the commons/issue of nov. 3, 2010

By Olga PetersThe Commons

BRATTLEBORO—Based on public suggestions and com-ments, the committee review-ing the town charter has altered some of the changes it has al-ready proposed to the form and structure of town government.

According to member Larry Bloch, the Charter Review Commission has been reviewing public comment from meetings held at the start of the month.

Originally, the commission suggested the town manager oversee an annual report on the progress of the town plan, the document that defines the town’s long-range goals and provides a strategic basis for zoning and other regulations [The Commons, Sept. 22].

Based on public feedback, the commission will recommend that the Selectboard, as the rep-resentative body elected by the people and with the authority to approach various town depart-ments, oversee the report on the document.

The proposed alteration “res-onated with us fairly quickly,” said Bloch.

The commission has also re-moved its original suggestion to move the Representative Town Meeting to an earlier date.

The group has also changed the proposed preamble language from “requiring” to “encourag-ing” compliance with the town plan. But, said Bloch, based on recent public comment, the lan-guage may change a third time.

“We will continue the process n SEE CHARTER, pAgE 2

n SEE TOwn mAnAgER, pAgE 8

Brattleboro charter plans keep evolvingCharter Review Commission gathers public comment for final vote this winter

Wilmington keeps town manager gov’tOpponents said state law gave too much authority to unelected town employee

Rebels advance, Colonels fall in boys soccer semifinals

RAndOLph T. hOLhuT/ThE COMMOnS

Essex midfielder nolan Frey, right, celebrates after knocking the ball past Brattleboro goalkeeper Evan Darling during the first half of their Division I boys soccer semifinal match Tuesday at Tenney Field.

By Randolph T. HolhutThe Commons

BRATTLEBORO—The Leland & gray Rebels will play for their first state boys soc-cer championship in five years, while the Brattleboro Colonels playoff run ended abruptly.

In a pair of Election day soc-cer semifinals on Tuesday, the top-seeded Rebels knocked off Stowe, 2-1, in overtime in division III play in Townshend. They will face BFA-Fairfax for the state title on Saturday.

At Tenney Field, the sixth-seeded Essex hornets upended the no. 2 Colonels, 5-1, in a

division I game that was much closer than the final score.

The hero for Leland & gray was noah Chapin, who snapped the tie nine minutes into sudden death overtime. he gathered in a long kick from midfield at the 18-yard line, and one-timed a shot into the net to knock off the three-time defending division III champs and send the Rebels into the final.

“noah had a quiet day up to that point,” said coach Chris Barton of his team’s leading scorer. “They did a good job defending him. But that goal was unbelievable.”

n SEE SOCCER, pAgE 2

By Olga PetersThe Commons

WILMIngTOn—Voters cast their ballots in favor of keeping the Town Manger form of gov-ernment at the nov. 2 election, 527 to 226.

Wilmington approved the town manager form of govern-ment, as defined by state statute, in 1967. By state law, towns must also vote to dissolve the town manager form of government.

In September, a group of citi-zens petitioned the Selectboard to do just that.

According to Mary Jane F i n n e g a n , o w n e r o f t h e Wilmington Village pub on South Main Street, a group of a dozen people concerned with the amount of power given to the unelected position circulated the petition in early 2010, in time for the March annual town meeting.

“The town manager position

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Community Thanksgiving dinner needs volunteers

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VoicesMEMOIR

The many trials of a small-town doctor

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The ArtsMAkING TRACkS

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page 11

Life and Work

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Olive Anderson reminds Londonderry voters not to fold their ballots. The town uses an electronic scanner for tabulating votes.


Peter Shumlin winds up his speech to local supporters at a campaign rally at the River garden in Brattleboro on Sunday.

Shumlin holds narrow lead in close gubernatorial raceBy Randolph T. HolhutThe Commons

Close finishes are getting to be a habit with peter Shumlin.

A f t e r p r e -vailing in one of the closest democratic primaries in years, the Senate president pro Tem from putney held less than a 4,000-vote lead over his Republican challenger, Lt. gov. Brian dubie, in Tuesday’s gubernatorial election.

According to Vermont public Radio, with 89 percent of the vote counted at press time early Wednesday morn-ing, Shumlin held a 103,136–99,533 lead on dubie.

In Windham County re-s u l t s , S h u m l i n w o n i n Brattleboro (3,073–1,172), Rockingham (1,024–574), guilford (565–279), Brookline (118–81), Windham (111–59), dummerston (636–292), Townshend (288–199), Westminster (898–370), Marlboro (340–102), newfane (550–236), grafton (148–140), halifax (184–113), and putney (851–210).

dubie won in Athens (54–47), dover (334–208) Stratton (72–28), Wilmington (381–334), Whitingham (230–182), Londonderry (370–305), Jamaica (187–174) and Vernon

(699–181).no results could be obtained

from Wardsboro at press time.The closeness of the race

raised the spectre of a recount, since dubie and Shumlin are within 2 percent of each other — the threshold for a losing candidate to seek one.

There is also a chance that the Legislature might have to officially decide the election. According to the state con-stitution, lawmakers have the final say if neither candidate wins more than 50 percent of

the vote.If Shumlin hangs on, it will

be only the fourth time in the last 75 years that the gover-nor of Vermont hails from Windham County.

Shumlin, 54, could follow in the footsteps of Republicans george Aiken of putney and Ernest W. gibson of Brattleboro and democrat Thomas p. Salmon of Bellows Falls.

Aiken held the office from 1937 to 1941 before embarking

Cn SEE gOvERnOR, pAgE 5

Brattleboro, Vermont Wednesday, November 3, 2010 • Vol. V, No. 27 • Issue #74

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next week,” said Bloch.Bloch said public feedback

and discussion has been help-ful with a lively discussion at a meeting held at green Street school, Oct. 28, one of three such gatherings.

Choice of words One member of the pub-

lic, Selectboard member Jesse Corum, attended a meeting held at the Oak grove School on Oct. 26.

Corum expressed con-cerns regarding language in the preamble, increasing the Selectboard from five to seven members, and referendums.

“I don’t think you can leg-islate morality. I don’t think it should be in the charter,” Corum said about the com-mission adding to the pre-amble, “Encouraging public service and charity among all its residents.”

Commission member Orion Barber said all the suggestions at the start of the preamble are ideals, and sometimes they are met and sometimes not.

Commiss ion member Spoon Agave added ideals are worth aiming for.

Corum expressed oppo-sition to adding two more Selectboard members be-cause it would mean “another $4,000 from a budget we can’t afford.”

he said he felt five people could do the Selectboard’s work, and bringing two addi-tional members up to speed after every election would only take valuable time from the town manager.

Corum also felt, at the very least, the percentage of voters signing a petition for a refer-endum vote should increase from the 5 percent of town voters in the proposed docu-ment to 15 or 20 percent. he said the voters elected their representatives and the bar to overturn their decisions should be higher.

Bloch pointed out that a 15 or 20 percent requirement is higher than the average voter turnout in town elections.

Bloch said the public, as a branch of government with its own rights and responsi-bilities, deserved an effective referendum process.

Without it, he said, subsid-iary motions at Representative Town Meeting that amend a

warned Town Meeting article (like the one for pay-as-you-throw) are removed from pub-lic oversight.

Missing input from public

Many public meetings on the charter have not been well attended, say commission members.

Bloch said he’s been speak-ing with people “on the street” because “it’s too important to let those opportunities go by.”

he feels people have not at-tended the meetings because they perceive the process is go-ing well and “feel confident in the work of the commission,” so they don’t need to voice any concerns.

Bloch also expects citizen participation to pick up as the finalization date approaches.

“We feel we’ve done good job bringing changes to the charter,” said Bloch.

Agave expressed a differ-ent opinion. “It’s disappoint-ing people are so alienated from the official world around them,” he said.

he said his take on the situ-ation was people are “horrifi-cally uniformed” about their government, and that to 99 out of 100 people, the charter is meaningless.

Agave views this phenom-enon as a “failure of the edu-cation system” and the lack of civics-centered courses and wondered if the lack of such classes was an “inadvertent or deliberate omission” from the curriculum.

New timeline According to Bloch, the

commission has extended its original timeline. The special town meeting for the Town Meeting Representatives to vote on the proposed changes is now scheduled for Jan. 22.

The town will announce the date for an informational meeting for Town Meeting Representatives to discuss the changes in early January. The public will be invited to attend.

A public meeting to discuss increasing the Board of School directors from five to seven members and other final com-mission recommendations will take place nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Selectboard meeting room on the second floor of the Municipal Building.

n Charter FROM pAgE 9

n Soccer FROM pAgE 9

A community of thanksVolunteers prepare for annual Thankgiving dinner at River GardenBy Olga PetersThe Commons

BRATTLEBORO—The an-nual Brattleboro Community Thanksgiving dinner com-mittee continues a more-than-30-year tradition of serving Thanksgiving day dinner and sharing friendship.

dinner will be served buffet-style at the River garden on Thursday, nov. 25, from noon until 5 p.m. Everyone is invited, and the meal is free.

“patrons are treated as spe-cial,” said committee member Katherine Barratt.

“It’s organized chaos,” joked member Ray Branagan.

Every year, Branagan said, he wonders if enough diners will sit down and eat the food. Then, halfway through the meal, he worries there won’t be enough food to feed all the people.

The committee uses “free will” donations to rent china and silverware for the event.

“They’re classier than paper plates and plastic,” said Barratt.

In past years, between 500 and 700 people sat down to the com-munity-cooked meal, feasting on favorites like turkey, roasted root vegetables, gravy, ham, mashed gilfeather turnips, garlic pota-toes, apple crisp and pies.

Vegetarians also have entrees to choose from, said member Ian Bigelow.

“It’s awesome. There’s lots of people. It’s nice, especially when you don’t have a family to go to,” said Abby Banks, who has attended the Community Thanksgiving for three years.

The core committee meets weekly from September to Thanksgiving to ensure diners walk away with full bellies. They hope other community members would like to either help with food preparation, set up, serv-ing or clean up.

A host of volunteers prepare and serve the food. The day couldn’t happen without this “sizable crew,” said committee members.

Barratt said volunteers are

B R A T T L E B O R O —Community members wishing to volunteer or make dona-tions should contact the com-mittee members listed below:

• Food/supply donations; kitchen work or cooking: Ray Branagan, 802-579-4649 or [email protected]; Ian Bigelow, 802-579-7903 or [email protected].

• Prepare a dessert: Michele Sulser, 802-428-4030 or [email protected].

• Del iver meals f rom S t . M i c h a e l ’ s S c h o o l on Thanksgiving: peter Wiles, 802-254-4687 or [email protected].

• Prep vegetab les on Wednesday, nov. 24 at

St. Michael’s School, af-ternoon-evening: Robin Allen, 802-579-4597 or [email protected].

• Musicians interested in playing on Thanksgiving day: Ian Bigelow, 802-579-7903 or [email protected].

• T h a n k s g i v i n g D a y v o l u n t e e r s , 1 0 a . m . set-up, event work, clean-u p s h i f t s : K a t h e r i n e Barratt, 802-257-4220 or [email protected].

please send checks (payable to “Brattleboro Community Thanksgiving dinner”), cash donation or gift certificates to Katherine Barratt, Committee Treasurer, p.O. Box 2384, West Brattleboro, VT 05303.

how to help with the dinner

needed on Wednesday, nov. 24, to prepare vegetables and apples for desserts.

On Thanksgiving day, the committee requires volunteers to help set up, transport food between St. Michael’s School’s kitchen and the River garden, serving at the buffet, or clean-ing up.

Barratt said the committee hopes to engage more young people this year and is working with school officials to establish the Community Thanksgiving as a pathway for high school stu-dents to fulfill their community service requirements.

“In many different ways, peo-ple help,” said Barratt.

Students in conjunction with the Brattleboro union high School’s art department will cre-ate this year’s centerpieces.

Local farmers, producers, res-taurants and businesses donate ingredients, items and money. According to Branagan, do-nations can appear small but add up.

Brigid’s Kitchen and St. Michael’s School donate kitchen

space. Community members also prepare food at home.

This year, the Vermont Foodbank donated refrigera-tion units, which helped solve a longstanding issue of where to store food, said Barratt.

Committee members credit fellow member Ian Bigelow with building connections with local farms. Most of the donated food is organic.

“A whole lot [of people and businesses] give a little to make the meal,” Branagan said.

Long tradition T h e C o m m u n i t y

Thanksgiving day meal has its roots in the former Common ground restaurant. When the restaurant closed several years ago, the committee decided to continue and resettled in the River garden.

Branagan said some patrons have attended the meal every year even coming from out-of-state like a couple from new York who has made the pilgrim-age for 30 years.

For students at Marlboro College or the School for International Training who are unable to go home, the din-ner provides community, said Barratt.

In the case of many SIT stu-dents, the event exposes them to their first Thanksgiving.

Because kitchen space is tight, the committee asks anyone will-ing to make pies or cook turkeys at home to step forward.

The committee also works with Meals on Wheels to pro-vide home delivery for residents within a 10-mile radius of down-town. peter Wiles, home delivery coordinator, said neighbors can also pick up boxed dinners at the River garden for friends.

Anyone interested in vol-unteering on nov. 24 should contact Robin Allen. people interested in volunteering on Thanksgiving day should con-tact Katherine Barratt or stop by the committee’s table during november gallery Walk to sign up. (See sidebar.)

“[It] brings everybody to-gether. Come and eat please,” said Bigelow.

c

Colin nystrom put the Rebels on the board first with he scored in the 10th minute. That goal looked like it would stand up, but nathaniel horton got the equal-izer for Stowe with three minutes left in regulation.

This will be the Rebels’ first trip to the finals since 2005, when they lost to Twin Valley.

For the Colonels, everything seemed stacked in their favor. They were playing at home, where they were undefeated all season. They had their biggest crowd of the season at Tenney Field. They even had the BuhS pep Band to play. But Essex spoiled the party.

“We had a 1-1 tie with 25 minutes to go, but Essex just had more talent today,” said Brattleboro coach paul Sather. “They had excellent ball con-trol and made the most of their chances.”

Essex scored first in the eighth minute on a loose ball in front of the Brattleboro net that was

knocked in by nolan Frey. Brattleboro had several good chances in the remainder of the first half, but could not cash in. The best one came late in the half when Travis Elliot-Knaggs put a shot on Essex goalkeeper dan palker that he couldn’t con-trol. The ball bounced loose, but the Colonels couldn’t knock it in.

Trailing 1-0 to start the sec-ond half, the Colonels finally got the equalizer in the 55th minute when Elliott-Knaggs chipped in the ball from about 10 yards out.

But Essex came back and took the lead to stay when dan Samardzic scored on a crossing shot from the corner that drifted into the net in the 59th minute.

“That was a really good shot,” said Sather. “I was pleased we battled back for the tie, but this was a more competitive game than the final score showed.”

Essex’s last three goals came in the final 18 minutes of the game. paul Bianchi made it 3-1 with a tap-in in the crease, then scored off a direct kick a couple of min-utes later. Thomas Antensaye then scored an empty netter in the 77th minute to slam the door shut on the Colonels.

While losing their first-ever home soccer semifinal was pain-ful, Sather had praise for his team, particularly the 12 seniors on this year’s squad.

“They brought Brattleboro soccer to new heights,” he said.

2 NEWS T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

17 Belmont Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301 802-257-0341 • www.bmhvt.org

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healed nearly as fast. “I think a week later, there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do—except build stone walls.” It’s all thanks to laparoscopic surgery at BMH.

Laparoscopic surgeries are minimally invasive, with tiny incisions compared to traditional surgery—sometimes less than a single centimeter! That can mean less pain, and much faster recovery times. Nancy has had a number of laparoscopic surgeries at BMH, and calls them “just an easy, marvelous thing.”

“It was an embarrassingly good experience,” says Nancy. “I’d heard so many stories about painful

appendectomies, it was hard to tell people I skipped over that part.” Nancy credits the BMH staff for making her experience so easy. “Without exception, everyone treated me professionally and with personal attention. I felt like I was important to everyone who cared for me.”

To learn more about laparoscopic surgery at BMH, talk to your healthcare provider.

My appendix was aboutto burst. I needed emergency surgery. A week later I was swimming,

thanks to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

—Nancy Calicchio, Putney

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T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 3

Election 2010

By Jeff PotterThe Commons

VERnOn—Members of the Windham County democrats allege that a poll watcher was improperly removed by patricia O’donnell, outgoing Republican state representative and county chairwoman of Brian dubie’s gubernatorial campaign.

But according to O’donnell, a member of the town’s board of civil authority who was working at the polls on Tuesday, the poll watcher, Carolyn gregory, did not identify herself as such and said the volunteer “came into the polls with a clipboard and said she was doing an exit poll.”

She said the democrats were making “a big screaming mess out of something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

Conflicting reportsdemocrat Richard davis,

who lost to Republican Michael hebert 949–812 for the state representative seat in the Windham-1 district Tuesday (see story, page 4), had requested that the democrats monitor the elections in Vernon.

According to Ellen Tenney, of Saxtons River, gregory at-tempted to monitor the voting process at the Vernon Town hall on Tuesday, when O’donnell and a town constable, Scott Lane, escorted her from the premises.

With many town officials, O’donnell and hebert sup-porting reconsideration of a state Senate bill that forbids the public Service Board from issu-ing a Certificate of public good to Entergy nuclear Vermont Yankee, democratic anti-nuclear activists had decided to monitor the elections.

According to an e-mail from Tenney, gregory had been “get-ting s— from” O’donnell and others.

Tenney said O’donnell claimed a town bylaw forbids the presence of nonresidents like gregory, a resident of Brattleboro — an assertion that Vernon police Sgt. Bruce gauld confirmed Tuesday afternoon, when he identified the consta-ble as Scott Lane. “[O’donnell] said because the poll watcher was not from Vernon, she was not al-lowed to be there,” gauld said.

According to the november issue of the Secretary of State’s office’s monthly newsletter, is-sued last week, “poll watchers may observe the election. In Vermont, our elections are pub-lic proceedings, and so long as a person is not disruptive, he or she may observe the elections.”

The opinion continues: “Representatives of political parties, candidates and politi-cal committees have a right to be present and observe voters at the entrance checklist. The town clerk and presiding offi-cers, if any, should either set out chairs, guardrails, or mark with tape where the poll watchers can be located to observe. They have a right to hear the name of each voter restated by the entrance checklist election official.”

On Tuesday night, O’donnell said that wasn’t the issue.

“She never identified herself as a poll watcher,” she said. “All she said to us [were questions like] how many people were vot-ing and how they were voting.”

“It was the way she phrased things to us,” she said.

O’donnell, who said approxi-mately ten people witnessed the conflict, said that “everyone was very nice” to gregory, but such questions are “against the law,” another point underscored in the Secretary of State’s newsletter.

The newsletter reminded town officials that “the presiding of-ficer is responsible for ensur-ing that no campaign literature, stickers, buttons, name stamps, information on candidates or other political materials are placed, handed out, displayed or allowed to remain,” and “The presiding officer is also respon-sible for ensuring that no can-didate, election official or other person solicits voters or other-wise campaigns in the polling place.”

gregory said she called a democratic party attorney and the Secretary of State’s office and was assured that state law did not prohibit her objectives.

