John Potter on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Town News

What’s it like to be a Town Manager? JOHN POTTER talks about all this and more – his previous career as a Forester, a director of Land and Parks management, Environmental programs, and his deep interest in Silviculture.

Tune in to hear his perspective on public service and community collaborations, and the many aspects of life in Brattleboro!

Open Mic Night at Next Stage Arts Brings Community Voices to Putney

by hahrenholz | Music

An evening of creativity and community returns to Next Stage Arts on Thursday, May 21, as Vermont Timbre hosts its popular Open Mic night.

Located at 15 Kimball Hill in Putney, Vermont, Next Stage Arts provides an intimate and welcoming setting for this ongoing series led by Amelia Struthers and Mike Mrowicki. Performers of all kinds—musicians, poets, storytellers, and other creatives—are invited to share their work in 10–15 minute sets, resulting in a varied and engaging evening shaped by local voices.

International Face Painting

by ann.newsmith | Family

Au pairs from Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic will be offering free face painting for kids at Brattleboro Gallery Walk on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Ann Newsmith, local coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair, will also be available to talk with parents about the benefits of hosting an au pair and the process of applying.

Cultural Care is the largest au pair organization in the U.S. and works through a local representative in southern Vermont to help families assess whether the program is a good fit and to assist in matching families with just the right au pair. Families provide room, board, and a welcoming environment to a young person from another country in exchange for flexible, live-in childcare. Not only convenient, hosting an au pair is often more cost-effective for families with multiple children, compared to daycare or a nanny.

Free Trees for Brattleboro Residents

by oakgeorgia | Home & Garden

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 

by GeorgeCC | Arts

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?

by Cris Ericson | Opinion

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

by hahrenholz | Music

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

by RDavis | Culture

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

by LedaS | Food

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

by hahrenholz | Music

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

by Not Signed In | Town News

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

by Not Signed In | Town News

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

by saucer66 | Arts

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!

by Cris Ericson | Other

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”

by Wendy O'Connell | Books

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.