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Persian Kamancheh Player Mehrnam Rastegari Returns to Putney

by hahrenholz | Music

Virtuoso Kamancheh player Mehrnam Rastegari, who opened last year’s Bandwagon summer series with retro-Mediterranean surf ensemble Habbina Habbina, returns to Putney on Friday, April 18 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage. Tickets are $20 Advance / $25 At the Door / $10 Livestream.

Mehrnam Rastegari is a distinguished Persian musician, award-winning film score composer, singer, violinist, and virtuoso Kamancheh player. Renowned for pushing the boundaries of Persian music, she blends traditional sounds with rock and modern fusion elements, offering fresh interpretations that resonate with global audiences. Her innovative approach to Persian microtonal music aims to bridge the gap between tradition and contemporary styles, capturing the attention of listeners worldwide.

Palestine Film Series Kicks Off March 23 with Oscar-winning No Other Land

by KCasa | Arts

Brattleboro’s second annual Palestine Film Series opens Sunday, March 23, with the Oscar-winning Best Documentary No Other Land, a devastating window on the continuing Israeli settler violence, land theft and forced displacement of Palestinians from their West Bank villages.

No Other Land is one of four films in this year’s series that give audiences an opportunity to experience diverse stories about the lives of Palestinian people. The series is presented by Southern Vermont for Palestine (SVT4P) and Latchis Arts.

Although it has won more than 45 top documentary prizes worldwide including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, No Other Land has struggled to find a U.S. distributor and has been screened in only a handful of U.S. cities.

Guilford WSESD Seat Recount Results

by Not Signed In | Education

Official recount results are in, for the Guilford seat on the Board of Directors of the Windham Southeast School District: There has been no change to the number of votes for each candidate from Guilford. Jocelyn Fritts has been duly elected to the Board of Directors.

Sorry for Your Loss: A Comedy Show About Grief A Fundraiser for Brattleboro Area Hospice

by BrattleboroHospice | Entertainment
sorry for your loss

Michael Cruz Kayne is a comedian and writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. However, his life isn’t always funny. The loss of his young son profoundly changed his world and his family. In this hilarious, difficult, and touching show about grief, Cruz finds moments of humor, compassion, and ultimately some assemblance of acceptance. If everyone dies, why does nobody talk about it?

A Q&A will follow the performance.

WSESD Recount of 3 Year Seat Scheduled for March 11

by Not Signed In | Education

The Town Clerks of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Putney have confirmed that they and members of their Boards of Civil Authority will come together in each town for a recount of the contested Guilford 3-year seat on the Board of the WSESD.

Candidates and members of the public are welcome to observe the recount. Time and locations for the re-count: 

Windham Southeast School District Recount

by Not Signed In | Education

The Windham Southeast School District announces that a recount has been requested in the election results for the three-year Guilford seat on the WSESD Board of Directors. Candidates were Jocelyn Fritts, having received 1128 votes and Kelly Young, having received 1100 votes.

The total vote tallies are reported in a “commingled” manner, as per 16 V.S.A. § 741(3). “The articles of agreement as initially approved by the voters on or before July 1, 2019 explicitly provide that the board of civil authority of each town within the unified union school district shall count Australian ballots cast in that town and report that town’s results to the district clerk, who shall calculate total votes cast within the unified union school district and report the result of the vote to the public.”

Mike Block Trio: A Fusion of American Roots, Classical, and Contemporary Music at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

The Mike Block Trio will perform live at Next Stage Arts on Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 pm, bringing their unique blend of American roots music and contemporary international influences to the stage. The trio, led by the pioneering cello player, singer, and composer Mike Block, will feature the virtuosic talents of Joe K. Walsh on mandolin/vocals and Zachariah Hickman on bass/vocals. The performance will take place at 15 Kimball Hill in Putney, with tickets available in advance for $20, $25 at the door, or $10 for the livestream.

Nani Brings Her Powerful Ladino Music to Putney for a One-Night-Only Performance

by hahrenholz | Music

Nani, the world’s first millennial Ladino songwriter, will bring her distinctive fusion of Flamenco drama, world music, and the endangered Ladino language to Putney for an unforgettable concert at Next Stage Arts on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 pm.

With a ship’s-horn powerful voice and an irresistible stage presence, Nani defends and revitalizes Ladino, the ancient language of the Sephardic Jews, which she learned from her Moroccan grandmother in hiding. Her music, which blends the sounds of the marketplace with socially poignant lyrics, celebrates migration, gender, and female empowerment. Nani’s unique soundscape captures the essence of the Mediterranean through raw, flamenco-like vocals, mariachi guitar, choral trombone, and a rich combination of piano and percussion.

Ines Zeller Bass on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

“I am constantly creating, that’s what keeps me alive and happy”, says Ines Zeller Bass. Tune in to hear stories of how her artistic imagination and talents help manifest the special magic that makes SANDGLASS THEATER so well-known and well-loved.

WSESD Board Meeting Minutes Feb 25, 2025

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary
● The Board debriefed two important Summits held in the past two weeks, 2/12/25 with the three School Boards and 2/24/25 with local legislators.
● The Board accepted, with regret, the resignation of Christopher Brewer, Dean of Students at BUHS.
● Three policies (D1, F16, F28) were presented to the Board for a first reading.
● The Board entered Executive Session under 1VSA §313 (a)(1)(A) Contracts.

Song for Homeless People in Vermont

by CrisEricson2016 | Music

(Town Meeting Day is March 4th, will homeless people attend?)

Song for Homeless People in Vermont, by Cris Ericson (C)(P) 2025

I never believed you would be sleeping
on a park bench at night
but you lost your job and couldn’t pay rent
and shelter beds were full that night.

WSESD Independent Budget Review Committee Minutes – Feb 2, 2025

by Not Signed In | Education

On a Motion by Elie and seconded by Maggie the committee unanimously approved the draft for publication pending any comments from Frank Rucker, WSESD business manager.

Kristina referred the committee to the motion from the past meeting authorizing Maggie and Kristina to incorporate edits before releasing the report if Frank has minor changes. The committee agreed to let the motion stand, and Kristina agreed to hold an emergency meeting if any issues arise in the next few days which would require substantive rewrites.

Windham Southeast School District Board Windham & Southeast School Union Board Special Board Meeting Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

IV. Overview of Governor Scott’s “Education Transformation Proposal: a proposed reform of Vermont’s current system of education and funding.”

Dan McArthur Rural School Alliance gave an overview of the Governor’s proposal for educational reforms and gave remarks on behalf of the rural school alliance.

Emilie Kornheiser also gave remarks regarding educational reform proposal and various funding mechanisms

Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting Minutes Feb 12, 2025

by Not Signed In | Education

The committee discussed the question of whether a policy in support of immigrant students should be developed, a topic that was also under discussion at the board meeting on 2/11/25. MS cautioned that Pietro has advised to stay away from a new policy, and instead to focus on law and procedure. A vision statement would be fine and would be a way to send a message to the community.

Julie Moir Messervy on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

Think Spring and Gardens!  JULIE MESSERVY is known world-wide as a stellar innovator in landscape design. She collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma for a public garden in Toronto. Julie also won the 2024 Vermont Woman-owned Business of the Year Award. Check out this show – her presence is dynamic and inspiring!