Once gregory returned to the polls and identified herself

as a poll watcher, she was given a chair and accommodated, O’donnell said.

And the only reason she inter-vened at all, she added, was be-cause Town Clerk Sandy harris had left the room for the first break she had all day.

According to gregory, she was sent outside because she was ob-structing voting and asking peo-ple their parties. gregory said she was not doing either.

“I’m totally confused. I feel a little traumatized, frankly,” said gregory.

One of ‘three or four things’

Kathy deWolfe, the director of elections and campaign fi-nance in the Secretary of State’s office, said that after receiving complaints from the democrats, her office investigated the matter.

“Very possibly, the constable represented himself as a police officer,” she said. “I talked to the police chief, who said, ‘I can assure you that it was not a po-lice officer,’ so I talked to Sandy and she explained that she had been upstairs.”

harris said that deWolfe in-formed her of the contretemps and urged her to invite gregory back in as a poll watcher. “Once that happened, everything qui-eted down,” she said. A second poll watcher later observed with-out incident, according to both harris and deWolfe.

deWolfe described consta-bles as “anachronisms,” not-ing that the state did away with laws requiring that those officials be present at elections to guard the ballot box. “Elections have evolved,” she said, dryly.

“I said, number one, the law was changed more than 10 years ago,” deWolfe said. “There’s no reason to have a constable.”

She then said the division in-structed Vernon to “move patty” so she was not seated at the front door and to tell the constables, “‘thank you very much’ and send them home,” deWolfe said.

deWolfe characterized the mi-nor disturbance as one of “three or four things” in Vernon that could potentially give davis, the democratic challenger, grounds to contest the election results.

In one such example, last month davis complained that a two-page advertisement for hebert in the Vernon Newspaper wasn’t identified as such, po-tentially leaving an impression that the town officially endorsed his opponent in the taxpayer-supported, town-published

newsletter.davis could have grounds

to contest the results “if any-thing happened that might have changed the outcome of the elec-tion,” deWolfe said.

Rancor outsideA democra t ho ld ing a

Shumlin sign outside said the people holding signs endors-ing Republican candidates kept “yelling” at her for standing on town land, but wouldn’t allow her to stand on adjacent private property with them, per order of the landowner.

Lerna (who goes by the single name) said that a police officer also emerged from the town hall and “was yelling at me.”

Eventually, representatives

of both parties learned no or-dinances prevented them from holding the signs on town prop-erty. At that point, Lerna said, “their side” all came over to where she was standing and one man put his sign in the ground right in front of her Shumlin sign.

“The anger was oozing from them,” Lerna said.

Uneventful counting

Tenney and nancy Braus, of putney, monitored the last hour or so of polling and the final count of the record 912 votes cast, a process that Braus char-acterized as above board.

Tenney was disappointed that no one was checking the readers reading off the ballots but didn’t

think anyone was “trying to bull."Inside the polling area after

the polls closed, harris and a team of 21 people started hand counting the votes.

Tenney and Braus asked the town clerk if there had been any kind of “shenanigans."

never, harris joked — as a former long-term bus driver, people were scared of her.

With additional reporting by Olga Peters.

Democrats say poll watcher removed from vernon electionOutgoing Republican state rep. working at polls calls questions and behavior intimidating, illegal

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Republican michael Hebert

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Hebert, Stuart win House seats; incumbents cruise to victoryBy Randolph T. HolhutThe Commons

In the six contested house races in Windham County on Tuesday, all the incum-bents came out on top in their respective races, while

Republicans picked up one of the two open seats in the county.

Turnout was heavy, and more than half the towns in the county opened the polls at 9 a.m. or earlier to accommodate vot-ers. Townshend, Vernon and Wilmington opened their respec-tive doors at 7 a.m.

E l e c t i o n o f f i c i a l s i n W h i t i n g h a m , h a l i f a x , Wilmington and dover reported a steady stream of voters.

Wilmington Town Clerk Susan haughwout described the turnout as “pretty typical."

Vernon set a town record, with 912 of the 1,637 registered vot-ers casting ballots.

halifax election official Laura gerdes said officials were sur-prised to find people waiting outside when the polls opened at 10 a.m.

“I vote because it’s my desire to be a good citizen,” said halifax resident Robert Rogers.

“And, it cancels my wife’s vote,” Rogers added with a smile.

“Marlboro is never afraid to s end a qua l i f i ed pe r -son to the state senate,” said Clarence Boston of Marlboro, a democratic committee chair who was sticking galbraith and Shumlin signs into the ground across from the polling place.

The most hotly contested race was in Windham-1, as Republican Michael hebert of Vernon defeated democrat Richard davis of guilford, 949-812, in a race to succeed Republican patricia O’donnell.

While davis bested hebert by a 638-289 margin in guilford, a heavy turnout in Vernon gave hebert a 720-174 victory.

“not enough people voted in guilford,” said davis.

For hebert, it was his first suc-cessful run for statewide office. “I feel like I’m coming in after a hall-of-famer,” said hebert. “There’s a lot I’m going to have to learn from patty about repre-senting this district.”

hebert said there was little doubt in his mind what was the deciding issue in this race. “It was Vermont Yankee. It’s an enormous issue, and this elec-tion was a referendum on VY.”

democrat Valerie Stuart defeated Republican Richard Morton by a 1,132-498 margin

in a battle of newcomers to take the Brattleboro district-1 seat previously held by Virginia “gini” Milkey.

“I think people wanted some-one more moderate, and that showed in the results,” said Stuart.

“I don’t regret running,” said Morton. “I’m glad I could give people a choice.”

In Windham-4, democratic Reps. Michael Obuchowski of Bellows Falls and Carolyn partridge of Windham turned back a challenge from indepen-dent candidate Chris Moore to retain their seats.

R e p . R i c h a r d M a r e k ( d - n e w f a n e ) d e f e a t e d Republican newcomer gaila gulack to win his fifth term in Windham-6.

R e p . J o h n M o r a n (d-Wardsboro) won a third term representing Windham-Bennington-1 , defeat ing Republican newcomer geralyn Sniatkowski of dover.

Rep. Oliver Olsen of Jamaica defeated democratic challenger Claire Trask of Londonderry to win his first full term represent-ing the Windham-Bennington-Windsor-1 district. Olsen was appointed earlier this year to fill out the remainder of the term

of Rick hube, who died last december.

In other contested races on the ballot in Windham County, Sheriff Keith Clark of Westminster won his sec-ond term over Republican challenger William Manch of Vernon. Clark, serving with the Vermont Army national guard in Afghanistan, was not able to campaign this year but is ex-pected to return by the end of the year.

Incumbent democrat Tracy Kelly Shriver of Brattleboro won her first full term as State’s Attorney over independent gwen harris of Brattleboro. Shriver was appointed in 2007 to fill the remainder of the term of retired State’s Attorney dan davis. For harris, it was her fourth unsuccessful attempt at winning the office.

Expanding the vote

In a statewide referendum, voters approved a measure to amend the state constitution to allow 17-year-olds who turn 18 before the general election to vote in primary elections.

The measure, led by Windham County Sen. Jeanette White, was designed to get more younger voters involved in the electoral process. Ten other states allow 17-year-olds to vote in prima-ries, provided they turn 18 by the general election. Town clerks around the state had mixed opin-ions about the measure.

The amendment change, said White, will provide a framework for the Legislature to work with town clerks on the details of the

age change before it takes effect in the 2012 election.

“I’m very excited,” said White. “This gets young voters involved with the democratic process while they’re excited about it.”

VY by eminent domain?

Brattleboro voters approved a citizen proposal to begin a feasibility study to look at tak-ing over the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant by eminent domain. The margin was 2,387 yes, 1,826 no.

The vote was held Tuesday after a Windham Superior Court decision ruled that the Brattleboro Selectboard

improperly voted against includ-ing the measure in this year’s Annual Town Meeting warrant, despite the petition having the required 5 percent of registered voter signatures.

Kurt daims, who presented the original petition to the Selectboard earlier this year, has maintained that the eminent domain process is the only way to determine how much it will cost to decommission Vermont Yankee and that closing the plant is an issue that directly affects the town.

Commons reporter Olga Peters contributed to this report.


michelle Rubino turns in her ballot at the Dummerston Congregational Church.


Poll worker Dorothy Fontaine takes a breather while waiting for voters in Brookline.


Poll workers Kim Bank, left, and Jackie LeBlanc review the checklist and offer intstructions to voters at the grafton Town Hall.

4 ELECTION 2010 T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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Windham County’s two state sen-ate seats stayed in democratic h a n d s o n

Tuesday as Sen. Jeanette White of putney won her fifth term. She will be joined by former u.S. ambassador peter galbraith of Townshend.

White and galbraith defeated Republican challengers Lynn Corum and hilary Cooke, both of Brattleboro.

At press time, with 87 percent of the vote counted, galbraith was the top vote getter with 8,557 votes. White was close behind with 8,212 votes. Cooke got 4,026 votes and Corum had 3,232. Third-party candidate Aaron diamondstone received 664 votes.

galbraith will succeed peter Shumlin, who gave up his seat to run for governor.

“I am grateful to the voters of Windham County for hiring me,” said galbraith. “I know there’s a tough job ahead and I am looking forward to get-ting down to work,” adding that health care reform, expanded broadband Internet coverage and “addressing in a responsi-ble way the fiscal challenges our state faces” will be among the major issues he hopes to work on in office.

For White, the feeling of run-ning for office remains a hum-bling experience.

“Whenever I see my name on a lawn sign or on a ballot, I get a little tickle inside,” she said. “I am honored that people have enough faith in me that they want me to return to Montpelier to make decisions for them.”

White said she hopes to re-main in her current committee assignments in the Senate. She is the chair of the government Operations Committee, and is a member of the government Accountability and Institutions committees.

Corum, a longtime member of the Brattleboro union high School Board, said she “knew


Sen. Jeanette white, D-Putney, interviewed by a group of students from the School for International Training.


Former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Peter galbraith stands with milena mihajlovic, a Serbian exchange student who is attending Leland & gray Union High School this year.

that winning my race was a long shot.” She said she didn’t invest a lot of resources into her cam-paign for that reason.

Cooke, an insurance consul-tant, was making his first run for public office. unlike Corum, he did invest much of his time and resources on this campaign and was deeply disappointed at losing.

“They [White and galbraith] ran an excellent race,” said Cooke. “The voters made a clear choice that they wanted to give Jeanette another opportu-nity to serve in the Senate and that they wanted to give peter a chance to serve.”

Republican challengers Hilary Cooke and Lynn Corum.

White, Galbraith emerge as victors over Corum, Cooke in state senate race

Local towns to conduct annual VY siren tests

BRATTLEBORO — The emergency sirens in Vermont Yankee’s emergency planning zone will be sounded longer than usual (three minutes) dur-ing their normal monthly testing in the first week in november in the following order:

On Wednesday, nov. 3, the Massachusetts towns of Bernardston, Colrain, gill, Leyden, and northfield will conduct the extended siren tests at the usual time of 7 p.m.

On Saturday, nov. 6, at noon, the extended sounding will oc-cur in the towns of Brattleboro, dummerston and guilford.

Also on Saturday, nov. 6, the new hampshire towns of Chesterfield, Richmond, Swanzey and Winchester will conduct the testing at their usual time of 12:30 p.m.

Later in the month, the town of Vernon will test its sirens at 7 p.m., on Thursday, nov. 18.

hinsdale, n.h., conducted its test in nov. 2.

The extended three-minute siren sounding test is conducted annually to verify the operability of the 37 sirens in the emergency notification system.

The sirens can generate sev-eral types of tones that can be activated by the individual towns for their own purposes. The three-minute test will be a steady tone that varies slightly in volume as the siren rotates. however, several sirens are mounted on buildings and, by design, do not rotate.

As stated in the emergency plan information annually dis-tributed to residents and busi-nesses, the purpose of the steady tone is to direct residents to tune to a local emergency alert sys-tem (EAS) radio station such as WTSA 96.7 FM, WhAI 98.3 FM or WKnE 103.7 FM. There are a total of 21 local EAS stations that would relay detailed messages from state public safety agencies about rec-ommended public responses to an emergency.

Residents who have ques-tions on the testing to con-tact their town’s emergency management director or Mark gilmore at Vermont Yankee at 802-258-4168.

VFW Ladies Auxiliary host craft fair

BRATTLEBORO — The Ladies Auxiliary VFW #1034 will sponsor a craft fair at their post home on Black Mountain Road on Sunday, nov. 7, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

The fair features local crafters, the Support Our Soldiers Yellow Ribbon group, and homemade goodies made by a local cancer support group. The LAVFW will have a Chinese Auction ta-ble and Thelma will be present in the kitchen providing a deli-cious lunch.

T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 ELECTION 2010 5

on a long career in the u.S. Senate. gibson served from 1947 to 1950, resigning be-fore the end of his second term to take a position as a u.S. district Court judge. Salmon served two terms, from 1973 to 1977, and was an unsuc-cessful candidate for u.S. Senate, losing to incumbent Robert T. Stafford in 1976.

For Shumlin, Tuesday was the culmination of a long political career that began with 13 years on the putney Selectboard, three years in the Vermont house (1989–1993) and two stints in the Vermont Senate (1993–2003 and 2007 to the present). It was redemp-tion for his last try for state-wide office, an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor in 2002.

S h u m l i n c a m e t o Brattleboro on Sunday after-noon for one last campaign ap-pearence in front of his local supporters. About 200 people jammed the River garden to hear the candidate, who was introduced by his running mate, Steve howard, and Congressman peter Welch.

In a firey 20-minute speech, Shumlin touched upon all the issues he was running on — such as single-payer health care, early childhood educa-tion, energy policy and climate change — and passed up few chances to needle his oppo-nent. As he put it, “Brian and I come from different planets.”

Shumlin went after dubie for his plan to cut taxes for wealthy Vermonters and his lack of enthusiasm for health care reform.

“no business owner has ever told me that their employ-ees need a tax cut,” Shumlin said. “But everyone of them said they need reliable, afford-able health care.”

he derided dubie for his professed skepticism on global warming, and reminded peo-ple how the Legislature fo-cused on the issue during the 2006 session.

“Remember, the douglas/dubie team called this ‘a bou-tique issue,’” Shumlin said. “I sort of think that the future of the planet is not a boutique is-sue. There are opportunities as we get off our addition to oil, as we say goodbye to leaking, lying nuclear plants. We have a bright economic future.”

Shumlin, who has dys-lexia, emphasized the need for early childhood education by talking about how his sec-ond grade teacher at putney Elementary School, Claire

Oglesby, “never gave up on me” and inspired him to aim high and dream big.

he concluded by saying that when he took office, he would make sure that Windham County is not forgotten in Montpelier. “Vermont doesn’t end south of Route 4,” he said.

I f h e w i n s , S h u m l i n will have to serve with a Republican lieutenant gov-ernor. State Sen. phil Scott, R-Washington, defeated howard, a democratic house member from Rutland, by a 49–43 percent margin.

In other contested statewide races, Republican auditor Tom Salmon was re-elected to a third term over democratic challenger doug hoffer by a 51–46 percent margin, democrat Jim Condos de-feated Republican Jason gibbs by a 54–44 percent margin and Treasurer Jeb Spaulding and Attorney general William Sorrell both turned aside a group of third-party challeng-ers to win re-election.

giving renewable energy a hand in the marketplace

humming away at the Windham Solid Waste Management

district’s complex on Old Ferry Road in Brattleboro is a 250-kilowatt electrical gen-erator powered by methane gas. The gas comes from trash that’s decaying in the former WSWMd landfill.

Central Vermont public Service is buying the electric-ity this generator is producing, enough to power about 300 homes. And soon, waste heat from the generator will heat a 20,000-square-foot green-house and aquaculture facil-ity that will provide organic food to local markets and the Vermont Foodbank.

What Burlington-based Carbon harvest Energy has planned on Old Ferry Road — a complete, closed-loop agricultural system that will produce food and energy with virtually no waste — will be a tremendous addition to the local economy. But it likely would have never happened without Act 45.

Last year, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 45, designed to spur the devel-opment of in-state energy from solar, wind, biofuel, hydro, and methane. under the state’s Sustainably priced Energy development program, dubbed “SpEEd,” Vermont’s utilities are di-rected to buy, at premium rates for 25 years, about 5 percent of the state’s peak electric loads. This require-ment is known as a feed-in tariff (FIT).

With FITs, any person or entity generating electric-ity from a renewable energy source — whether a home-owner, small business, or large electric utility — is able to sell that power into the grid and receive long-term pay-ments for each kilowatt-hour produced.

payments are set at pre-established rates, often higher than what the market would ordinarily pay, to ensure that developers earn profitable re-turns. The rates for Vermont’s SpEEd program range from

9 cents per kilowatt hour for landfill methane power proj-ects such as Carbon harvest’s to 24 cents per kilowatt hour for solar power.

This is how world renew-able energy leaders such as denmark, germany and Spain have been able to rap-idly deploy wind and solar power over the past decade. Similar policies have since been adopted by many other countries, as FITs have be-come the most prevalent tool for promoting renewable energy.

Critics have complained that this law forces Vermont utilities to pay more for elec-tricity. But these critics fail to recognize that the cost of re-newable energy is steadily de-clining. As fossil fuel prices rise, renewables have become more and more attractive to investors.

They also neglect the suc-cess that European nations have seen in subsidizing such sources of power.

At the same time, these critics also neglect the billions

upon billions of dollars of subsidies that our federal gov-ernment has given and contin-ues to give to nuclear power — a energy source that never has been able to compete in the so-called “free market.”

Many electric consumers in Vermont say they are will-ing to pay more for renew-able energy, and programs such as CVpS’s “Cow power” and green Mountain power’s “greener gMp” reflect this desire to support non-fossil fuel, non-nuclear sources of energy.

While the current per kilo-watt-hour FITs for renew-able energy in the SpEEd program far exceed the 4.2 cents per kilowatt-hour that Vermont Yankee charges for its electricity, two things are certain.

The price of Vermont Yankee’s power — if it stays open past 2012 — will rise, and the price of renewables will decline as more projects come on line and the technol-ogy improves.

Care packageHow a doctor and his wife ran a ‘mom-and-pop doc shop’ in Townshend — and why they gave their business away

6 T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

E D I T O R I A L

M E M O I R

VOICES O P I N I O N • C O M M E N T A R Y • L E T T E R S Join the discussion: [email protected]

Williamsville

FOR 16 YEARS, I man-aged my husband’s medical practice. The “Mom and pop doc

Shop,” I called it, because it was like an old-time general store where the proprietors lived in back and knew who would come in when, what they would buy, and when they would pay, if ever.

Our office was never so quaint as to be attached to our house, but that never stopped patients from dropping by af-ter hours for an informal con-sult. And, like a general store, it took both of us to run the practice.

Tim Shafer and I met in 1984, the year he arrived in Townshend, Vt., as a doctor for the national health Service Corps (nhSC). The Corps — a program funded through the u.S. public health Service — had paid Tim’s dartmouth Medical School tuition in re-turn for a commitment to work for three years in an

underserved region.The nhSC hoped that doc-

tors would decide to stay and practice in the area where they did their service, but the two previous nhSC doctors posted in Townshend had left as soon as their payback period was over.

