Thanks to the work of environmental activists, about 361 acres of open space in the Valley have been permanently protected from development. On February 24, the Kestrel Land Trust announced in an e-mail to its members it had saved 161 acres of forestland in Pelham, Massachusetts. Pelham borders Amherst. The land is open to the public for hiking.

Three protesters were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience at the TD Bank in downtown Brattleboro on February 22 as 50 or so supporters sang "We Shall Overcome." They want TD Bank to stop funding construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which would carry oil that causes climate change. The people arrested were Linda Pon Owen, Tim Stevenson, and Daniel Sicken (pronounced "SEE-kin"). The event was promoted by the Brattleboro chapter of 350.org, which has contact information for the people who were arrested. The second photo shows Stevenson in the foreground.

Activists in Brattleboro are planning to use civil disobedience to protest TD Bank, which is funding the Dakota Access Pipeline to move oil, which causes climate change. The action is set for February 22 at 3:30 p.m. at the TD Bank at 215 Main Street in Brattleboro. The activists are asking people to come and support them, without risking arrest. The Brattleboro chapter of 350.org is promoting the event.

Thanks to the work of the environmental movement, solar power plants and bicycle paths are being built. New Hampshire's biggest solar power facility will likely soon be built in Hinsdale, which borders Brattleboro. In Keene, the government is set to spend $412,000 to extend an existing bike path by four miles. Pedestrians are allowed to walk on the path. The only motorized vehicles allowed on it are snowmobiles. More information about the path is at:

www.keenepaths.com/trails/cheshire-rail-trail

The city held a public hearing about the planned improvements to the path on February 13.

Activists in the Valley who have fought to save the environment are seeing their work pay off. Government money that exists because of their work is being used to protect land near Keene, Northampton, and Brattleboro. “It's 182 acres of land along and around the West Cliff trail,” Emily McAdoo told the Valley Post in a telephone interview on December 28. She is on the board of the Putney Mountain Association, which “recently signed purchase and sale agreements” for the land in Brookline, Vermont, near Brattleboro, according to a letter from the group's president to its members.

Simba will perform a public concert in Brattleboro, on December 21 at 7 p.m. At a recent Simba concert, at least 100 people danced for hours. The band plays reggae and funk, among other kinds of music.

This month, a Vermont government scientist made public two photos of a Canada lynx. One of the photos was taken this year in Searsburg, Vermont, which is about seven miles from Massachusetts and 30 minutes from Brattleboro by car. The other photo was taken this year in Londonderry, Vermont, also about 30 minutes from Brattleboro. Lynx are listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act and “endangered” in the state of Vermont.

More than 100 people marched in Brattleboro September 13 in solidarity with Native Americans in North Dakota who are fighting to stop a proposed oil pipeline. On the same day in Amherst, about 100 people attended a rally for the same cause. Both events were promoted by www.350.org. The Amherst photo shows the activists standing in a circle on the town common; they also held signs at the main downtown intersection. To enlarge a photo, click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image." The Brattleboro photos are by Eesha Williams; the Amherst photo is by Gilbert Wermeling.

Valley Post Radio is airing on two local radio stations. Brattleboro Community Radio WVEW 107.7 FM, and Valley Free Radio WXOJ 103.3 FM in Northampton are airing the show. Both stations can be heard world-wide via their web sites.

Two weeks ago, Valley Post Radio began airing on "Cam's Carousel" at 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday. There may be a hiatus on August 24. On August 21 at 8:45 a.m., Valley Post Radio will be on WXOJ on "Kickin' It For Peace, Culture & Education."

You can hear Valley Post Radio anytime at:

www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wnv1cYmyXHEz_yvtYqLzw

About 400 people marched in Brattleboro July 13. They chanted, "Black lives matter," and, "No justice, no peace, no racist police!" To enlarge a photo, click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image." More information about the march is at:

www.valleypost.org/node/1198

photos by Eesha Williams