steel is ready to be moved from the truck to the bridge, a brief hold of all traffic on VT 142 will be required.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Opens May 18th with Mehrnam Rastegari & Habbina Habbina

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series opens its season with Persian musician Mehrnam Rastegari and Mediterranean surf trio Habbina Habbina, on Saturday, May 18 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Road, in Putney.

“When we kick off the Bandwagon Series, we are looking for an artist that delivers on our Bandwagon promise of diversity, virtuosity, and creativity,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Mehrnam is a rising star in the New York City World Music scene. The pairing of Mehrnam and Habbina Habbina brings joy, dancing, and a unique sonic experience. People should come prepared to dance!”

Brattleboro Spring Leaf Collection Schedule

by Not Signed In | Town News

PRESS RELEASE

Town of Brattleboro Spring Leaf Collection Schedule

This year leaves and yard waste will be picked up according to your normal trash, compost and recycling pick up day. The following dates have been scheduled for Brattleboro’s curbside Spring Leaf Collection:

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Trash Talk

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard heard two overviews at their short Tuesday meeting. The first was regarding the very long process of relicensing the dams along the Connecticut River. They got the overview and agreed to send a letter to FERC outlining local desires for the relicensing plan.

The second overview was about the major changes to trash, recycling and organic waste collection in Brattleboro after July 1. The sole bidder for the collection contract, Casella, wants to use one-person trucks that use joystick-controlled grabbers to pick up new, special trash receptacles. Town staff will be gathering information from residents about how much more they are willing to pay, and if they’d like to contract directly with Casella, if all waste should be picked up every other week, what to do about already-bought bags and containers, and other important issues.

WSESD Board Meeting Minutes – April 9, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary

● Motion was made to find local venues that are cost effective for the Board & Admin Retreat in June in advance of the new school year.

● Four new hires for FY25 were approved.

● Two resignations were accepted.

● The Board approved the Warrants and Payroll presented.

● Policies F22, G1 AND H2 were re-adopted.

● The Board entered Executive Session involving the discipline of students.

Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting Minutes – April 10, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Two 6th grade students from Academy School, Luca Mnookin and Elsa Anders, presented their research project looking at the lack of access to gender-neutral bathrooms at school. Academy School has only one gender-neutral bathroom that is accessible to anyone, and it is in the upper-grade wing, so not available to K-2 students. Some—but not all—classrooms have their own gender-neutral bathroom. The students presented an assessment of why it matters, including transgender students’ fear of harassment in gendered bathrooms. Their research involved surveys at Academy School and Putney Central School, and with their results, they advocated for private, all-gender bathrooms throughout the district.

Brattleboro Water Main Flushing Schedule Spring 2024

by Not Signed In | Town News

Utilities Division crews will start Spring Flushing of the Town water mains on Friday, April 19 and continue through Friday, May 3.  Occasional daytime flushing will continue throughout the week of May 6 through 10..  

Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely as flushing may cause water discoloration, low water pressure and in some areas, 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.

Anna Patton on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

An accomplished musician, Anna Patton loves to improvise and experiment in composing, performance, and teaching. She explores sound and harmony in creative, innovative ways. Anna shares stories of a life filled with music, and her performances and connections with the Vermont Jazz Center, the Julian Gerstin Sextet, the Soubrettes, Elixir, and contradancing.