By the time Tim’s three years were up, however, he and I were married, and we’d put down roots in Townshend. We decided to stay, so the nhSC turned the practice over to us — lock, stock, and receivables.

The only problem was that Tim was too busy doctoring to take care of the books. I, on the other hand, had just com-pleted my doctorate in English

literature and was unemployed and pregnant. We consulted a business advisor; started a checking account with $2,000 in it; and, on July 1, 1987, opened for business.

To Tim’s patients, the change was seamless. The of-fice location and phone num-ber remained, as did the staff. What changed was our need to turn a profit, since the Corps was no longer footing the bill.

After paying our employees’ wages and benefits, after cov-ering the rent and utilities, af-ter buying the Band-Aids and cotton balls, we needed to have enough money left over to pay ourselves something.

For 16 years we succeeded,

though sometimes by the skin of our teeth. And then, on July 1, 2003, we gave the practice away.

Again, to Tim’s patients, the change was seamless. The big-gest changes were for us: a reg-ular paycheck and generous benefits for Tim, and freedom from working in health care for me.

There had been significant changes in the way Tim prac-ticed medicine during those 16 years, but far bigger changes in the operational arena — in-cluding debilitating govern-mental regulations and the health insurance industry’s takeover of the delivery of pri-mary care, introducing an excess of paperwork and a re-duction in payments, which made staying independent and profitable ever more difficult.

Two other factors also con-tributed to our decision to close the “store.” One, ironi-cally, was the cost of providing health insurance for ourselves and our employees. The other

was the invisible and intangible cost to our family.

This is the story of what hap-pened, and how it affected us, in the years between 1987 and 2003.

WhEn TIM FIRST arrived in Townshend, he was one of two family physicians covering the emergency room at grace Cottage hospital, a 19-bed outpost located an hour and a half southwest of dartmouth-hitchcock Medical Center.

In addition, Tim also took and developed whatever x-rays his patients needed, drew blood, ran simple lab tests, went on ambulance calls, and served as the regional medical examiner. All of those activities took time — time away from his clinical practice, which was what generated our income.

Back then, the ambulance service was a volunteer affair and the ambulance itself a re-tired hearse. Tim often rode in back, offering what care he could on the trip up — to either Brattleboro (20 miles away), or dartmouth, n.h. (60 miles away) — and catching what shut-eye he could in the empty gurney on the way back.

In those days, before the widespread use of statins to treat high cholesterol and of clotbusting drugs to interrupt myocardial infarctions, heart attacks — as they used to be called — were a frequent oc-currence. Little could be done besides wait them out and then transport the patient to Brattleboro or dartmouth.

Yet today, heart attacks — and other formerly common emergencies — are rare events at grace Cottage. Kevlar chaps protect loggers’ legs from chainsaw blades, reducing the number who get rushed to the ER. Antibiotics and acid-reduction medications pre-vent bleeding ulcers, another once-popular cause of ER admissions.

As a result, the number of hospital procedures Tim does for dramatic illness and injury has declined, while the amount of preventive care and disease management he provides in the office has increased — as has the cost of providing that care.

In 1987, few of Tim’s patients had health insurance. Those who did were insured only against calamity; they carried major-medical policies that covered traumatic injury or ill-ness after they’d met an annual deductible.

Charges for the family doc-tor’s care of injury or illness could be applied to the deduct-ible, but charges for routine wellness care could not. So an-nual physicals and well-child visits typically had to be paid for out of pocket, setting pa-tients back $17 — real money in the 1980s.

From a business point of view, the bookkeeping was fairly simple. As patients left the office, they paid their bill and were given a receipt to send to their insurance company for reimburse-ment. Except for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare, and Medicaid, our office did not usually interfere in the patient-insurer relationship; we only provided health care.

It is this that has dramati-cally changed.

We had inherited some aging receivables with the practice, so we bought one of the few medi-cal software programs then on the market and became the first computer users in the local medical community.

The computer proved so much more efficient than the old manual system that we be-gan billing insurance compa-nies on behalf of our patients. Before long, we became inter-mediaries — running between insurer and subscriber in our effort to get paid.

The year we went into busi-ness, 1987, was also the year that managed care came to Townshend.

Tim signed on to be a pro-vider for the managed-care company, and in the early years our monthly capitation checks — a fixed payment we received for each covered pa-tient — were often what carried us through.

We bought this same man-aged-care plan to cover our employees and ourselves — all of us then under 40 and healthy. The premiums were

less expensive than traditional major-medical coverage, and the out-of-pocket copay was just $2, a fee all of us could afford.

AT FIRST, our business pros-pered and our family flour-ished. We quickly had three healthy children and, between the two of us, were earning a comfortable salary by local, if not medical, standards.

My job at the office was part-time, but Tim worked 12- to 14-hour days and covered the ER at grace Cottage hospital every third night. he also deliv-ered babies.

There were days when he didn’t see his own babies. As his schedule became increas-ingly onerous, he yearned for family time. I craved his com-panionship and partnership in parenting.

neither of us recalls those years in great detail. We ad-justed according to our needs: I learned to sleep through the phone ringing in the night; Tim learned to sleep through the kids’ nighttime cries. We were too tired to question this di-vision of labor, though there were times I wondered how I’d ended up as a bookkeeper with a ph.d. in English.

We had been incredibly for-tunate to start off without debt; it is unlikely we could have managed if we’d had loans to pay off.

Our financial status changed in 1990, however, when we outgrew our rented office space. unable to afford a com-mercial mortgage, we were lucky to negotiate a family loan.

We bought and renovated a former restaurant build-ing. Our expenses soared and our income plunged. In ad-dition to keeping the books, I now cleaned the office at night, and Tim took the trash to the dump.

Tim also started seeing more patients every week. We trained our patients to make their copays at the door. We upgraded our computers and instituted electronic billing to insurance companies. We started accepting credit cards.We hired a collection agency to pursue bad debts.

Collecting bad debts has to be one of the worst jobs in the world, and fairly futile in health care. Most of those who didn’t pay couldn’t, and there is little one can do about the few who simply won’t.

A good 95 percent of our patients paid their bills. The 5 percent who didn’t were almost all treated in the emergency room — people who had either no insurance, no address, or no intention of paying even if they could.

This is an example of the kind of cost-shifting routinely practiced in health care; in this case, the cost of caring for the uninsured was shifted to the physicians who treated them.

unfortunately, in the fee-for-service model, trying to collect from this often fragile and usu-ally transient population was the only way for Tim to be paid for his nights and weekends on call. So the work that cost him — and his family — the most in terms of his own health and happiness paid him the least.

Our children would ask, “Is dad on call?” on the nights when Tim wasn’t home by bedtime. If we hadn’t seen him in a few days, we’d visit the hospital and join him there for a meal, or stop by the office and raid the pediatric drawer for stickers.

Tim wanted to be with his children and would rush home to give them their baths when-ever he could. Then, after sto-ries, songs, and goodnights, he’d return to the office to fin-ish his charts.

Three years after we moved into the new building, Tim was working harder, he had less family time, and our income had still not recovered. Yes, we had built equity, but equity didn’t buy our kids milk at the store.

MY FAThER, a successful businessman, had counseled us that there were only three ways to increase profit: cut costs, increase productivity, or raise prices. We’d done the first two and, in the highly regulated health-care industry, there were strict limits on what we could do about the third.

DEBORAh LEE LUSkIN, a monthly Commons colum-nist, recently published her novel Into the Wilderness. She works as a freelance writer and frequently comments on Vermont Public Radio. This piece was originally published in 2007 in dartmouth Medicine, the Dartmouth Medical School’s alumni magazine; the 1994 photo-graphs of Tim Shafer that appeared with that story made their debut in hippocrates and are used here as well with the kind permission of photographer Max Aguilera-Hellweg.

MAx AguILERA-hELLWEg/SpECIAL TO ThE COMMOnS

Dr. Tim Shafer treats a young patient.

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Medicare and Medicaid ac-counted for half of Tim’s prac-tice — or “payor mix,” in the lingo of the jargon-laden industry.

Medicare and Medicaid are government-funded insurance, and in our fee-for-service sys-tem the government sets the price it will pay and then takes a 20 percent discount from that price. On my most exhausted and cynical days, I proposed that after we figured our federal tax liability, we should deduct 20 percent from what we owed. Just the idea cheered me up.

There was a way to improve our Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements — if we were willing to take on the added work of becoming a Rural health Clinic.

The RhC program had been established in 1977 to address an inadequate supply of phy-sicians serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in rural areas. Like the national health Service, which brings physi-cians to medically underserved areas, Rural health Clinics aim to keep them there.

After considering our op-tions — most of which in-cluded packing up and moving — we hired consultants, bor-rowed money to pay them, and applied to be an RhC.

Though it was a program designed for small, struggling, rural practices, we had to write a policies and procedures man-ual befitting a Fortune 500 company and draw up an orga-nizational chart. Every function had to have a job title and a job description.

With only five employees, several of us had more than one. Tim was owner, medical director and laboratory direc-tor, trash hauler, and snow re-mover. I was practice manager, head of human resources and information technology, direc-tor of facilities, and safety of-ficer. I even had to conduct an annual fire drill — and docu-ment it.

Over time, we learned how to fulfill the often-redundant, sometimes-opaque reporting requirements of being an RhC. We also learned that though we had strict deadlines for our re-ports — with interest and pen-alties if we failed to meet them — Medicare and Medicaid could take forever to audit our reports and always did.

nevertheless, for several years we were able to pay our bills, pay an office cleaner, pay ourselves, raise wages, and fund a profit-sharing plan for retirement.

WE BECAME an RhC in 1994, a watershed year for two other reasons: Tim stopped deliver-ing babies, and a fourth doctor came to town. unlike the three other local family practitioners, however, this physician was not in private practice but was an employee of the hospital.

When I met Tim in 1984, he was one of just two doc-tors covering the ER at grace Cottage. When he asked me to marry him, I said, “Yes — when there’s a third doctor in town.” The third doctor mirac-ulously materialized the follow-ing year, and the three of them had shared call since then.

There had been room for a fourth for some time, but it was a tough sell. Sometimes phy-sicians would stumble across grace Cottage when they were vacationing in southern Vermont; others heard about this tiny hospital through the medical grapevine.

Whenever doctors expressed interest in setting up shop in town, we’d have them over for dinner — one couple trying to seduce another to join an un-questionably good life, which would be so much better if only there was one more doc with whom to share call.

The way Tim practiced medicine was very appealing: he was his own boss, he treated whole families, he made house calls, and he was part of the social fabric of the town that he served. Other bonuses in-cluded a two-mile commute and casual dress every day of the week.

Our small-town life was bu-colic: we lived in an antique cape, grew lots of vegetables, tended a flock of chickens, kept bees, and even raised our own pig. We were part of a commu-nity. We also lived smack in the midst of new England’s beauty and could snowshoe out our back door or be in the green Mountain national Forest within minutes.

These dinners were always a great success, followed by the inevitable morning-after of fi-nancial truth. We could barely pay ourselves, let alone hire another physician. Short of finding a doctor with enough savings to be self-sustaining for an indefinite time, in anticipa-tion of an uncertain income, we just could not persuade anyone to join us.

After two promising pros-pects bowed out, the grace Cottage administration stepped in and hired a doctor — paying a salary and providing benefits, an office, and staff.

Once there were four docs in the call schedule, and a guar-anteed living wage, working in Townshend became more at-tractive. Shortly thereafter, the hospital hired a fifth doctor, then a sixth. For one spell, the call schedule included seven physicians, but that didn’t last.

By that time, most insurance policies covered some well-ness care — a benefit designed, in theory, to encourage better health maintenance.

In fact, what these plans did was shift the administration of the benefits to the physician’s staff. In our small office, we would submit claims on behalf of our patients in order to be paid by their insurers.

The increased expenses as-sociated with this billing — in time and technology — were never reimbursed; they simply took a bigger bite out of every dollar that came in.

At the same time, our pa-tients often didn’t understand how their managed-care poli-cies worked. Our staff worked hard both to educate them and to work the system in our pa-tients’ favor.

But it is not easy arguing with an automated answering system or explaining to a hu-man drone that it’s burden-some at best, and sometimes impossible, for patients to get to the company’s one net-worked mammogram site in Burlington, three hours away.

different insurance com-panies and different policies also covered different services.Our staff researched the vari-ous policies to find out what a given patient’s coverage would allow Tim to do. So instead of Tim providing the care his pa-tients’ conditions required, he was providing the care his pa-tients’ insurers allowed.

WE WERE BLESSEd with em-ployees who worked hard for our patients and were loyal to Tim and forgiving of me. The “Ladies,” as we called them (they were all women), really ran the joint. They knew our patients well and so knew who needed to be seen immediately. They could squeeze 75 min-utes into every hour.

Working together in a tight space, however, they could also get on each other’s nerves. They would complain to me about one another. In the early years, I’d jump in and try to fix things, bruising feelings along the way. Over the years, I learned that all I really had to do was listen.

I also resented our employ-ees’ annual raises in the early years. As we worked together, however, I came to appreciate these women, wished I could pay them more, and considered them our allies.

nevertheless, the economic reality was that their hourly wage was only about half the cost of their employment to us. Wages triggered taxes for Social Security, Medicare, worker’s compensation, and unemployment. In addition, they each received six paid hol-idays and two to three weeks of paid vacation. We also offered other benefits, such as paid lunches, profit sharing, and health insurance.

The “Ladies” often chose to forgo raises in return for full payment of their health insur-ance premiums, which rose yearly.

To stay ahead of the curve, we kept switching to poli-cies with higher copays and higher deductibles; the busi-ness picked up employees’ out-of-pocket costs after the first $200. In our penultimate year in business, three employees met the $2,500 deductible. It was a very lean year for us.

It was also a year of more-than-usual staff illness and absence from work. So in ad-dition to my management du-ties, I was filling in wherever I could. Some patients loved it when I answered the phone and enjoyed chatting with the doctor’s wife; others, under-standably, didn’t want me in-volved in their care.

And I didn’t want to be there.

When we married, Tim and I made a pact not to stifle each other. Once the kids were in school, despite the demands of the medical practice, I had managed to draft two novels, publish a number of articles, and teach on a limited basis.

Those were things I was good at; I was not as good at answering the phone. And posting payments and process-ing paperwork only height-ened my awareness of how fragile our finances were again becoming.

But it wasn’t just the fi-nances. We probably could

have accepted the grim realities of declining income, unpaid vacations, inadequate retire-ment savings, and expensive health insurance if it hadn’t been for two things: summers and hIpAA.

SuMMERS hAd always been difficult. The kids, home from school, needed us. Even if we could have afforded summer-long camps, we didn’t want to send our kids away.

While the problem of finding good summertime child care is not unique to medical fami-lies, Tim’s unpredictable job requirements created both an extra challenge and a tension, since that meant the logistics and transportation devolved on me.

So I could continue to man-age the office, we enrolled the kids in local day camps, creat-ing a daily puzzle of play-dates and carpools. With the com-ing of good weather, Tim and I also wanted to get out and play, enjoy time with the kids, or at least get ahead of the weeds in the garden.

But summer also brought an influx of tourists to Vermont — all of them hell-bent on hav-ing a good time, which often landed them in the ER. not only was the ER busier in sum-mer, but the on-call rotation was compressed, as at least one doctor would be on vacation each week.

The summer of 2002 was the worst.

We took our three kids on a service mission, helping to run a drama and arts camp for or-phans in Russia. It was a three-week trip, the longest we’d ever been away from the office. Our wonderful nurse practitioner and a skeleton crew saw pa-tients in our absence, and I had paid bills and written the pay-roll checks in anticipation of our absence.

The trip was a busman’s holiday, with Tim practicing medicine and me mothering a horde of children in addition to our own.

When we returned, a snafu in the call schedule had Tim on call six days out of 12, and it took us another three weeks to recover. August, easily the busiest month in the ER, was made busier still the evening Tim was admitted.

he had wanted to check on the bee hives that we’d ne-glected most of the summer. It was too hot and sticky, I told him. not good bee weather.

I went for a walk. Tim looked in on the bees by him-self. despite his suit and hel-met, the bees mobbed him, triggering anaphylaxis. By the time I returned, Tim had in-jected himself with epineph-rine. he gave himself a second injection as I drove him to grace Cottage, where he got further treatment.

The next morning, he was back at work and on call.

WITh ThE BEES back in the hive and the kids back in school, I faced the task of try-ing to understand the health Insurance portability and Accountability Act, known as hIpAA.

We had already weathered CLIA and EMTALA, govern-ment regulations that made providing care more difficult for us and more expensive for our patients.

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), passed in 1988, shut down our office lab, where we had been able to perform sim-ple throat and urine cultures. Instead, we now were required to send cultures to a certified lab; the results took more time and the tests cost patients a great deal more money.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), known as the “anti-dumping law,” was passed in 1986 to ensure access to emergency services regard-less of patients’ ability to pay.

grace Cottage has always provided emergency care to all comers, regardless of their financial status; EMTALA changed how.

Before EMTALA, a patient who showed up at the ER dur-ing regular office hours with a simple laceration or common illness was sent to the office of whichever doctor was on call. The patient was seen promptly, along with all the other, regu-larly scheduled patients.

But EMTALA requires that a patient be seen in the ER. For Tim, whose office is a mile from the hospital, this means leaving a waiting room full of patients with appointments (most made weeks before) to take care of someone — usu-ally an out-of-towner — who’d walked into the ER.

That patient, of course, then incurred hospital charges as well as physician charges, driv-ing up the cost of the care.

Our experience with CLIA

and EMTALA made us fear that hIpAA would be worse. hIpAA was initially passed in 1996, but its privacy Rule wasn’t scheduled to go into ef-fect until April 2003.

The first conference I at-tended confirmed my fears that compliance with the new law would mean both more paper-work for our staff and a signifi-cant, added expense.

It was not clear to me if or how the law would protect our patients’ privacy more or even any differently from how we already guarded their personal health information. Again, the rules were written with huge organizations in mind, not a small, rural practice run by a doctor and his wife.

An 11th-hour reprieve for small establishments gave us an extra year before we had to have all our forms in place. But I didn’t see how another year would make any significant dif-ference to the bottom line.

Complying with hIpAA would have required us to re-tool our information technol-ogy yet again. It would hold us all, individually and collec-tively, accountable for non-compliance, including fines and criminal charges. More than once I wondered who was writing these laws!

Officials in Washington were writing these laws and, briefly, in the winter and spring of 2003, I was talking with peo-ple at both the state and federal level about turning our little RhC into a Federally Qualified health Center (FQhC). This would have made it the hub of a network stretching across at least two counties in southern Vermont.

It would have been a huge undertaking — thrilling and scary and much more interest-ing than trying to figure out

how to implement hIpAA. I purchased a power suit from the local thrift shop and wore it to a few meetings. It just didn’t fit.

I dIdn’T WAnT TO BE a health-care administrator, nor did Tim, and I couldn’t see how we could support our-selves through another bureau-cratic transition. So I made one more attempt to understand hIpAA.

