Alicia Ostriker, a major American poet and critic, will read at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro, VT., Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 PM. Ostriker’s most recent book of poems is No Heaven, described as powerful…delicately balanced” in The Southern Review, and “deeply compelling” by Maxine Kumin.

Just about one year ago Wantastiquet Mountain experienced a significant forest fire across the river from Brattleboro. The area that burned is visible this spring and I decided to take a walk with my camera to see the changes. Finding the area was not difficult but the terrain is steep and rocky.

I'd like to know if anyone has a local physician they could recommend? I've become increasingly dissatisfied with my current GP and feel it's time to find someone new. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Summer Camp at The Grammar School is a place where children explore in nature, experience athletic adventures, and study with professional artists in many mediums. It is the only camp of its kind. Whether sculpting with clay, tasting strawberries in the organic garden, biking through Putney, building with wood, or doing Chinese brush painting, there is something for everyone.

Campers enjoy the 60 acre campus and the chance to be part of a program that has its roots in over twenty years of wonderful summers. This program provides the same standard of excellence that the school provides year round.

A Morningside Commons tenant left the patio door unlocked while she went upstairs. In that brief time, someone entered her home, stole her purse and laptop computer and left. No one was hurt.

A sad warning to us all; keep your doors locked. In these hard times, people are getting desperate

A new support for parents of young children with special needs is beginnig here in Brattleboro. The group will meet from ll:00 to Noon on the second tuesday of each month in the meeting room of the Brooks Memorial Library. All parents of children with disabilities or special health care needs are welcome. Free. For more information call Julie Tamler at 387-5285 or email msjulie@myway.com.

Green and Solar Home Tour – Saturday May 17th and Sunday May 18th, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Organized by the Putney Energy Committee (PEC). A free opportunity to learn about building techniques and technologies that save energy while providing superior summer and winter performance. One guided tour each day, many locations open for visitation as a self-guided tour. Informative signs at each location with homeowners and builders present to answer questions.

After reading a discouse concerning using catsup/ketchup on weiners, I took a quick survey of my refrigerator door shelves' contents.

There I found some surprises I'd forgotten I owned; fish sauce, hard sauce, green maraschino cherries. U-Bet chocolate syrup, horse beans in chili sauce, Liquid Smoke, Vietnamese chili sauce, capers in olive oil, hot vinegar.

Foodie Forums asks, what's in your refrigerator door? What do you use them in?

On May 15, the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District (WCNRCD) will host a public meeting to present the results of the Stream Geomorphic Assessment.

The field work and research has been conducted by Amy Sheldon, the project consultant.

Amy will be joined by Marie Caduto, VT DEC Watershed Coordinator, Jolene Hamilton, WCNRCD Manager and Shannon Pytlik, VT River Management Program River Scientist.

"The Brattleboro Selectboard will be meeting Monday, 5/12/2008, at 7:30 AM in the Hanna Cosman room, 230 Main Street, for a discussion of the utilities budget."

BOCCELLI’S RESTAURANT on the canal in Bellows Falls, a friendly European style café plus a shop carrying ethnic, organic and specialty groceries, antiques and Vermont products, is supporting Westminster Cares. All tips collected at Boccelli’s during the month of May (Older Americans Month) will be donated to Westminster Cares.

Wendy is moving back closer to NYC, to cheesier pastures.

I'll miss her program and her company, but she'll continue to be the Cheese Snob and also answer your cheese questions on Cheese Chat.

I've heard all this stuff about how Zippy is "deeper" or "full of more meaning" or just that those who don't like Zippy "don't get" the bohemian "humor" or that it doesn't need "humor" or whatever...but after reading Zippy in the strips of the Reformer and comparing to the strips online of Mother Goose & Grimm, I have got to say that there is no comparison: Mother Goose & Grimm is WAY BETTER, WAY FUNNIER, and in so many ways, should come back and replace Zippy, which is hard to read in tiny print, isn't funny, isn't even all that deep. It's just crud masquerading as "art".

I would like to take the time to wish a very Happy Moms' Day to my Sister Christa, my ex-wife Angela, my ex-girlfriend Michelle, my niece Cassidy Rose who is a brand new Mom, my good friends Brenda, Keri, Rosemary, Sherri, Sophie, Erin, and my long lost love and dearly departed Julie Ann... and of course my Dear Mother Margaret Porter, whom we lost in '88... and to all those awesome and beautiful Moms' of Brattleboro...

JP