Welcome to THE COMMONS -- News and Views for Windham County, Vermont

2022-07-29 22:42:16 By : Ms. Helen Yu

Click here to make a one-time donation to support your not-for-profit community news source

Every week, The Commons mails newspapers to libraries and schools throughout Windham County, and beyond. Of course we do! Part of our mission is make sure that honest, award winning reporting is available to all, regardless of ability to pay.

Now you can help further our mission. Only $75 guarantees a library or school delivery of The Commons for a full year. Join our Sponsor-a-Library program today! Click here (and select “Sponsor a Library” when asked “Apply My Donation To.”)

Now you can look great, and show the world your support of The Commons! Click here to visit our online store.

Make a recurring donation today.

• Send to Milestones (obituary, wedding, birth, academic achievement)

Items sent to this address are presumed to be intended for publication.

• Write a letter in response to a story

• Contribute a Viewpoint, Essay, or Memoir

• We would love local artists to submit work to illustrate the section.

Items sent to this address are presumed to be intended for publication.

Items sent to this address are presumed to be confidential communications with our editors.

• Please book your ad space before Friday at 3:30 p.m.

• We are happy to design your ad. If you would like that, please make sure we get your copy by that time.

• If you are designing your ad, please send by Monday at noon.

We’d love to help you with your ads! Please let us know a little bit about your advertising and your needs, and one of our team will be in touch promptly. You can also call us at 802-246-6397 (please leave message for advertising)

Nuts ’n’ Bolts (home improvement)

The Commons is the public face of a larger nonprofit organization, Vermont Independent Media, Inc.

We came to life from the ground up in 2004, as members of the community became increasingly concerned about the consequences of absent corporate ownership of the daily newspaper in town and the need for local people to have access to the skills to create their own grassroots media.

VIM came to life lovingly and carefully thanks to indefatigable volunteers. The first public programs of the Media Mentoring Project began in 2005, and the first issue of The Commons was published in 2006. The newspaper was published monthly until 2010, when we began a weekly schedule. We are published on Wednesdays 51 times a year.

Recognizing that a vigorous exchange of ideas and information allows democracy to function and is the lifeblood of a community, Vermont Independent Media:

• creates a forum for community participation,

• fosters civic engagement by building media skills

through publication of The Commons and commonsnews.org, and through the Media Mentoring Project.

By law, every 501(c)3 nonprofit organization must make its IRS filings available to the public. Here are ours.

Owing to the pandemic, our office is open by appointment only, and masks are required at all times.

We're at 139 Main St., Brattleboro, Vermont (the Hooker-Dunham Building).

The Commons P.O. Box 1212 Brattleboro, VT 05302

Connecting all departments: 888-511-5150

Email for general inquiries: info@commonsnews.org

Submit items for publication in the news sections (News, Arts, Milestones, Around the Towns): news@commonsnews.org

Submit items for publication in the Voices section: voices@commonsnews.org

Submit news tips and story ideas (not for publication): tips@commonsnews.org

General advertising address: ads@commonsnews.org

These PDFs are built from the final files that were printed and represent an accurate facsimile of the issue’s content.

Please be warned: These files are very large and not at all suitable for dialup connections.

We maintain files of a limited number of back issues in our office. Please email info@commonsnews.org, and we will make them available if we can.

SOUTH NEWFANE—On Sunday, July 31, from 3 to 6 p.m., the South Newfane Schoolhouse is hosting a community-wide Open House event.

All are welcome to come and see the recent updates to this historic building in the center of South Newfane Village, located at the intersection of Dover and Auger Hole roads.

Most recently, a Little Free Library has been installed in the Schoolhouse, having moved from its former location across the road in the South Newfane Baptist Church. The new library space has been renovated, freshly painted, and well stocked with a variety of books for both children and adults. The Library is free and open to all year round.

The Schoolhouse is a central piece of South Newfane’s history, having served as the one-room village elementary school from the mid-1800s until the early 1950s. Since then, it has been managed by the South Newfane Community Association (SNCA), whose purpose is to maintain the building and keep it available for public use.

Over the years, the Schoolhouse has hosted an assortment of events from art classes and workshops, music and theatre performance, yoga and tai chi practice, private parties and meetings, the annual Rock River Artists exhibit, as well as a venue for intimate weddings.

This past winter, SNCA also became the steward of the South Newfane Baptist Church building, when the congregation decided to permanently close its doors after a 140-year presence in the village. (The church building is currently for sale, listed with Berkley & Veller Realty.)

The church board generously bequeathed the building to the community association as a way to keep funds from the sale in the village and to help support the future care and maintenance of the Schoolhouse. The church will be open for viewing during Sunday’s event, offering a chance for all to try their hand at ringing the historic hand-pulled church bell.

The SNCA board is interested in hearing from the local community regarding suggestions for activities and events to be hosted in the Schoolhouse. There will be ample opportunity for all to present their ideas and requests. The SNCA board is also seeking to create a “Friends of the Schoolhouse” group of volunteers who would be willing to donate their time and talent to help support the Schoolhouse mission.

All are welcome to participate in the effort to keep this beloved historic building open and accessible as a vibrant part of local community life. Beverages and snacks will be provided at the Open House; potluck contributions are welcome. For more information, visit their Facebook page, email snschoolhouse@gmail.com, or contact Maia Segura at 206-898-7090.

We rely on the donations and financial support of our readers to help make The Commons available to all. Please join us today.

Originally published in The Commons issue #674 (Wednesday, July 27, 2022). This story appeared on page C3.