I’m trained to read closely, to see both text and subtext. What I saw in the language of this law was an Orwellian corruption of meaning. The privacy Rule presents itself as a means of protecting sensitive health information, but what it really does is grant govern-ment, law enforcement, and insurance companies access to patients’ personal health re-cords. This was not a game I wanted to play.

Instead of putting hIpAA in place, we entered negotiations with grace Cottage to take over our practice. At the end of the day on June 30, 2003, we closed up shop. The next day, Tim was there as usual, but as an employee of the hospital.

It was hardest on our staff. Even though the hospi-tal matched their wages, of-fered them more and better benefits, and transferred their years of service, they were used to working for us, and that changed.

“It was like a family,” one former employee later told me. “Our patients were like family. Our coworkers were like fam-ily. I really miss it.”

Over the years, this woman had served as a receptionist, bookkeeper, substitute office nurse, insurance coder, and bill collector — sometimes all in the same day. now she’s a

certified medical billing special-ist, and that’s all she does, in an isolated cubicle, every work-ing day.

To my surprise, I sometimes miss it, too.

I don’t miss my Wednesday night pillow talk with Tim, which was always about whether or not we’d make Thursday’s payroll. I don’t miss the cost reports; I prefer not knowing who owes money for care.

But I do miss our former staff and our teamwork — the way we all pulled together to provide excellent, personal-ized care for our patients and for each other. I’ve moved on, however, to a growing career as a freelance teacher, researcher, and writer (often writing about physicians and medicine).

For Tim, what has changed is that he now has a regular paycheck and the freedom to practice medicine without the headaches of running a busi-ness as well.

Otherwise, much remains the same. he has paid per-sonal days and sick days but has yet to use one. he is still on call too often, is late for din-ner more often than not, and invariably works several hours on his days off. Since signing on with grace Cottage, he has been named medical director and so spends countless hours in meetings as well.

But what has not changed is that Tim is still there, doing what he does best: giving pa-tients his whole attention and providing them with the kind of primary care that takes good listening skills, sharp powers of observation, deep knowledge of a patient’s medical — as well as social history, and time to give comprehensive care. n

MAx AguILERA-hELLWEg/SpECIAL TO ThE COMMOnS

Dr. Tim Shafer fills out paperwork, an all-too-frequent part of the life of a rural doctor.

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public comment after Barlow left reflected favor for maintain-ing the Town Manager form of government.

Those in favor felt the posi-tion gave town government sta-bility as Selectboard members and state laws changed. Other residents also felt running a town had become more complicated than a five-member volunteer Selectboard should be expected to keep up with.

Before the polls closed, Finnigan said, “Whatever hap-pens, happens.”

n Town manager FROM pAgE 9

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Writer Elayne Clift will lead Memory Writing: Gateways to Creativity on Saturday, nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The participants will draw upon sen-sory memory to coax out their inner writers.

Clift is an award-winning au-thor, journalist and adjunct pro-fessor at several new England colleges.

“Memory is often a writ-er’s best friend,” Clift says. “Memories can be summoned to help us find beauty, express true feelings, laugh at our foibles, and understand our world through an adult lens. Indeed, writer William giraldi says imagination is impotent without memory.”

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gives an unelected official much too much authority by statute,” said Finnigan.

The group, however, stopped gathering signatures because people wanted more informa-tion on alternatives to the town manager position.

When then-manager Bob Rusten resigned in September, the group picked up the petition once again, filing it with the town clerk on Sept. 27.

Finnigan said she never had an issue with Rusten as a per-son but felt he was legally al-lowed to stand between her and the Selectboard on an issue she had with another town depart-ment head.

‘Significant restructuring’

Town managers act like a pro-fessional arm of the Selectboard and have a legal responsibility to administer and manage the du-ties invested in the Selectboard under state statue.

Their broad set of responsibili-ties include serving as the head of town departments, taking on fiscal responsibilities and, if the town approves the duties as part of the job description, col-lector of taxes from delinquent taxpayers.

“It’s a pretty significant re-structuring of local government,” said Jim Barlow, senior staff at-torney with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

According to Barlow, the prime responsibility of the po-sition is to free the Selectboard to focus on the bigger picture of town development and vot-ers’ concerns by managing the

day-to-day town operations.The town held an informa-

tional meeting for residents cu-rious about the pros and cons of the town manager form of government.

The Selectboard, at the sug-gestion of Chair Thomas p. Consolino, invited Barlow to ex-plain the statute.

More than 30 people attended the Oct. 27 meeting.

“I have no opinion what way is better or best. We [VLCT] em-brace and love all of you,” said Barlow. The audience laughed.

A c c o r d i n g t o B a r l o w , Vermont adopted the town manager statue in 1917. he speculates the state crafted the law because as towns grew they needed a professional manager position to help Selectboards execute town business.

“What you’re considering do-ing is very unique,” said Barlow who usually speaks to officials looking to adopt a town man-ager form of government, not dissolve it.

Windsor returned to the town manager form of government after it voted to remove the position.

An unusual direction

Some towns opt for town administrator positions, which Barlow described as “creatures of local decision.”

unlike town managers, town administrators are not covered by statute, and towns do not re-quire voter approval to hire such employees. The choice to hire an administrator, designing a job description and assigning duties lies solely with the Selectboard.

Barlow said VLCT colleagues could think of only one example — Brighton, in the northeast Kingdom — of a town switching from a town manager to hiring a town administrator.

dover also moved from a town manager to an administrator in the 1960s.

Wilmington’s population of 2,300 falls at the lower end of the spectrum of towns with town managers. But towns experienc-ing large seasonal shifts in pop-ulation, like Killington (1,100), tend to have town managers re-gardless of size, said Barlow.

“For your population, you can have a lot going on,” said Barlow.

In Barlow’s view, the town manager form of government creates a system of accountabil-ity. A town manager holds office at the will of the Selectboard and can be removed by majority.

Members of the public ex-pressed concern that the town manager could make policy-level decisions, taking the town in di-rections voters didn’t approve and couldn’t stop because the position is unelected.

“policy-level decisions are left to the Selectboard,” Barlow said.

Barlow explained smart town managers wouldn’t use stat-ute as leverage against their Selectboards’ directives, despite the ability to do so, thus putting their jobs at risk.

Barlow said a pro of having a town administrator role is the customized job description. But

8 NEWS T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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SPORTS & RECREATION

The Bellows Falls Terriers capped off a successful regular sea-son Saturday with a

42-24 demolition of the under-manned Springfield Cosmos at hadley Field.

It was the 99th game be-tween these long-time rivals, and BF holds a 50-45-4 lead in the series. Springfield only dressed 19 players for this game, and they had few an-swers against the top team in division III.

normally, the Terriers give teams a heavy dose of run-ning back Ryan hayward. But after he scored the first two touchdowns on runs of 20 and 37 yards, junior quarterback Jeremy Kilburn took over.

Kilburn threw for three touchdowns and ran for an-other. Will Bourne hauled in two of those touchdown passes, while Brendan hackett reeled in the third.

With the win, the Terriers (6-3 overall, 6-1 in division play) took possession of “The Trophy” and earned a home playoff game on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Oxbow.

• The Brattleboro Colonels

ended a disappointing sea-son on Friday night with a 40-13 loss to archrival Mount Anthony at natowich Field.

Junior running back Alex Cross gave the patriots their first win of the season with 244 yards of rushing and three touchdowns. Brattleboro quarterback nate Forrett threw for two touchdowns, a 30-yarder to Josh LaValley and a 36-yarder to griffin Sparks. The Colonels ended the sea-son at 0-9.

Cross country • The Vermont Cross

Country Championships were held at Thetford Academy on Saturday, and our local com-petitors did well.

Brattleboro’s Jacob Ellis fin-ished sixth in the state with a time of 18 minutes, 4 sec-onds on a muddy 5-kilometer

course. That time allowed him to qualify for the new England championships, and helped the Colonel boys to finish ninth in division I. Rounding out the Colonel top five were Zeke Fitzgerald (51st in 19:41), Allen unaitis, Spencer Olson and Austin Lester,

Brattleboro’s hannah Reichel was the top local girls finisher, she was 41st in 22:54. She led the Brattleboro girls to a 13th place finish in division I. placing in the team scor-ing was Maud Benit (54th in 23:50), helen Manning (81st in 25:44). Leah Silverman (86th in 27:28) and Emma Straus (87th in 27:54).

Bellows Falls sent four run-ners to compete in the division III event. Jon punger took fourth in the boys race with a time of 18:50. Colin Johnson was 28th in 20:18 and Tim Jones finished 29th in 20:31. Becky O’neill came in 21st in the girls race in 20:31.

Boys soccer • Leland & Gray has been

a high scoring team all season, but in their division III quar-terfinal game in Townshend on Friday, they needed defense to

get a win.noah Chapin, the Rebels’

scoring machine, was held to only one goal, but that all that was needed as top-seeded Leland & gray advanced to the semis with a 1-0 win over the no. 8 Enosburg Falls hornets.

Chapin scored in the 21st minute off a nice pass from Matt Bizon. The goal stood up as Rebels goalkeeper Jared Van Osdol made seven saves. It was rainy and windy for most of the match, which negated some of the speed of both teams, and set things up for a tense defen-sive struggle.

The Rebels were scheduled to host fifth-seeded Stowe on Tuesday in the semifinals.

• Twin Valley’s playoff run ended far earlier than many thought it would when the sec-ond-seeded Wildcats were up-set in the opening round of the division IV playoffs last Tuesday by the no. 15 Black River presidents, in a tense overtime match that ended up being decided on penalty kicks, 3-1.

The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Freshman Colin Lozito scored first for the Wildcats in the 26th minute.

noah Schmidt then got the equalizer for the presidents in the 65th minute. After two scoreless overtime periods, it all came down to the most pressure packed moment in soccer.

Schmidt and Tim Rumrill converted their penalty kicks before george Molner found the net to make it 2-1. That turned out to be the only suc-cessful penalty kick for the Wildcats as Victor Cucullo drilled in the decisive kick to end Twin Valley’s season.

Twin Valley entered the game with plenty of momen-tum — 10 straight wins to fin-ish the regular season at 11-3. Instead, a familiar foe from Marble Valley League play pulled off a shocker.

Girls soccer • Leland & Gray’s playoff

run ended early with a 3-0 road loss to Oxbow in the first round of the division III tournament. The Olympians scored all of their goals in the first half. The Rebels ended the season with a 5-7-3 record, as seniors Keira Capponcelli, Aly Marcucci, Chelsea Cox, Sarah Seaton, Michaela Tietz, Kathryn

Finegan and Cassidy Anderson played their final game.

• Twin Valley also had an early exit with a 3-1 road loss to BFA-Fairfax. After devin Logan scored in the seventh minute, the Bullets scored the next three goals. The Wildcats ended the season with a 8-6-1 record as seniors Logan, Sam Bernard, Bryer-Lyn Crawford, Kylie-blu Crawford and Emily Furlon finished their high school careers.

Field hockey • It was a challenging season

for first-year coach deb patria, but she and the Colonels kept their heads held high despite all the adversity they faced. Brattleboro’s playoff run ended in the first round of the division I playoffs with a 5-0 road loss to Colchester last Wednesday. The Lakers scored three goals in the first 10 min-utes to put the game away.

Brattleboro ended its year with a 3-9-2 record, as seniors Brenna deVincentis, Kelsey Kinsman, Tatiana Frizzell and Jessie Woodcock played their final game.

Terriers clinch top seed in football playoffs


B R A T T L E B O R O —There’s been no place like home for the Brattleboro Colonels this season.

undefeated at Tenney Field

during the regular season, the second-seeded Colonels kept the streak going in the post-season with a 3-1 win over the seven-seeded Colchester Lakers in a division I quarter-final match on Friday.

Colonel boys stop Colchester, 3-1


BRATTLEBORO—What’s more agonizing than losing a soc-cer game on penalty kicks? how about having to go to a second round of penalty kicks.

That’s how the Brattleboro Colonels’ season ended last Thursday, losing in a penalty kick shootout, 3-2, to the South Burlington Rebels in their first round division I girls soccer playoff game at Tenney Field.

After playing to a 1-1 tie in regulation and after playing 30 minutes of scoreless overtime, the no. 7 Colonels and the no. 10 Rebels had to decide this closely played match on pen-alty kicks.

For the Colonels’ goalkeeper, junior Maddie hawes, it was her first time facing the most gut-wrenching moment in soccer. She rose to the occasion, making


Brattleboro goalkeeper maddie Hawes stops a penalty kick.

Colonel girls lose to Lakers on penalty kicks, 3-2


Brattleboro forward Ariel Kane tries to get the ball past South Burlington goalkeeper Amy Simendinger as defenders Angela Elcan (22) and Ashley norris give chase during the first overtime period of their playoff game Thursday at Tenney Field.


Brattleboro forward Jose-Diego Silva (7) prepares to boot a crossing pass as Colchester defender Taylor whitcomb moves in during the second half of their playoff game Friday at Tenney Field.


Brattleboro’s greg Reuter, left, heads the ball away from a pair of Colchester defenders as teammate Rodrigo Ruiz trails the play during the second half of their playoff game on Friday at Tenney Field.

n SEE gIRLS SOCCER, pAgE 10

n SEE BOYS SOCCER, pAgE 10

Wednesday, november 3, 2010

R A N D O L P h T . h O L h U T

Sports Roundup

Businesses learn about alcohol, tobacco sales

Among schoolchildrenA snarky, gay Jew confronts some culture shock while volunteering at a school in rural Uganda

Blinded by the need for someone specialAn older single woman in search of companionship falls for a scammer and pays for her mistake

Follow the charter

A birthday present for a good cause

Our literary campfireFestival, Vermont Reads program offerways to view our lives, our histories, our world Marching for peace

• We should have brought the soldiers home

• A voice against a $60 billion tragic misuse

The company I work for

A roomof her ownFor one young woman, a chance for stability, privacy, and a home

R E S O L U T I O N

Happy birthday, Dover!The legislature makes the town’s bicentennial official

V I E W P O I N T

Young adults and their faithA pastor ponders her spiritual-but-not-religious generation

A different way to run a stationA veteran broadcaster volunteers at Brattleboro Community Radio and likes what he sees (and hears)

Embracing the social model of disability‘If you are typically abled, I sometimes feel that we live worlds apart. But it doesn’t have to be that way.’

A tale of two nuclear power plantsOyster Creek and VY are both of the same vintage — and both must go

How Vermont avoidedthe worst of the recession

What if?The evidence for the World Trade Center tragedy as a demolition job is overwhelming, yet it is treated solely as a theory of kooks

MMI benefit concert ‘a total success’

More than we needPlastic bags litter the country and take oil to manufacture

Taxation in Vermont: The numbers don’t lie

L E T T E R S F R O M R E A D E R S

Kruger not given appropriate respect

Life lessons from an African dancerEncountering good will with Caro Diallo

Lost souls in the woodsElectronic devices steer us wrong, in many ways

One race ends, and a bigger race begins

Celebrating Windham College’s legacy

Touring Vermont YankeeA young journalist from North Carolina offers some impressions

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Moran: a politician who gets into the gutter — literally

Weary of electionsThe political process discourages an honest debate about the issues

The perils of big money in elections

Harderto say than‘I’m gay’Growing up gay in the South was bad. The constant bullying? That was worse.

Telling kids that it gets better

Taking measures against an epidemic

Early education: An investment that pays huge dividends

Shumlin consistently backs early-childhood education

Anti-global-warming writer responds to rebuttal


Who really cares about the company you work for if it can’t tell the truth?

Learning from the Woodward case

Call the pain the cureComing to understand an increasingly popular Japanese dance — one that embraces the contradictions in our complex world

An honest mistake that raises deeper questions

We all need to see the world through the lens of gender

Rove-style politics in Vermont?

An apostrophe — please!

VY signs go far beyond Republican platform

A guy who sacrifices for others

What would make us truly happy?

In support of Obuchowski, Partridge

The feeling of freedomWhy one adult is working to create a skateboard park, and why Brattleboro should support and respect the effort

Come on, Selectboard — reconsider lights

Nixing EnexusThe Public Service Board discusses its denial of a Certificate of Public Good for now-off-the-table VY plan

Racine: a man of action, priorities, and values

Obuchowski asks for your vote

The changing role of education in a global societyAs the school year starts, Vermont’s Teacher of the Year offers some thoughts

Bellows Falls should considerCompass School’s proposal

Racine: No empty pie-in-the-sky promises

Auditor candidate says:It’s all about the ethics

White, Young for Senate seat

Galbraith brings depth to economic development

Shumlin offers leadershipon Vermont Yankee issue

‘Buy local’this election

Renewingthe riverfrontHow might a once-industrial space by the Connecticut River be used for the good of the whole community? Some citizens respond.

Restorative Justice program:a no-brainer for society

White has championed mental health issues

Lessons from the Northeast KingdomWhat other areas of Vermont can learn about making agriculture viable

Let community stand against message of anti-semitic graffiti

The last 5 percentMaking broadband available to everyone in Vermont makes good economic sense

To the poorhouseLessons learned from working forthe rich and famous on Poverty Row

Galbraith would continue county’s role of leadership in Montpelier

Wishful thinking does not make us safe with nuclear power

Not harmlessConfronting youth attitudes about marijuana

Engaging young voters‘Where do we fit in?’ asks one college student

‘Simply no uncertain language’Judge rules that Brattleboro Selectboard erred in keeping citizen referendum question from town ballot

Hot enough for you?Skeptics who question climate change substitute rhetoric for scientific evidence

Activists’ voices missing from VY story

Vermont Yankee needs to remain part of state’s energy mix

Shumlin cherry picks worthy jobs

Union: Shumlin used VY stanceas litmus test for other labor issues

Democracy worked in VY vote

Taking lifefor grantedin Bellows FallsStudents write about their reactionsto a memoir about suffering and survival. How did they relate the book to their lives?

On thewar horse, gallopingacross the globeDiplomacy atthe dinner table, courtesy of Fox News

Please stop ‘helping’ usVernon residents know the town, and VY, better than Peter Shumlin does

Shumlin will invest in technology infrastructure

State representative urges you to vote

Festival of Squashes raises funds for library

Former volunteer disillusioned with Salmon

On being a redneckRural identity as a badge of honor

Tired of ridiculous, false arguments

Honoring son in Afghanistan

With David Snow’s death, family forever changed

The women of Argentina

The God withinA search for a place to go, a place beyond hollowness and emptiness, when the silence speaks

Would the Cleavers come here?Winning over conservative parents with universal small-town values A squandered opportunity

What could be going underground with the sewer pipes

Thanks from parade organizers

ArtworkPublic art, in every sense of the phrase

What if VY had to applyfor original approval today?

New life for the old Grange

‘Uninformed’? We just didn’t agree

Town should help dogs in cars

Legislature was paying attention

Memorial Day thanks

The border-lands of insanityA local look at mental illness

in the 19th century

Pay-as-you-throw and the rising cost of trash disposal

Demanding change to state’sRepublican transportation policies

Friel did a great jobat Oak Grove School

Making downtown safer for everyone

Can dairy crisis become a catalyst for change?The over-reaching changes that need to be made must be done on a national level

V I E W P O I N T

Disabled like meAn autistic woman searches for kindred souls

Westminster vote: ‘knee-jerk’ decision

Decoding the warmist agenda A fog of blind faith prevails, despite statistics from even proponents of man-made global warming

Card fees drain resourcesfrom small businesses


Library feels budget sting

A shameful shade of greenShould the massive Hydro-Québec qualifyfor the state’s ‘renewable energy’ status?

