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“Back Roads Stories” Returns To Guilford, Vermont

by LGreen | Entertainment

March 2025, Guilford, VT… Stories, music and great desserts return to Guilford once again as the popular program, Back Roads Stories, welcomes in spring. Please join friends and neighbors from around our region at the Broad Brook Community Center, 3940 Guilford Center Road, on Sunday, March 30, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm for a show that has always delighted audiences.

“We are thrilled to host the return of Back Roads Stories at the Broad Brook Community Center,” said Ada Brown, Manager and Program Coordinator. “This program is not only a celebration of the art of storytelling but also an opportunity to connect with our neighbors in a deep and meaningful way.”

WSESU Reorganizational Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2025

by Not Signed In | Education

Mark presented the board with documents detailing our SU’s current system of Supervision, Observation & Evaluation for certified staff. New teachers are evaluated during their 1st and 2nd years and then afterwards on a 3 year cycle. A committee was created including members of the Curriculum office, BAMS and BUHS personnel as well as representatives from the elementary schools so that there was a full Pre-K – 12 lens on this issue. The committee is proposing a newly formatted template that will be discussed at the April Admin meeting. The intent is to create a common structure that can be used across all schools.

WSESD Policy & Amendment Committee Meeting Minutes 3/12/25

by Not Signed In | Education

F8 Student Medication
Invited Attendee: Rebecca Olmstead, Nurse Leader

Since the last meeting, RO met with the district doctor regarding this policy, and the doctor approved the draft brought to the committee today. The committee read the new draft aloud, and in consultation with RO, made a number of edits for clarity, consistency, and accuracy. The last two paragraphs (non-prescriptions medications and the concluding paragraph) were reviewed after RO had to leave the meeting, and these will need to be reviewed again. The procedures section was not reviewed.

Help Save the Brattleboro Town Arts Fund!

by Not Signed In | Arts

We are writing with an important update about the Town Arts Fund program and a request for your support and advocacy.

You may be aware that the Town of Brattleboro eliminated funding for the Town Arts Fund program in the proposed FY26 budget. This decision was made by the Selectboard in January without much discussion about the merits or impact of the program. The Arts Council relies on the Town of Brattleboro as the primary source of funding for TAF, and without the Town’s support, it is unlikely we can continue to maintain this program.

Persian Kamancheh Player Mehrnam Rastegari Returns to Putney

by hahrenholz | Music

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

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

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

by KCasa | Arts

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

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

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

Guilford WSESD Seat Recount Results

by Not Signed In | Education

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

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

by BrattleboroHospice | Entertainment
sorry for your loss

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

A Q&A will follow the performance.

WSESD Recount of 3 Year Seat Scheduled for March 11

by Not Signed In | Education

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

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

Windham Southeast School District Recount

by Not Signed In | Education

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

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

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

by hahrenholz | Music

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

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

by hahrenholz | Music

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

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

Ines Zeller Bass on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

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

WSESD Board Meeting Minutes Feb 25, 2025

by Not Signed In | Education

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

Song for Homeless People in Vermont

by CrisEricson2016 | Music

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

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

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