Dummerston needs strong planwith open-space protection

VOICES

Robbing Peter, paying Paul

To market, to marketThe long dance of farmers and customers, all building relationships around food

Uneasy neighborsLike many Vermonters, Coyote is a mixture of good and bad, ugliness and beauty

Stop settling for lack of leadershipGulf oil spill points out need for new energy measures, candidate says

In Voices, we offer an unusual editorial and op-ed section, one that presents a wonderfully sprawling array of personal expression. That’s only fitting, because Windham County readers have a wonderfully sprawling

array of ideals, political views, and interests. Are you a radical, a reformed hippie, a liberal Republican, a moderate, a Progressive, a Reagan Democrat, a Tea Partier, a none-of-the-above-what-business-is-it-of-yours-anyway? Name your label — we don’t care. If your opinion is relevant or interesting, if your life experience is compelling, we want to hear from you, because we believe we can all learn from one another even if we don’t always agree.

And if you value a feisty and provocative Voices section that will keep the county on its toes, become a member of Vermont Independent Media, and help us keep this nonprofit newspaper’s voice clear and strong.

You can also donate by credit card. Donate online at

http://donate.commonsnews.org, or call (802) 246-6397

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P.O. Box 1212Brattleboro, VT 05302

two big stops. halle Lange and Kara piergentili buried their kicks and the first round of kicks ended in a 2-2 tie.

So, it went to the second round, only now, the first team that scored would win. South Burlington goalkeeper Amy Simedinger, who also made two nifty saves in the first round of penalty kicks, stopped Lange’s second try.

Jen Arnold, who scored in the first round, was up next and beat hawes with a drive to the left post to win the game.

Brattleboro showed consid-erable grit to take the match to penalty kicks. playing into a stiff wind in the first half, the Colonels were under constant attack by the Rebels. They were outshot 8-2, but the Colonels led 1-0 at the half on a quick strike from Taylor Kerlow in the 25th minute.

The Colonels had the wind in the second half, but it was the Rebels who got the equalizer as Sarah Shiman got behind the defense and scored. Both teams had scoring chances in the over-time, but hawes and Simedinger stood fast.

Brattleboro ended its season at 7-6-2. It was the final game for seniors Kerylow, Erin LeBlanc, Ariel Kane, Kelsey patterson, Ashley Watson, Lauren Mabie, Maddi Shaw, Caitlyn Wood and Candis Field.

The story would normally end here, except for an interesting development that came up on Friday. Brattleboro coach Edwin de Bruijn learned that the ref-erees had erred in immediately going to a sudden-death round of penalty kicks and also erred in letting the same shooters that participated in the first round kick again in the second round.

de Bruijn had no comment about the officiating slip-up. As far as he was concerned, the out-come was just.

“It was a hard game for us to lose, but the truth is that South Burlington was the better team,” he said. “They controlled the play and had more chances to score than we did.”

As was the case the day be-fore in the Brattleboro/South Burlington girls soccer playoff match, there was a stiff wind from the west. Colonels coach paul Sather watched that match, and took note.

Sather elected to go into the wind for the first half, taking his chances that the score would be at least even at the half — which is exactly what happened.

Colchester struck first in the eighth minute, as junior Colin Burns booted a wind-assisted 30-yarder from the left side that sailed into the upper right corner of the net.

Brattleboro patiently counter-attacked and got the equalizer at the 20 minute mark when senior forward Travis Elliot-Knaggs got behind the Laker defense, ran down a long lead pass and beat Lakers goalkeeper Matt McBride with a shot to the left corner of the net.

With the wind at their backs for the second half, the Colonels dominated play and got two goals in the process.

In the 53rd minute, Elliot-Knaggs got to the ball just be-fore it rolled over the end line and sent a pass out in front of the Lakers goal crease. Senior for-ward Jose-diego Silva couldn’t get a foot on it, but junior mid-fielder Cesar Moore could, and blasted it in for the go-ahead goal.

The emotional harpoon for the Lakers came in the 74th min-ute, when senior midfielder Matt dunn got a feed from Elliot-Knaggs and blasted a shot past McBride for an insurmountable 3-1 lead.

“We haven’t had many games like this all year,” said Sather. “The wind was definitely wear-ing [Colchester] down in the second half, and when you get down by a goal, it’s tough to come back.”

Sather credited the Colonels’ defenders — Alex phomnath, Charles greene-Cramer and Colby hescock — and the mid-fielders with doing a good job marking Colchester’s forwards and taking the pressure off goal-keeper Evan darling.

“It was a testiment to how well we played that we got three goals against a team that didn’t give up many all year,” he said.

n Boys soccer FROM pAgE 9

n girls soccer FROM pAgE 9

10 SPORTS T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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By nell CurleyThe Commons

duMMERSTOn—Lynn Levine, an author who has just released her second book, has

been passionate about nature and wildlife since she was a ju-nior in college.

“Someone pointed out a tree to me and told me it had a name,” she recalls. “That just hit my heart. I had never known that plants had names.”

Levine became a forester, and for 32 years, she has run her own business, Forest Care.

“My job involves working with private landowners and their woodlands,” says Levine, the first woman consulting forester in new England. “I help them manage for long-term interest goals, take inventory of the wild-life, mark trees, supervise har-vests, and listen a lot.”

Levine, who also describes herself as an environmental ed-ucator, has written curriculum for Vermont Institute of natural Science and the Learning Tree project.

“Connecting people to the woods is my passion,” she says.

Levine’s first nonfiction wild-life reference book, Mammal Tracks and Scat, was inspired by her interest in learning to identify animal tracks in the woods while she worked.

She studied the art and science of identifying tracks and scat un-der people like paul Rezendes and Sue Morse, both nationally recognized trackers.

Snow SecretsLevine’s most recent fiction

book, Snow Secrets, about two young girls using their wildlife-identifying skills to find one girl’s missing cat, draws its plot from a “conglomeration” of all the sto-ries Levine has heard about do-mestic pets falling prey to wild animals.

Both books took Levine 2½ years to write, and she benefitted from a support system of writers who provided constructive criti-cism along the way.

“Snow Secrets was about revi-sion and getting critique from wonderful people like Eileen Christeow, Jesse haas, Karen hesse and Michael daley,” she said of the four well-established Windham County children’s book authors.

“We’re part of a critique group that meets once a week, and the book changed dramatically with feedback,” Levine says. “I was willing to listen to what people had to say. Karen hesse has been

a mentor for me, and when she told me she loved the book, it was the ultimate praise for me.”

Levine says if readers are un-able to put the book down after the first chapter, then she knows she has written a good story.

She is also very invested in portraying “different kinds of learners” in her characters. The two girls in Snow Secrets are Sarah, described as “school smart,” and Jasmine, who is more familiar with “outdoor learning.”

The girls become closer as they search for Sarah’s miss-ing cat, whom her mother be-lieves was taken by a fisher. With the help of an Abenaki woman named Tess, they use their new wildlife tracking skills to find the cat.

“The end mystery [of Secrets] is that fisher cats get blamed for every cat that disappears,” the author hints. “Is that true? That’s part of the storyline.”

Teaching skills through books

L e v i n e , w h o l i v e s i n dummerston, Vermont with her husband and daughter, hopes that both children and adult readers of Secrets will take away the knowledge that noth-ing in her books is made up, and she hopes they will be in-spired to explore the outdoors for themselves.

“All the tracking is accurate,” she says. “My passion is teach-ing skills and getting people in-volved with the natural world. I want people to get out [of doors] after reading my books!”

True to her philosophy, Levine has helped to build five interpretive nature trails around Brattleboro, and recently a

presentation on wildlife tracking in pisgah, n.h. Levine says she is hoping to “do more [nature-based] programs in schools.”

On the writing front, Levine is considering making Snow Secrets into a seasonally-based series, in which Jasmine and Sarah go through the seasons honing their skills.

“I want to have the girls find out and uncover more secrets. They’ll have to go by all sorts of other clues in the spring.”

Lynn Levine will offer a track-ing presentation, “Solving Snow Secrets,” and a reading from Snow Secrets at the Book Cellar, 120 Main St., Brattleboro on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Author/forester helps kids uncover secrets in the snowLynn Levine wants to ‘connect people to the woods’

TOnY RECZEK/SpECIAL TO ThE COMMOnS

Lynn Levine, author of Snow Secrets.

BRATTLEBORO—On Friday, nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m., the Brattleboro Music Center will present the Johannes String Quartet at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro, Vermont.

T h e J o h a n n e s S t r i n g Quartet, comprised of four impressively gifted instrumen-talists in their own right, have come together to form one of the great chamber music groups of our time. Their lin-eage weaves through Marlboro Music Festival, Jaime Laredo, Curtis Institute, and other per-formers on the BMC Chamber Music Concert Series, good friends all. Arnold Steinhardt, of the guarneri Quartet com-ments, “The Johannes is all I could ever dream of in a string quartet.”

Soovin Kim, Jessica Lee, Choong-Jin Chang, and peter Stumpf, will be regaling BMC

Chamber Series audiences with Mozart’s hoffmeister, Janacek’s Quartet no. 2, and dvorak’s E-flat major quar-tet, op. 51.

American violinist Soovin Kim is increasingly sought after for the character, nuance, and excitement of his performances as concerto soloist, chamber musician and recitalist, both in the u.S. and abroad.

Violinist Jessica Lee, the f irst prize winner of the 2005 Concert Artists guild International Competition, was featured in the “Launch pad” column of The Strad as the magazine’s “pick of up-and-coming musicians” for June 2007. An active chamber musician, Jessica Lee became a member of the Johannes String Quartet in 2006.

Choong-Jin (C.J.) Chang was appointed principal Viola of The philadelphia Orchestra

in April 2006. he previously served as Associate principal Viola in philadelphia for twelve years. he was a double major in violin and viola at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with the late Jascha Brodsky and Joseph depasquale.

peter Stumpf enjoys as multi-faceted a career as any cellist. After serving 12 years as the Associate principal Cellist of the philadelphia Orchestra, Stumpf became the principal Cellist of the Los Angeles philharmonic at the beginning of the 2002-2003 season. he is in great demand as a chamber musician around the world.

Johannes String Quartet tick-ets ($30, $20, $10) are avail-able by calling the Brattleboro Music Center at 802-257-4523 or online at Brattleborotix.com. For additional information, visit www.bmcvt.org.

BRATTLEBORO—What could be better than Bach on a november afternoon?

Eight musicians heartily agree that an hour with the master composer is a sublime experience. To that end, they have gathered their forces in order to present an afternoon concert featuring the mu-sic of J.S. Bach, composer of composers.

On Sunday, nov. 7, at 3 p.m., peggy Spencer, violin, organists Clark Anderson and Susan dedell, and contralto Jennifer hansen will perform in a concert that also includes musicians Marcia Cassidy, vio-lin; Barbara Wright, viola, Zon Eastes, cello, and special guest Alison doane, oboe.

The program consists of three of Bach’s finest compo-sitions, the Sonata in E Major for Violin and Keyboard, the

Prelude and Fugue in D Major for organ, and Cantata 82, “Ich habe genug.”

Bach’s music spans the gamut of expression, and or-ganizers selected these three pieces as examples that am-ply demonstrate his skill as a extraordinary communicator of thought and feeling. The Sonata for Violin and Keyboard will be played by former new England Bach Festival concert-master peggy Spencer, violin, and Susan dedell, organ.

The Prelude and Fugue in D Major, played by organ-ist Clark Anderson, is con-sidered a dazzling example of Bach’s writing for that in-strument. Anderson, who served as university Organist and Assistant Conductor at princeton university, describes the piece as “pretty flashy,” while an earlier commentator

on the work observed that “one must let the feet kick around a lot.”

The program concludes with Cantata 82, “Ich habe genug,” a cantata for solo voice and sung by noted contralto Jennifer hansen. It features an oboe obligato, which weaves with the voice throughout the piece. Boston-based oboist Alison doane will be joined by string players peggy Spencer, Marcia Cassidy, Barbara Wright, and Zon Eastes, and organist Susan dedell.

Admission to the concert is $10, or by donation. The con-cert takes place at St. Michael’s Catholic Church at 20 Walnut St., and is handicapped acces-sible. For more information, call Winged productions at 802-348-7735.

B O O k S & A U T h O R S C L A S S I C A L M U S I C

T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 11

Johannes String Quartet to perform at BmC

Sunday concert to feature Bach’s greatest works

Solving Snow Secrets:Tracking Presentation & Book Signing with

Forester/Tracker Lynn Levine

The event will feature hands-on activities to

boost your tracking skills as well as a tracking story

from Snow Secrets!

Upcoming Events @ The Book Cellar

120 Main Street, Brattleboro(802) 254-6810

www.bookcellarvt.com

In Snow Secrets, 6th graders, Jasmine & Sarah, encounter more than a dozen wildlife mysteries.

Lynn explores the clues—the tracks and signs of

these animals - so you can skillfully unravel their secrets.

Saturday, November 6th @ 2pm

119 Main St., Brattleboro 802-258-2211

www.mysteryonmain.com

BrattleBoroAmerican LegionAmy’s Bakery Arts CaféAvenue GroceryBackside CaféBagelworksBaker Office SuppliesBaskets BookstoreBlue MooseBook CellarBoy’s and Girl’s ClubBrattleboro Area Chamber of

CommerceBrattleboro Food Co-opBrattleboro Memorial Hospital

Front LobbyBrattleboro PharmacyBrattleboro Post OfficeBrattleboro Savings and LoanBrattleboro SubaruBrattleboro SunocoBrattleboro TireBrattleboro Union High SchoolBrattleboro Village PizzaBrooks LibraryChelsea Royal DinerChittenden BankCoffee CountryColonial PoolCommunity College of VermontCurvesDutton Farm StandElliot Street CaféFirst Run Video BrattleboroFleming OilForty Putney Rd. Bed and

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saxtons riverSaxtons River Market

westminsterAllen BrothersCafe Loco

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walpole, n.H.Discount Center

“Hey! where can i pick up the Commons?”

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such a relief! I didn’t think any-one else in the world was like me,’” she says. “When I get a response like that, I know I’ve been successful.”

Making sense of one’s self

C o h e n - R o t t e n b e r g , who also maintains a blog, www.journeyswithautism.com, even-tually began using the term “autism” instead of Asperger’s because “far too many Aspies seek to distance themselves from the stigma of autism,” she ex-plained on her blog this month.

“Trust me, I understand the impulse, but it’s just plain wrong to abandon people who are on the spectrum with us, especially people who are even more mar-ginalized than we are because they don’t have the ability to ‘pass’ for a moment,” she wrote. “And the more I feel how wrong it is, the more I feel the vulner-ability of the autism label.”

Cohen-Rottenberg describes the process of writing Path, which chronicles her struggles with autism from early child-hood through her adult life, as “very healing.”

“To paraphrase Rilke, the feel-ing was one of weaving together the disparate strands of my life into a single cloth. I didn’t find it particularly difficult to narrate my own experience,” she says.

“I’d been doing it internally all my life, just to make sense of how I felt when I couldn’t find any-one who understood,” Cohen-Rottenberg noted.

While researching Asperger’s syndrome, Cohen-Rottenberg came across many outdated but still popular beliefs regarding the disorder. She herself does not identify with them, and hopes that her own account of life with Asperger’s will help to “dispel stereotypes.”

“There are so many dehuman-izing stereotypes about autistic people: that we lack empathy, that we don’t understand differ-ent modes of thought, that we’re overly logical, that we don’t have feelings, that we’re not social be-ings, that we’re not imaginative, that we can’t be fully included in the world,” she says.

“It’s very painful to have peo-ple believe these kinds of things,” she continues. “Many miscon-ceptions are based on outdated research, failures to ask the right questions, or overly simplistic interpretations of the answers.”

In the book, she devotes a

chapter, “Our deficits: Strengths in disguise,” to the process of turning liabilities into assets or appreciating the different way through which people who are not “neurotypical” perceive the world.

So often, Cohen-Rottenberg says, “people talk about us with-out ever actually talking to us. I very much hope that my book helps to give people a clearer picture of what it means to be on the spectrum.”

Modelling respectRottenberg offers plenty of

advice for people who want to know how to relate to people with Asperger’s and other au-tism-spectrum disorders.

“The key to any good relation-ship is respect. It’s not enough to tolerate a person, or even to ac-cept a person, with or without disabilities. You have to model respect,” she says.

“Be sensitive. Find out what

the person needs. Listen to the answers. don’t minimize or dismiss the person’s experi-ence. don’t look at the person as broken, impaired, abnormal, or wrong,” Cohen-Rottenberg adds.

Finally, she advises people to “see the person as a whole hu-man being, just like you. And remember that human diversity is something to be celebrated, not feared.”

For more information about The uncharted path and to pur-chase the book ($17.95 paper-back, $8.95 as a PDF), visit www.journeyswithautism.com. By way of disclosure, Cohen-Rottenberg has begun volunteering as a copy editor and proofreader for The Commons, and her hus-band, Bob, serves on the board of directors of Vermont Independent Media, the nonprofit that publishes the newspaper.

moving forward on an uncharted pathAuthor chronicles an autistic life and her journey to understanding a different selfBy nell CurleyThe Commons

BRATTLEBORO—At the age of 50, Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg was diagnosed with the neurological

disorder known as Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism.

She experienced profound relief and joy, as well as grief, over the knowledge of what had caused her constant social and emotional struggles throughout her entire life.

people who live on the autism spectrum find they have great difficulty with social interaction and communication and a ten-dency for repetitive behavior, among a constellation of other symptoms.

In the ca se o f Cohen-Rottenberg, the diagnosis of Asperger’s — a milder form of the disorder — explained a lot about her life, and the knowledge gave her the context to adapt the way she lives and works.

Cohen-Rottenberg, who moved to Brattleboro in 2009 and lives with her husband, Bob Rottenberg, and her daughter, Ashlynne, has documented her experience before and after the diagnosis in her new autobiog-raphy The Uncharted Path: My Journey with Late-Diagnosed Autism.

“I’ve been a writer for most of my life,” says Cohen-Rottenberg, who has a master’s degree in English, and who worked a tech-nical writer and editor in the soft-ware industry for 15 years.

After leaving her career, Cohen-Rottenberg published her first book, A Sense of Place: The Story of the Williams Family Farm, in 2007, chronicling the history of a farm in rural west-ern Massachusetts and the fam-ily that owned it for generations.

In Path, she describes the ways in which autism affects her senses, her ability to form new relationships with people, and honestly describes the chal-lenges it puts on various aspects of her life.

“Little by little, my life

began to make sense,” Cohen-Rottenberg describes in her first chapterr. “Try as I might, I’d never known how to navigate the social world. Staying in sync with the rhythm of a conversation, even in a small social gathering, had always been difficult. Worse still, I’d always felt frightened, overwhelmed, and disoriented in large crowds.

“Take my daughter to the mall? Forget it. Enjoy contra-dancing? Impossible. Make small talk at a wedding reception? I could never fi gure out how—or why. At every social event, I’d end up in the same place: lean-ing against a wall and looking for someone else who seemed equally dazed. If there were a li-brary in the building, all the bet-ter. I’d go there and hide.”

A great reliefI n h e r b o o k , C o h e n -

Rottenberg — who describes herself in the first sentence of Path as “wife, mother, writer, singer, artist, and community volunteer” — also discusses the changes in her life when her own suspicions were confirmed by the diagnosis. The experience introduced her to more people who had been diagnosed with autism after struggling for years to understand what was “wrong” with them.

“I have been in contact with a number of people who were diag-nosed in mid-life, and for many of us, the diagnosis comes as a great relief,” Cohen-Rottenberg says.

“For the general public, it might seem odd to welcome an autism diagnosis,” she adds. “For those of us who have spent our lives not understanding our differences from other people, finding our place on the wide and varied autism spectrum has been a tremendous help.”

Cohen-Rottenberg feels for-tunate that her book is already inspiring and encouraging many people living with autism.

“I’ve received a number of responses to my book along the lines of ‘I see myself in so much of what you write. It’s

Hospice presents seminar on pet loss, end of life care

BRATTLEBORO — dr. Ronald Svec of the VT/nh Veterinary Clinic and Cheryl Richards, MA, CT an end of life and grief counselor, will of-fer a free presentation on pet loss on Monday, nov. 8, from 7-9 p.m. The session is sponsored by Brattleboro Area hospice and will be held in the newly renovated and relocated Brew Barry Conference Center at Brattleboro Memorial hospital.

Research has shown that pets provide both physical and psy-chological health benefits to their caregivers and deep bonds are of-ten formed between animal and human. however, anyone who has experienced the intimate connection that can occur with their companion animals must also face the sorrow that comes when it’s time to say goodbye.

This evening is appropriate

for people who love, live or work with animals and who are fac-ing the upcoming death of their pet. This includes parents and teachers who want to support their children through a pet loss. Many times the death of an ani-mal friend is a young person’s first experience with mortality. how a child is or is not helped during this time can deeply im-pact their feelings about death as they grow older.

The session offers informa-tion and resources for: support-ing your pet as they near the end of their lives; knowing when and if euthanasia is appropriate; pre-paring and involving children in their pet’s dying process; and moving through the grief that ac-companies learning to say good-bye. Register for this free session by calling 802-257-0775.

12 ThE ARTS T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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Visual arts

• Vietnamese contempo-rary art exhibit comes to Marlboro College: Marlboro College will host an exhibit of woodblock prints by contempo-rary Vietnamese artists in drury gallery through nov. 28. An opening reception will take place in the gallery on Wednesday, nov. 3, at 4 p.m.

The prints are on loan from the personal collection of Judith hughes-day, a new York City-based collector specializing in contemporary Vietnamese art-ists. The exhibit will focus on a series of prints by artist phan Cam Thoung entitled A Sixty Year Cycle, which were printed in black and white using ink made from bamboo leave ashes.

In conjunction with the ex-hibit, Marlboro will present a video of Thoung discussing A Sixty Year Cycle, which was shot by alumna Von Ferguson.

“According to the ancient Chinese calendar, 60 years make a cycle. having reached your sixties, you may rest, go fish-ing, play cards or chess, travel over land and seas or play with kids,” Thoung explains in his art-ist statement. “My 60 topics in the collection were suggested by the philosophical, religious and everyday life issues of the Viets, especially subjects from folk bal-lads and songs or idiomatic ex-pression about predestined love, human feelings, rituals, ethics or our people’s everyday behavior.”

Vietnamese scholar Trian nguyen will deliver a lecture on contemporary Vietnamese art at 7 p.m. on Monday, nov. 8, in Ragle hall. nguyen is an as-sistant professor of art and the Luce Junior professor of Asian Studies at Bates College.

The drury gallery is open from 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday through Friday while the college is in ses-sion. For more information, call 802-257-4333.

• Lovett exhibit at Putney library: putney photographer Evie Lovett (www.evielovett.com) will present a free slide show of her work, “Why photography? Why people?” at the putney public Library on Thursday, nov. 4, from 7-8:30 p.m., as part of the library series “Words & Images: Artists Talk About Their Work.”

Lovett photographs people with black-and-white film using a 50-year-old Rolleiflex cam-era . She has photographed her own children, AIdS patients in a hospital in Rwanda, Muslim women in France, circus arts professionals, and drag queens. Taking photographs is her way of connecting with and making sense of the world.

her work has been exhib-ited locally at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center and the Vermont Center of photography, in new York and as far away as phnom penh, Cambodia. The li-brary is accessible. For informa-tion, call 802-387-4102 or visit www.iputney.com.

• Community altar honors the departed: On Friday, nov. 5, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., during gallery Walk, Brattleboro Area hospice will celebrate Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead) with a community altar and live mu-sic at their store, Experienced goods home Furnishings at 51 Elliot St. hallowell will sing songs of remembrance and cel-ebration at the altar at 6:30 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Dia de los Muertos has been celebrated in Mexico for over 3,000 years. It is not a somber occasion, but a festive event to remember our loved ones who have died and to celebrate life itself. Visitors are encouraged to bring an item on the altar to honor their loved ones. Bring photocopied pictures and/or

objects of no great concern as items can not be returned.

The altar will remain open at Experienced goods home Furnishings until Saturday, nov. 13. For more information, call Brattleboro Area hospice at 802-257-0775.

Music

• Youth Battle of Bands at Gallery Walk: Area youth bands can launch their musical careers by competing at Youth Services’ Battle of the Bands at the River garden on Friday, nov. 5, dur-ing gallery Walk night, from 7 to 10 p.m. The public is en-couraged to attend and vote for their favorite group with their applause.

In addition to the audience and youth judges, several indi-viduals from both the record-ing and music industry will help choose the top band. First prize is five hours of professional re-cording time donated by engi-neer Billy Shaw of Soundesign together with a master copy of the recorded songs. Second prize is a performance at a local musi-cal venue, yet to be determined.

According to Allyson Villars, executive director of Youth Services, this second Battle of the Bands celebrates the entrepre-neurial nature of all youth rep-resented at this event by young musicians forming bands and ex-pressing their musical inspiration in a business endeavor.

Admission for the general public is $4 and covers refresh-ments and door prizes.

• April Verch Band at NEYT: April Verch and her trio, the April Verch Band, are return-ing to Brattleboro on Sunday, nov. 14 to perform at the new England Youth Theater, 100 Flat St.

Verch, a versatile fiddler and step-dancer as well as a singer who presents a blend of folk, jazz, bluegrass and roots mu-sic, will appear with her band: Clay Ross on guitar and Cody Walters on bass and banjo. Verch hails from the Ottawa Valley in Canada where competition-style fiddling and step-dancing, which she excels at, are well established.

The show will feature some songs from Steal The Blue, Verch’s seventh recording, as well as old favorites and some new tunes as well. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in ad-vance for all, $18 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Brattleborotix.com or in person, cash only, at Everyone’s Books, 23 Elliot St. in Brattleboro.

Call 802-257-1571 for more information.

Dance

• Line dancing benefit for First Baptist fuel fund: On Saturday, nov. 13 from 7-10 p.m., a line and social danc-ing evening will be held at the Masonic Center, 196 Main St. in Brattleboro.

This event is co-sponsored by First Baptist Church and the Brattleboro Lodge of Masons. Special guests deb giaimo and the Monadnock Mavericks will demonstrate and teach dances.

proceeds benefit the First Baptist fuel fund. The church

provides a weekly dinner (grace’s Kitchen), as well as Sunday morning breakfast for the community throughout the year. And for the fourth year in a row, the church will host the winter homeless shelter in Brattleboro beg inning in november . Alcoholics Anonymous and the Brattleboro pastoral Counseling Center also meet at First Baptist and, although they contribute monthly rent, the cost to heat the 143-year-old church is by no means covered.

The Brattleboro Freemasons have donated the use of their building, which has a great wooden floor for dancing, and is located next door to the church.

Performing arts

• Restorative Just ice Week at NEYT: new England Youth Theater partners with the Brattleboro Community Justice Center to present The Quality of Mercy, directed by Rebecca Waxman, on nov. 12-21. An in-spiring theatrical collage of dis-parate stories that have emerged from their Season of Restorative Justice, this production will fo-cus on sharing awareness of re-storative justice with the wider community.

The performance will be a collaboration of youth and adult students, faculty, as well as al-ternating surprise groups from within the Brattleboro commu-nity. Scenes, monologues, songs and theatrical events explore relevant themes of justice, retri-bution and healing. Material is being pulled from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Lord of the Flies by William golding, The Outsiders by S.E. hinton, and many other great works.

This production is a part of Restorative Justice Week, organized by the Brattleboro Community Justice Center. The show will be presented on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets will be $6 for students, $8 for seniors, and $10 for adults. purchase advance tickets online at www.neyt.org, or at the nEYT box office on Wednesdays from noon to 5 p.m.

Also, on Saturday, nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m., high school- and college-aged young adults are invited to a free gala that be-gins 5:30 p.m. with food, music, and a chance to socialize with BCJC staff and volunteers, fol-lowed by a 7 p.m. performance of The Quality of Mercy. Interested participants should contact Erin Ruitenberg by Friday, nov. 5 at 802-251-8140 or [email protected] to reserve their complimentary tickets.

• Taste of the Arts at MSA: Sandglass Theater founders Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass will share the story of the creation of their world-renowned puppetry theater as the Taste of the Arts, Tales of a Community series continues at Main Street Arts in Saxtons River Thursday, nov. 11, at 6 p.m.

Founded in 1982 and based

in putney, the theater combines puppets with music, actors, and visual imagery for both adult and youth audiences. It has toured 24 countries, performing in theaters, festivals, and cultural institutions and winning numerous interna-tional prizes. The theater pro-duces the international puppets in the green Mountains Festival and the Winter Sunshine series of children’s shows.

The series is offered as a fun-draiser for Main Street Arts and features food by harvest Moon Caterers, which can range from an assortment of gourmet piz-zas to ethnic dishes. Cost of the series is $15 per event. Children accompanied by an adult are $5. Reservations are requested. Tickets are available at Main Street Arts or through paypal at www.MainStreetArts.org.

• Sandglass Theater’s new-est piece, All Weather Ballads, a visual theater piece with original ballads by Eric Bass and music by Keith Murphy, will be per-formed nov. 19 through 21 at Sandglass’s 60-seat theater in putney.

The five-song cycle, inter-preted by Westminster West musician nick Keil, portrays the stages of life through metaphors of the northern rural experience, whether stuck in the mud, lost in the aroma of harvest fruit, or re-flected in the frozen membrane of an icy lake.

The show takes place Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15, and advance reservations highly recommended.

Autumn Portraits, one of the the-ater’s signature pieces, returns nov. 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. This solo performance by Eric Bass has won awards in Australia and hungary and a Citation of Excellence from the union Internationale de la Marionette. It is a compelling evening-long solo puppet-and-mask perfor-mance, a series of five interlock-ing vignettes, each exploring one puppet character and its inter-play with its manipulator, who might appear as a masked figure, or simply a voice from the sky.

Books

• Archer Mayor in Bellows Falls: Archer Mayor will be vis-iting Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls to read from his 21st Joe gunther adventure on Friday, nov. 5 at 7 p.m.

Village Square Booksellers will celebrate the Fowlers’ 10th anniversary of ownership dur-ing november with numerous events, planned including Best of Write Action, Book II, doug gladstone’s Bitter Cup of Coffee (former big-league ballplayers pension scandal), notecard artist Cindy hendricks of Woodfield prints, Willem Lange’s reprise of reading Favor Johnson, and a Thanksgiving weekend cel-ebration party including two authors with Vermont photog-raphy books.

For more information, visit www.villagesquarebooks.com.

A R T S C A L E N D A R ‘Playing Outside the Box’ at Neighborhood Schoolhouse

B R A T T L E B O R O — Squeezed between looming budget cuts and the pressure to perform well on standardized tests, many schools are eyeing ways to make the school day more productive. Sometimes, this means reducing recess – or cutting it out altogether.

That is a big mistake, says Emily Stanley, an education re-searcher and teacher. Stanley will discuss the short-term and long-term benefits of recess in a talk, “playing Outside the Box: The Values of Recess,” at 11 a.m. on Saturday, nov. 6, in neighbors’ hall at The neighborhood Schoolhouse.

Stanley’s talk is the first in the school’s “Learning Beyond the Schoolhouse Walls” lec-ture series, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the school’s founding. parents, teachers, administrators and the general public are invited to attend. The talk is free.

“It is critical to have unstruc-tured play time, and a variety of settings to play in,” said Stanley. As children’s lives become more and more structured, she ex-plained, “schools should be a refuge.” her research suggests that unstructured outdoor play has positive short-term effects on school success as well as long-term academic and social benefits.

“The opportunity to engage

in social problem-solving and work out issues that arise on your own” is something that children in highly structured environ-ments do not learn, Stanley said. “This is causing concern for chil-dren’s independent development of social competence, even into adulthood.”

Recess also fosters environ-mental awareness, and many re-cent studies suggest it can boost academic performance. her talk will address not only the benefits of recess, but also many con-cerns parents and educators have about it, such as safety issues, bullying, and the perceived loss of productive classroom time.

Stanley is a teacher and the chair of the science depart-ment at the Jemicy School, nea r Ba l t imore . She r e -cently completed her ph.d. in Environmental Studies at Ant ioch univers i ty new England, with a focus on chil-dren’s choices of outdoor play activities during school recesses.

T h e n e i g h b o r h o o d Schoolhouse is a small, private elementary and preschool that offers progressive education for children aged 3-12. The theme-based curriculum promotes hands-on learning through the seasons in the classroom, in the woods and in the community. For more information, visit www.neighborhoodSchoolhouse.com or call 802-257-5544.

WESTMInSTER — Buying foods directly from the farmer and then serving these foods to high school students not only supports local farmers and pro-ducers, it helps people under-stand where their food comes from.

Cafe Services, the food service provider for the Bellows Falls union high School, became a food partner in the Windham Farm and Food network this past summer. There are many local farmers and schools who have joined the cooperative to bring locally grown foods to the cafeterias of schools throughout Windham County.

“Across the Fence,” the

long-running uVM Extension farm and home program on WCAx-TV, will be feature Bellows Falls union high School and the Windham Farm and Food network this week. For more information and show time, visit www.wcax.com.

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T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 ThE ARTS 13

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LIFE & WORk

By Fran Lynggaard HansenThe Commons

BRATTLEBORO—Bridie Carmichael is not a typi-cal 16-year-old girl.

She plays drums in the Brattleboro union high School band and was part of the band’s trip to Washington d.C. for the inauguration of Barack

Obama last year.She started her own a capella group called “Renegade.”She’s on the softball team, but that’s just the beginning.Jane noyes of dummerston has known Carmichael since she

was an 8 years old taking piano lessons at the Brattleboro Music Center, where noyes worked at the time. “This kid has a work ethic that is unmatched. She’s one of those kids who you just know is going to make it big in this world,” said noyes.

With so many accomplishments at such a tender age, it might not seem surprising that Bridie Carmichael is now planning her biggest adventure to date.

“My greatest passion is the outdoors,” she said. “I enjoy fish-ing, fly tying, hunting, and want to study our interdependence with nature. I feel strongly that we all need to pay attention to these things so that they’ll be there for generations to come. My dream for this January is to attend Kroka-Expedition’s nh-VT Semester,” said Carmichael.

The Kroka Expedition program is a five-month adventure in the Vermont and new hampshire wilderness. participating stu-dents ski the Catamount Trail from southern Vermont all the way to the Canadian border. They prepare by dehydrating and preserving a lot of the foods that they will eat on the trip. In the spring, after they make their own pack baskets, their own wood and canvas canoes and their own paddles, they return home via the Connecticut River.

For their efforts, each of the students earns all the necessary credits for their semester while traveling. Kroka calls the semes-ter “an accomplishment that will profoundly change your life.”

noyes joined the small support group Carmichael organized to help raise the funds for her trip.

“Bridie needs to raise all the funds herself, and I am part of the committee of people who wanted to support this amazing 16-year-old to raise the necessary $13,000 to get her into this program,” said noyes. “Bridie has a big heart and isn’t afraid of hard work.”

While noyes and other group members were attempting to raise the funds, “she also asked us to up the goal to $15,000 so that she could help raise the money for the next student who wanted to go,” said noyes. “here is this 16-year-old kid, who in the middle of attempting to fulfill a personal educational dream, still thinking of others. I was so impressed by that.”

So far, the fundraising committee has sent out individual appeal letters, hosted a spaghetti dinner last February, held a Father’s day pancake Breakfast, did a car wash, and an “Ice-Cream and Improv” event. To date, Carmichael has raised $4,250. She is eligible for $3,900 in scholarship money from Kroka Expeditions, which she had hoped not to have to take.

This leaves $4,850 left to raise. She will also need about $2,000 worth of equipment that she hopes to borrow or find used, and is trying to put by more of the food she would otherwise have to purchase.

Marina and Joe Coneeny live in Walpole, n.h., and are also

part of Carmichael’s fundraising committee.“We got to know Bridie when our daughter Meagan began

taking voice lessons from Bridie’s mother, Kristen Carmichael Bowers,” Marina Coneeny said, describing Carmichael as “a re-ally gutsy person who has unusual interests.”

The Coneenys believe that Carmichael “should have the op-portunity to explore her interests in a nontraditional learning environment,” she said. “She is a combination of rugged, and caring. She is determined when she peruses anything that inter-ests her, from music to nature. She is already a role model to her peers. So many of her friends have participated in our fund rais-ers to help her meet her goal.”

Even with so many successes, the committee is worried that they might not be able to meet their financial goals before the January program at Kroka begins.

“Even though so many people have been supportive,” says noyes, “with the economy as it is, and with so many people who need help right now, we’re behind. We’d all hate to come this far and not be able to give this girl the experience she so deserves. Everything is a go except the remainder of the funding. We’re fortunate that BuhS is broad-minded enough to allow Bridie to do a semester in the wilderness. She’s a student who knows how she needs to learn.”

For Carmichael’s part, she is far from giving up.“I’m so appreciative of all the efforts that so many people have

already given to me. And I’m two thirds of the way there, so I’m just going to keep moving forward,” she said.

Marina Coneeny isn’t giving up, either.“You never know when you help someone like Bridie what will

happen,” she said. “Bridie will be teaching people about the envi-ronment in her future profession as she wants to continue these kinds of studies in college. I think if you believe enough in her to help her go all the way, who knows what she’ll be able to ac-complish and who knows what lives she’ll touch along the way?”

In her fundraising letters, Carmichael included a list of work that she is willing to do to earn money for her fund.

She offers babysitting services, yard work and wood stacking, catering help, beginning drum lessons, car detailing and pet sit-ting. The services are priced at hourly rates ranging from $7 to $12, with flat fees for some activities.

“I’ve always been passionate about exploring the outdoors and wildlife, and now that I’ve gotten older, I love teaching what I’ve learned to others,” she said. “This summer, I worked as a junior counselor at green Mountain Conservation Camp and was also the nature counselor at green Mountain Camp for girls. I have been a participant in Kroka’s summer programs before, and I’m looking forward to a much more challenging semester of learning.”

“One way or another, I’m going to continue to work hard to make this happen,” Carmichael added. “giving back is impor-tant. I plan to give presentations in schools, local libraries and to organizations that donate when I return. I will share what I have learned on my expedition with the community that so gen-erously supported me.”

Those who wish to support “Bridie’s Big Adventure” can help in a number of ways. Individual donations can be sent to: Bridie’s Big Adventure, p.O. Box 464, West dummerston, VT 05357. More information can also be found on her web site and blog at bridiesbigadventure.blogspot.com, where future fundraisers will also be announced.

BRATTLEBORO—new “Train-the-Brain” support groups focusing on harnessing the power of the mind to as-sist in maintaining health will be offered beginning in January by a new nonprofit institute in Brattleboro.

The support groups will be offered by the northeast pnI Institute for healing (www.nepni.org), which was estab-lished in december 2009 by therapists Michael gigante of Brattleboro and Rupa Cousins of East dummerston, with start-up support from eight other pro-fessionals: Joanne Finkel of West Dover; Phyllis Gigante, Norb Johnston, Alexander potter, deborah potter and Scott Willis, all of Brattleboro; Crystal Mansfield of Townshend; and Moon Morgan of greenfield, Mass.

pnI stands for psycho-neuro immunology, an interdisciplin-ary field of research, including the behavioral sciences, neuro-science, physiology, pharmacol-ogy and immunology. A major aim of the field is to examine in-teractions between the mind and the nervous and immune systems and how attitude affects health.

“pnI embraces and extends beyond the commonly known mind-body connections by fo-cusing on three specific systems of the human body: the nervous system, the immune system and the mental system and the ef-fects they have on each other,” dr. gigante said in announcing formation of the northeast pnI Institute for healing. “Our brain knows how to keep us healthy; research is opening doors to that knowledge.”

Each Train-the-Brain group will focus on one aspect of health maintenance and healing, includ-ing “Train the Brain to Refrain: A Conscious Eating group,” “Train the Brain to Reduce physical pain: Chronic pain Reduction,” “Train the Brain to Sustain Through upcoming Surgery,” “Train the Brain to Regain: post-Surgery Recovery,” and “Train the Brain to Enhance Immune System Responses.”

groups on other aspects of health maintenance will be scheduled as demand is identified.

The groups will help people change their attitudes, behaviors, forms of emotional expression, thinking processes, and beliefs in order to make healthy choices and to affect their own healing.

A free workshop from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, will provide an introduction to pnI and will highlight the techniques that will be explored

in each group. (Snow date: January 18.) The free workshop will take place in Brattleboro, Vermont. Reservations are re-quested by calling 802 254-8032.

After the free workshop, groups will meet weekly for ten weeks at a cost of $12 per per-son per week. Fee waivers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The support groups are one of six activities the pnI Institute sponsors. Others are:

• Training and community outreach to health-oriented prac-titioners, health care facilities and the general public to share the latest evidence-based findings in the field;

• Training for business manag-ers in how to use pnI techniques to reduce stress, decrease absen-teeism and increase productivity;

• Individual sessions to help clients work through blocks to their own healing, to teach proper and effective visualization techniques, and to reinforce the skills and learning they may be receiving in the educational and support groups;

• Research to further demon-strate the efficacy of the insti-tute’s work, and;

• Multi-day retreats for peo-ple who want to maintain their health or who are dealing with chronic illness, as well as those who provide care.

gigante and Cousins draw on more than 60 years of combined experience in therapeutic service to conduct these activities.

gigante is a psychotherapist in private practice for the past 30 years. he came upon pnI serendipitously through his own health issues, and has since prac-ticed and taught pnI in the u.S., Canada, Europe and Russia. he is a founding member of the Associated psychotherapists of Vermont and the Association fo r the Advancement o f psychosynthesis.

Cousins has been involved with body/mind integration for more than 30 years as an Alexander Technique teacher. In 1990 she became a Rubenfeld Synergist, a somatic psycho-therapy. She has taught move-ment at Omega Institute, Rowe Conference Center and in Macedonia and Bosnia with survivors of conflict and war. She is president of the boards of the Vermont healing Tools project and the Associated psychotherapists of Vermont.

For more information about the northeast pnI Institute for healing and the support groups, visit www.nepni.org or contact gigante at 802-254-8032 or Cousins at 802-387-5276.

BRATTLEBORO—The fol-lowing is the november sched-ule for American Red Cross classes in Brattleboro. All classes are held at the green Mountain Chapter office on 81 high St. For more infor-mation, or to register, contact the office at 802-254-2377 or www.redcrossvtnhuv.org.

• Nov. 4, 6-10 p.m. Standard First Aid, $40 fee. participants learn first aid skills for treating a variety of injuries and sudden illnesses.

• Nov. 6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. First Aid/CpR/AEd adult $70 fee. A course for lay responders.

• Nov. 7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Babysitter’s Training, $45 fee. If you’re 11-15, you can get the knowledge, skills and con-fidence to care for infants and school-age children. Includes First Aid training and resume building skills.

• Nov. 8, 6-10 p.m. CPR/AEd for adults course, $60 fee. participants learn CpR and AEd skills to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies.

• Nov. 10, 6-10 p.m. CPR for Child and Infant course, $50 fee. designed for child care provid-ers, teachers, parents and others who care for children, this course teaches participants how to rec-ognize and care for breathing and

cardiac emergencies in infants and children up to 12 years old. Optional pediatric AEd training is also available.

• Nov. 15, 6-8 p.m. CPR for the professional Rescuer Recertification course, $50 fee. This is a refresher course for those with a current certificate. You are eligible for a recertifica-tion if you are within 12 months of your certificate’s expiration date.

• Nov. 17, 6-8 p.m. CPR/AEd for Adult, Child and Infant Recertification course, $40 fee. This is a refresher course to keep yearly certifications current. You are eligible for a recertification if you are within 12 months of your certificate’s expiration date.

• Nov. 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Standard First Aid/CpR/AEd Adult, Child, and Infant course, $90 fee. A course for lay responders.

• Nov. 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. CPR for the professional Rescuer course, $110 fee. A two-year certification course covering responding to breathing and cardiac emergencies in adults, children and infants; using an AEd on adults and child victims of cardiac arrest; using personal protective equipment to stop bloodborne pathogens and other diseases from spreading.

GREAT LOCATION! Charming Efficiency and 2 Bedroom apartment located on the third floor at 24 East Main Street, Wilmington in the Historic Laterre House. Rent is $435-533 per month including heat and hot water. Located within short walking distance to downtown Wilmington. On the Moover bus route. For more information and an application, please contact Windham Housing Trust at 254-4604 ext. 101. Income guidelines apply. Equal Housing Opportunity.

AMAZING FIND! Octagon shaped carriage house with loft (1 BR). Set back from the road. This house has a lot of charm. Rent is $500 a month, utilities are not included (Gas heat and electric averaging $108/mo.). For more information and an application, please contact Windham Housing Trust at 254-4604 ext. 101. Income guidelines apply. Equal Housing Opportunity.

AVAILABLE NOW! Single rooms with shared living space (kitchen, dining, and living room). Rents from $317-$363 per month including all utilities. Resident manager on site. Great locations. Many nice features. For more information and an application, please contact Windham Housing Trust at 254-4604 ext. 101. Income guidelines apply. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Student sets eyes on big wilderness adventureBridie Carmichael raises funds to pay for expedition

COuRTESY phOTO

Bridie Carmichael fishes on the riverbank.

h E A L T h N O T E S

New nonprofit focuses on ‘brain training’ to improve healing

Red Cross offers several courses this month


October 26, 2010

Home for Sale18 Estabrook Street, Brattleboro

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T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 LIFE & WORk 15

Obituaries

Editor’s note: The Commons will publish brief biographical in-formation for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge.

• Brian Michael Alfonso, 45, of East dover. died Oct. 28 at his home. Son of Frank Alfonso of Stamford and Sandra dawley Alfonso of pittsfield, Mass. husband of Traci Alfonso. Father of Aizlyn, Shaylie and Kindyl Alfonso, all of East dover. Brother of dwayne Alfonso and Keith Alfonso of Pittsfield, Mass.; and Linda Alfonso of Rensselaer, n.Y. graduate of Chatham (n.Y.) high School and served in the Army. Worked for Brattleboro haulage for many years and was extremely active in the deerfield Valley community as the assis-tant fire chief of the East dover Volunteer Fire department and an EMT on the deerfield Valley Rescue Squad for many years. MEMORIAL InFORMATIOn: A funeral service was held nov. 3 at East dover Baptist Church, with interment in dover Center Cemetery. donations to a Fund To Care For The Children or the East dover Volunteer Fire department, c/o Covey & Allen Funeral home, p.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363. Messages of condolence may be sent to www.sheafuneral-homes.com.

• Raymond R. Bonneau, 85, of Brattleboro. died Oct. 23 at Thompson house. husband of the late Joyce Starkey. Father of Richard Bonneau of Keene, N.H.; Shawna Stevens of Lantana, Fla., and Catherine Clark of hinsdale, n.h. Brother of norman Bonneau of Spofford, N.H.; Rita Kamel and Jeannine guerin, both of daytona Beach, Fla.; Estelle McKay of Landenberg, Pa.; Nicole gray of hampton, n.h., Louise Whiting of San Diago, Calif.; and Mereille Maxsfield of Essex Junction. Born in Springfield, Mass., he spent most of his adult life on putney Road, start-ing with helping his parents with the parkway drive-In Theater. he was first the owner of Rays Restaurant on Elliot Street and later was the first owner/operator of the A&W Root Beer stand in Swanzey, n.h. he later owned Rays Auto Sales on putney Road. MEMORIAL InFORMA-

TIOn: Interment will be in May at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Brattleboro.

• E leanor M. (Scanlon) “ H o n e y ” B u t l e r , 8 4 , o f Shelburne Falls, Mass. died Oct. 23 at home. Wife of the late Bernard Butler for 54 years. Mother of daughter Mary and son-in-law John of Florida; and sons henry and Kenneth, Sister of Barbara, who lives in Vermont. Born in Bellows Falls, at age 13, she moved to Colrain, Mass., to live with her Aunt nelly and uncle Rob. After graduating from Arms Academy, she was employed by Kendall Mills working in the of-fice as bookkeeper. MEMORIAL

InFORMATIOn: A graveside ser-vice was held Oct. 27 in Calvary Cemetery in Shelburne Falls. donations to the Carl nilman Scholarship Fund, c/o Mohawk Trail high School, Ashfield Rd., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370.

• Joseph Leon “Joe” Druke, 83, of Williamsville. died Oct. 24 at his home. husband of dorothy Addair for 51 years. Father of Christine Marino and husband John of South Newfane; Theresa Chapman and husband Paul of West Dummerston; and Stephen druke and wife Lori of Lancaster, n.h. Brother of Sister Matilda druke, S.R.M. of Albany, N.Y.; Mary Dauphinais and Barbara Barnish, both of Brattleboro; Theresa Druke of Portland, Conn.; Bernard druke of Brattleboro, Edward druke of newfane, John Druke of Kirkville, N.Y.; and Charles druke of Weare, n.h. predeceased by siblings Sister Mary Michael, O.C.d., and gertrude druke, Frances druke and Arthur druke. Was a gradu-ate of St. Michael’s high School, class of 1945, and Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation College in Fisherville, Va. Served in the Army during World War II. From 1960 to 1989, he owned and operated druke Insurance Agency in Williamsville and served as the Williamsville post-master. Was a member of the Valley Lions Club and American Legion post 26. MEMORIAL In-

FORMATIOn: A funeral Mass was held on Oct. 28 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, with burial in Williamsville new Cemetery. donations to St. Michael’s School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, attn: Elaine Beam principal, or newBrook Fire & Rescue, Route 30, newfane, VT 05345.

Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Gene Franklin Garbe, 77, of newfane. died Oct. 26 at Vernon green nursing home. Former husband of Carolyn Allbee. Father of Kathryn garbe and her husband, Robert Fasciano of Ellicott City, Md.; Andrea (garbe) Baker and her husband, Charles, of Townshend; Susan (garbe) Jones and her hus-band, Steven, of South Newfane; and Jennifer (garbe) Martyn and her husband, Matthew, of guilford. Brother of Marion Burkhardt of Meriden, Conn., and his twin sister, June O’neil of hartford, Conn. predeceased by Ernest garbe and Robert garbe. graduated from Wilcox Trade School in Meriden, Conn. Served in Korea in the Army. Was employed as an electri-cian and refrigeration mechanic with Stowell Electric Company, A.L. Tyler & Sons, and dompier Electric, all of Brattleboro. he also owned and operated garbe Refrigeration and Electric for a number of years. Was an EMT for grace Cottage Ambulance in Townshend and a former member of newBrook Fire & Rescue in newfane. MEMORIAL

InFORMATIOn: Services will be held at a later date. donations to newBrook Fire & Rescue, newfane, VT 05345.

• Mary MacDonald Guild, 72, of Cambridgeport. died Oct. 22 at her home. Wife of Malcolm guild for 47 years. Mother of Matthew guild and his wife, Carol of Bellows Falls; Jeanne Eastman and her hus-band Steve of north Chatham, N.H.; Katherine Kane and her husband Rick of Bellows Falls; Linda Milligan and her hus-band David of Ashland, Maine; Susan Miller and her husband Steve of Greensburg, Ind.; and Thaddeus guild, and his wife Jan of Cambridgeport. Sister of Anne Jednorowicz of West hartford, Conn.; Dorothy Colavecchio of Farmington, Conn.; Muriel Judd of Canton, Conn.; and Wallace “pete” Macdonald of Scio, n.Y. Born in Farmington, Conn., and graduated from Farmington high School and the university of Connecticut. A job at the holstein-Friesian Association in Brattkeboro brought her to Vermont in 1962, and she made her home in Cambridgeport since 1965. Was a lifelong knit-ter, and was especially proud of the children she taught to knit, particularly the fourth and fifth grade class at the grafton Elementary School. She was a member of Knitting Together, a charitable group of knitters which provides hats, mittens and sweaters for local schoolchil-dren. She was also known for her hand knit sweaters, which were often made out of wool from her own sheep. MEMORIAL In-

FORMATIOn: A Funeral Mass was held at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls on Oct. 25. donations to the Windmill hill pinnacle Association, p.O. Box 584, Saxtons River, VT 05154.

• J a m e s Ar thur “J im” Lepisto, Jr., 39, of Brattleboro. died Oct. 25 at home. Son o f d . L y n n u n d e r w o o d

and the late James A. Lepisto. Brother of Timothy Lepisto and Mark Lepisto, both of Brattleboro. Father of Zachary Lepisto of hinsdale, n.h. graduate of Brattleboro union high School, Class of 1989. Was a ASE certified mechanic and had been employed at Kia of Keene. previously he worked at Brattleboro Tire and Autex Mazda in Keene. Enjoyed model/radio controlled airplanes and was a new York Yankees and nASCAR fan. Eas a mem-ber of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Brattleboro Aerie #2445. MEMORIAL InFORMA-

TIOn: A memorial gathering in celebration of his life was Oct. 30 at the Fraternal Order of Eagles. donations to the American diabetes Association of Vermont, 77 hegeman Ave., Colchester, VT 05446. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Betty June Lyman, 79, of South Londonderry. died Oct. 26 at grace Cottage hospital in Townshend. Wife of the late david R. Lyman. Mother of John d. Lyman of South Londonderry and Betsy L. Waldo and her husband Marc, also of South Londonderry. predeceased by brothers harold Roberts, Merrill Roberts, Waldo Roberts and parker Roberts. Retired from the Bellows Falls Trust branch in Londonderry, where she worked as an assistant man-ager. Was a member of the Jamaica Benefit Society for many years. Enjoyed playing

the piano, and was an avid Red Sox fan. MEMORIAL InFORMA-

TIOn: A memorial service was held Oct. 31 at White Funeral home in Townshend, with burial of her cremated remains will be at a later date. donations to either the grace Cottage Foundation of Townshend, or the Mountain Valley Medical Center in Londonderry.

• S e a n P. O ’ C o n n e l l , 43, of Colrain, Mass. died Oct. 25 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, M a s s . S o n

of Marlene (Baxter) and the late paul O’Connell. husband of Jennifer J. Caples. Father of Jocelyne Rickey, Jasmine O ’ C o n n e l l a n d J a n n e l l e O’Connell, all of Colrain. Brother o f Er in Ryan o f Roslindale, Mass., and Shannon Jablonski of greenfield, Mass. Was a 1985 g radua te o f greenfield high School and re-ceived his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the university of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1991. Also, he received his associate’s degree in nursing from greenfield Community College in 2004. Was a registered nurse at Brattleboro Memorial hospital for seven years, and was a volunteer with his daugh-ter, Jannelle, for the Windham County humane Society. MEMORIAL InFORMATIOn: A fu-neral service was held Oct. 29 at the Kostanski Funeral home in greenfield, with burial in green River Cemetery. donations to the Jasmine and Jannelle O’Connell Educational Fund, c/o greenfield Co-operative Bank, p.O. Box 1345, greenfield, MA 01302. Messages of condolence may be sent to www.kostanski-funeralhome.com.

• P a t r i c i a Catherine “Pat” Seaton, 88, of Bra t t l eboro . died Oct. 24 at Thompson h o u s e i n Bra t t l eboro .

Wife of the late Robert Vincent Seaton for 33 years. Mother of Robert Seaton of Norfolk, Va.; William Seaton of Hershey, Pa.; Michael Seaton of East Dover; Andrew Seaton of Hinesburg; Peter Seaton of Syracuse, N.Y.; and patricia Seaton of Reston, Va. predeceased by three sis-ters, Rosemary hoagland, Eileen Euler and Joan Euler. MEMOR I A L I n FOR M AT IOn: A memorial service will take place in the spring at the conve-nience of the family. donations to the Thompson house nursing home Activities Fund, 80 Maple Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301 or to the holton home Activities Fund, 158 Western Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301. Messages of condolence may be sent Atamaniuk Funeral home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Harry Stephen Zaluzny, 83, of harwich, Mass. died on Oct. 24 at Epoch Senior healthcare of harwich. husband of Ruth Brooks. Father of Ann and her husband Ed Taintor of Madera, Calif. Brother of Michael and Walter Zaluzny of Vernon and Olga Williams. predeceased by his brothers, Andrew and Stephen Zaluzny. Born in Vernon. graduated from Mount hermon School, Class of 1945. Joined the navy after graduation and served on the uSS Fresno. Worked for new England power at the Vernon dam, where he was a diver and later a lineman. In 1961, he transferred to nEp’s

Shelburne Falls, Mass., location as a supervisor for transmission and distribution until his retire-ment in 1988. Was a selectman in Vernon and Shelburne Falls, Mass., a member of the Vernon Volunteer Fire department and a member of the Army Reserve in Brattleboro. Was a member of the American Legion and the national Ski patrol. MEMORIAL

InFORMATIOn: A full military graveside service was held nov. 1 at the Massachusetts national Cemetery in Bourne. donations to harwich Fire Association, 175 Sisson Road, harwich, MA 02645 or the VnA of Cape Cod-hospice, 434 Rte 134, Suite d3, South dennis, MA 02660.

Births

• On Oct. 20, 2010, a son, Cur t is Michael Chase , to Michael and heidi (Smith) Chase of Townshend; grand-son to Robert Wordell of Westminster, and Louis and Richard Chase (deceased) of Townshend.

• In Lebanon, N.H., (Alice peck day Memorial hospital), Oct. 6, 2010, a son, Wilhelm James Linder, to penn and Janet Linder of Westminster; grandson to Marvin and Bobbi Walters of Westminster and Craig and Vivian Linder of Coatesville, pa.

College news

• Matthew Cunningham-Cook , a junior at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., and son of Julie Cunningham and Jay Cook of Brattleboro, has been selected as a Bonner Scholar this semester at Earlham. The Bonner Scholars program is a four-year developmental lead-ership program that provides tu-ition and summer support for 15 Earlham students per class year who demonstrate a commitment to community service.

• Katarina C. McDonald of Londonderry, enrolled at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, this fall. Before classes began, she took part in an orientation that included an introduction to Colby’s rigorous academics, rich cultural life, and community in-volvement opportunities as well as a three-day outdoor excursion. A graduate of Burr and Burton Academy, Mcdonald is the daughter of daniel and penelope Mcdonald of Londonderry.

M I L E S T O N E SBirths, deaths, and news of people from Windham County

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C h R I S T O P h E R E M I LY C O U T A N T

The World on My Plate

Brattleboro

ThE FRAgRAnT and delicate basil has long been dead, black and shriveled. I tore the

roots up yesterday and threw them in the compost.

The surviving green toma-toes have been transformed into chutney, although the plants remain as grim remind-ers of frost. A bit of chard still sticks up its leaves, perky, hopeful.

But seriously, summer is over. I mean, it’s the beginning of november, for god’s sake. What is one to do? Think of spring. plant bulbs. plan a win-ter vacation.

These solutions belie the season. After all those heads of light and ephemeral lettuce, handfuls of juicy, bursting to-matoes, and baskets of swollen peas in their pods, I need the reassuring reality of something more substantial that will help me brace for the coming cold.

This is when I remember the comfort of winter squash.

SQuASh: such a strange word. I love to say it out loud. Even stranger is the narragansett Indian word askutasquash. My ancestors the pilgrims had trouble pronouncing that, so they shortened it to squash.

Askutasquash literally means “a green thing eaten raw,” and I think it referred to what we now call summer squash: thin-skinned zucchini, yellow crookneck, patty pan. These are harvested during the regu-lar summer season and can be “green things eaten raw” or at least with just a bit of cooking.

The skin and seeds of sum-mer squash are eaten along with the flesh. The kind of squash I am talking about is what has been named winter squash: acorn, hubbard, but-tercup, butternut, pumpkin.

All varieties are very nutri-tious and rich in vitamins, such as beta carotene and Vitamin A. These thick-skinned squash are harvested in the fall and then are aged to cure and harden for storage. They re-quire a much-longer cooking time than the summer variet-ies, and their seeds need to be roasted to be edible.

Squash is one of the trio of three sister vegetables that are the pillars of companion plant-ing. Corn, beans and squash provided the basis of native American agricultural survival. Corn provides a sturdy stalk on which the beans can climb. The beans provide nitrogen to the soil, and the squash pro-vides a growing “mulch” that discourages weeds and holds in moisture.

In the diet, corn contributes carbohydrates, the beans give protein, and the squash yields nutrition both from the fruit

and from the oil of its seeds.

IT IS BELIEVEd that squash, like corn, developed from wild plants that originated in guatemala or Mexico over 10,000 years ago. horticulturists have deter-mined that turban squash with its gaudy coloration and pro-truding blossom end came from Brazil; the large and cus-tardy Valparaiso or Boston Marrow pumpkin is thought to come from Chile; the Hubbard from the West Indies; while the green striped and crook necked cushaw squash was first seri-ously cultivated in Florida.

Whatever their origin, it is clear that when the pilgrims ar-rived in America, the native Americans were experts at cul-tivating a variety of squash plants, including the pump-kins that we now associate with Thanksgiving.

I find winter squash one of the most beautiful vegetables: knobby with warts or fluted with elongated ridges, smooth and fat or long and dimpled, yellow-red, day-glo orange, green or gray blue, striped, muted or brilliant. All are vo-luptuous and alluring.

While the classic carved pumpkin is quintessential in its seasonal appeal, I am all for stacking a whole bunch of squash on the steps where the jumbled and mismatched en-semble of shapes and shades appeals to my rebellious aes-thetic. In the kitchen, I learned long ago to handle each variety on its own.

here’s a sample of just a few that are in season.

Acorn squash is a readily available variety known for its acorn-like rounded shape. The skin of acorn squash is very hard, and it is best to cleave the squash in two, scoop out the seeds, fill it with some-thing like a few teaspoons of butter; brown sugar or maple syrup; or olive oil and thyme; or even something esoteric like orzo and goat cheese; or bread cubes, apple and curry; or sau-sage and gruyère.

The formula is simple. preheat the oven to 400° F. halve the squash and remove the seeds. put whatever you want in the cavity that used to hold the seeds and cook on a baking sheet for 45 minutes to

an hour, until the squash is ten-der and the filling is nice and golden brown.

A great tip for roasting halved, filled squash is to slice a small piece from the bottom to create a nice flat surface, so the squash doesn’t roll around in the oven.

Delicata squash, a sum-mer/winter bridge variety, is an oblong winter squash with a striped skin that is edible, meaning it doesn’t require a maul to slice.

The delicata is a variety orig-inally introduced in America in the late 1890s, was popular for about 30 years and then dis-appeared until the resurgence of interest in heirlooms. The squash is unsuited for trans-portation because of its thin skin, but for the same reason, it takes about half the time to cook as other winter varieties.

delicata squash makes a su-perb and quick roasted vege-table. halve them lengthwise, remove the seeds — no need to peel — then put the squash cut-side down and make half-moon slices about ½ inch think. Toss with some chili paste and lime juice and bake in a 400° F oven for about 20-25 minutes until al dente.

Make a dressing with more lime juice and olive oil, and toss the squash with baby spin-ach, crumbled feta, and some roasted chopped almonds.

Kabochas, although an-cient in origin, have become a fashionable and hip choice frequently featured in food magazines. As revered in Japan as our American pumpkin is here at home, it has a rich and very sweet flavor and is slightly more moist than some other winter squash.

Steaming peeled cubes of kabocha for about 30 min-utes seems to accentuate its creamy texture. drain it, add as much butter as you feel can be absorbed, 4-5 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup, and some salt and pepper.

If you want to bring out the kabocha’s Asian roots — it is a staple in bento lunch boxes — substitute mirin, soy sauce, a tiny bit of fish sauce, and a few tablespoons of honey.

Butternut — my personal fa-vorite — offers honey-colored heavy variety with fewer seeds and a dense, sweet, rich, nutty flesh that I think works espe-cially well in soup. It is one of the best pairings with apples and cider.

peel, seed, and cut a but-ternut into cubes and add it to a large pot with a few table-spoons of olive oil, 2-3 peeled, seeded, and chopped apples, and a chopped onion. Sauté until tender.

Add some spice – curry, car-damom, nutmeg, a cup of two of cider and enough stock to make about 4 total cups of liq-uid. Cook for about 30 minutes until everything is soft and ten-der. purée with an immersion blender, taste for seasoning and if you are feeling fat deprived, add ½ cup of heavy cream.

The comfort of winter squashTips and tricks for cooking the various varieties of the versatile vegetable

Our customers read The Commons and notice our ads along with all the wonderful in depth stories. We all love the local flair and the feeling of community

that The Commons puts forth — keep up the good work!”—John Sciacca, General Manager

To advertise in the next issue, contact Nancy Gauthier at [email protected] or (802) 246-6397.

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Hubbard squash is very thick skinned and aesthetically one of my favorites: blue/gray with lots of bumps and warts, large and irregularly shaped.

Its skin is so sturdy that a hubbard will keep well for at least six months. One of the best ways to break it open is to put it whole in a paper bag and vigorously throw it on the floor, until the shell breaks into pieces.

pierce the skin all over with a skewer before roasting in a 350° F preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until ten-der, and then cut it into 2-inch chunks.

hubbard works miraculously in this risotto, which will serve 4 to 6 depending on appetites:

Sauté a minced shallot in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the heat to medium and add 1½ cups of Arborio rice and stir until the grains are translucent.

Splash in a cup of dry white wine and stir until evaporated. gradually add by the ladleful 2 to 2½ cups of hot broth – vege-table or chicken. Stir after each addition until the liquid is ab-sorbed, then add more broth until the rice is cooked, which will take around 15 minutes. You want the rice to have a bit of resistance when bitten, ten-der but not mushy.

Take the rice off the heat,

add a handful of grated par-mesan, a few tablespoons of butter, the reserved chunks of hubbard squash, and a bunch of minced sage leaves. Stir gen-tly and serve with extra grated cheese and some toasted pine nuts.

LET’S COnCLudE with the sugar pumpkin: that diminutive and edible version of jack-o’-lanterns, which are much too stringy and coarse to be suit-able in the kitchen.

Start with a medium-sized pumpkin that feels dense and heavy. Cut it in half horizon-tally. Scrape out the seeds and place the halves cut-side down on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with a few table-spoons of water and roast in a preheated 350° F oven for 1 hour, until the pumpkin col-lapses and is tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Remove from the oven and cool. Scrape the flesh from the skin and purée. Voila!

You can turn this into a ter-rific side dish by mixing in a bit of olive oil and some herbs, or a lot of butter, cream, and some herbs.

Sugar pumpkins are the clas-sic pie pumpkin and if handled properly produce a flavorful and versatile purée. Be aware, however, that pumpkin is about 90 percent water.

So if you’re hoping to end up with something that resem-bles canned pumpkin, which is what you want for pies or the like, you’ll need to spread the purée evenly onto a large open baking pan and cook it down in a 350° F oven for 30-40 min-utes until it has dried out and is good and thick.

The kitchen police will ar-rest me for this, but as much as I love all the varieties of winter squash I find in Vermont this time of year, I am also a big fan of canned pumpkin.

It’s one of the few prepared products that I really think is just as good, if not superior, to what I make myself — with-out all the trouble. I love trou-ble in the kitchen. I love long and complicated recipes that fill the sink with dirty dishes. But I also love good quality, pure, unadulterated pumpkin in a can.

In my younger, purist years I spent many a Thanksgiving serving insipid pumpkin pies that never really held together and bled liquid all over my lovely dessert plates.

now that I am old and cyni-cal, I make my much improved pumpkin pies from a can and save my remaining culinary vir-tue and my arthritic hands for the stirring of risotto. n

AdAM FRAnKO (CREATIVE COMMOnS BY-nC-SA)

vermont winter squash: Acorn (dark skin), delicata (yellow with green-striped skin), and hubbard (grey skin). Pumpkins this size aren’t edible, but their smaller sugar pumpkin relatives are.

T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 A

Warming shelter seeks site manager, plans training session

BELLOWS FALLS — With an opening planned for mid-november, the greater Falls Warming Shelter is seeking a site manager to run its facility.

The shelter is accepting ap-plications for the part-time temporary position that will run through the winter season. Shelter hours will be 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven nights a week, with the coordinator responsible for opening and closing the shelter and working with the coordina-tor of volunteers to assure the shelter is staffed nightly.

The shelter committee is look-ing for someone with experi-ence working with the homeless population who is familiar with substance abuse and mental health issues. Maintaining con-fidentiality, management skills and familiarity with local and state resources are also desired attributes.

Resumes and cover letters can be sent to [email protected] or to B. Ternes, parks place, 44 School St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101.

Also, two training sessions for overnight volunteers will be held Thursday, nov. 4, and Tuesday, nov. 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the St. Charles parish Center (former Sacred heart Church) at 39 green St.

Volunteers are needed to staff the shelter in two nightly shifts from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. or 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. or for the entire evening. Volunteer duties include being awake and available to super-vise those sleeping at the shelter and doing some light duties in-volving the serving and cleanup of the evening meal and snacks. Volunteers can sign up on a reg-ular basis or as their schedules permit. Anyone interested in volunteering is required to at-tend one of the training sessions.

no experience is needed other than a concern for the homeless in the community who are out-side during the winter months. Volunteers will work with a staff coordinator who has over-all responsibility. This training is mandatory for all volunteers, new or previous. Questions re-garding the training or the shel-ter in general can be directed to [email protected].

Marine Corps League seeks new members

BRATTLEBORO — Marine Corps League Brattleboro detachment 798 is looking for a few good men and women to join its ranks.

Members of the Marine Corps League join in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the interests of the u.S. Marine Corps. This is ac-complished by banding together those who are now service in the Marine Corps and those who have been honorably discharged from that service; voluntarily aid-ing and rendering assistance to all Marines and former Marines and to their widows and orphans; and by perpetuating the history of the Marines through fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particu-lar interest to Marines.

The Marine Corps League was founded by Major general Commandant John A. Lejeune in 1923 and chartered by an Act of Congress on Aug. 4, 1937. Its membership of over 60,000 is comprised of honorably dis-charged, active duty, Reserve Marines and navy Corpsmen who served with the uSMC, with 90 days of service or more, and retired Marines. Included in the ranks are officer, enlisted, male and female members.

The Brattleboro detachment meets the third Wednesday of each month throughout the year at the American Legion home on Linden Street, starting at 1930 hours. under Commandant Richard hodgdon, the members participate in parades and fu-neral services honoring deceased military veterans. They annually award scholarships to deserv-ing local high school graduates and collect and distribute toys through their Toys for Kids pro-gram. Their work is augmented by an auxiliary team.

The detachment also cel-ebrates the annual birthday of the Marine Corps with an event on or as near as possible to nov, 10. This year’s ball is at the American Legion on nov. 6. Reservations are still being accepted. Members in the local detachment are primarily from southeastern Vermont, south-western new hampshire and northern Massachusetts.

For membership information, write to hodgdon or Adjutant doug Reed at p.O. Box 1942, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Reed’s e-mail address is [email protected]; hodgdon may be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 802-257-7549.

Stress relief program offered at RFPL

B E L L O W S F A L L S — Feeling stressed or anxious and looking for help? On Tuesday, nov. 9, at 5 p.m., come to the Rockingham Free public Library and find natural ways to free yourself from chronic or occa-sional anxiety and learn healthy ways to de-stress and untangle.

This presentation is part of RFpL’s series “FEEL gREAT! nutrition & Your health” with educator Cindy hebbard, and sponsored by post Oil Solutions. It is free and open to the public.

Stress and anxiety may exist in our lives — it’s how we handle them that counts. This workshop will help you address stress prac-tically; offering healthy remedies along with simple techniques to quiet your mind, calm and bal-ance your body, and reconnect with how it feels to be relaxed, tranquil and happy.

Space is limited. Call the li-brary at 802-463-4270 for more information.

Post Oil Solutions hosts monthly Community Conversation

BRATTLEBORO — post Oil Solutions will host its monthly Community Conversation on Wednesday, nov. 10, 7 p.m., at the Elliot Street Cafe, corner of Elliot and Elm streets.

The focus of the October dis-cussion centered on the rela-tionship between activism and people’s need for meaningful connection and how this trans-lates into developing commu-nity for all people in Brattleboro. Attendees agreed to continue ex-ploring this more deeply at the november meeting.

This month’s conversation will begin with a round of introduc-tions. A second round will fol-low during which you may share your vision of what you would like Brattleboro to be in 10 or 15 years. The evening will conclude with breakout groups around the main themes that were expressed and recorded during the conver-sation. Light refreshments will be provided.

T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 B

Marlboro College Graduate School hosts Capstone Fair on Nov. 13

B R A T T L E B O R O — Marlboro College graduate School invites the public to its Capstone project Fair on Saturday, nov. 13, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

The Capstone project is the culmination of a student’s work in a program. While it is similar to a master’s thesis, the goal of the Capstone is to solve a real problem for a real organization. For many, Capstone projects are actual, working developments that will be applied by the stu-dent’s employer or will be used to launch a new business by the student.

This Capstone Fair will fea-ture students from the Master of Science in Information Technologies, the Master of Arts in Teaching with Technology and the MBA in Managing for Sustainability programs. Capstone Sponsor organiza-tions include green Mountain Camp for girls, Marblehead Community Charter public S c h o o l , a n d V i p a s s a n a Meditation Center.

Visitors are encouraged to talk with the students about their projects and to critique them, providing the future graduates with objective, supportive feed-back that will lead to further re-finements. The Capstone project Fair is free of charge and will take place at Marlboro College graduate Center, 28 Vernon St., next to the Brattleboro Art Museum, between noon and 3 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Visit gradschool.marlboro.edu for more information or contact Joe heslin, 888-258-5665, ext. 209, [email protected].

Green River Studio Sale set for Nov. 19, 20

guILFORd — The 11th Annual green River Studio Sale will take place on Friday, nov. 19 from 3 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Joining the crew this year will be Marta and Josh Bernbaum of West Brattleboro, who de-sign and create unique works of blown and sculpted glass. Look for their new 2010 ornament de-signs being offered for the first time at the sale.

nancy detra of green River will show recent paintings and sell cards. Look for many old favorites. nelly detra will have handmade ceramic orbs and lu-minaria for sale.

Mary Ellen Franklin of the Franklin Farm in south guilford will have maple products, Lois pancake will offer greeting cards featuring her unique local pho-tographs and Carol Schnabel will offer scarves, placemats, and shawls.

The sale will take place at 410 green River Rd. Refreshments are free. For information or di-rections, call 802-257-1894. The studio is not handicapped accessible.

Registration for CCV’s spring semester is underway

B R A T T L E B O R O — Registration has begun for more than 1,000 day, evening, weekend, and online class at the Community College of Vermont’s Brattleboro location. CCV’s spring schedule is now available on the college’s web-site, www.ccv.edu. Most classes begin the week of Jan. 24.

With an open admissions policy, CCV welcomes students of all ages and backgrounds to pursue a degree, take a class to improve job skills, or explore something new. Students new to CCV may begin the free admis-sions process at www.ccv.edu.

Since CCV classes average just 13 students, early registration is advised to ensure the availabil-ity of preferred courses. degree-seeking students can choose from 17 associate degrees and 12 cer-tificate programs.

Academic advising is offered to prospective, new and return-ing students. Financial aid is available to eligible students and those interested in apply-ing should schedule an appoint-ment with a financial aid advisor. CCV maintains the state’s most affordable tuition rates at $205 per credit.

For more information on course and degree offerings, en-rollment and registration, visit www.ccv.edu, call 802-254-6370 or stop by CCV’s offices at 70 Landmark hill.

T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 C

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T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 d

T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010 E

F T h E C O M M O N S • Wednesday, November 3, 2010

the commons/issue of nov. 3, 2010

Documents

town charter

town plan

various town

town manager govtopponents

structure of town government

representative town

town manger form of

state law