Bennington Museum Welcomes Neil Rappaport's Students

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The Bennington Museum invites you to join a panel of Neil Rappaport's former Bennington College students from around the country as they discuss his lasting impact on the field of photography and on their personal growth under his tutelage. The discussion will be held on Saturday, October 21 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. This lively discussion is ideal for both those who knew Neil and those who want to discover the man behind the art. The discussion is in conjunction with the exhibit In Place: The Photographs of Neil Rappaport, running at the museum until November 3. The program is free with admission to the museum. Participants in the discussion will include students who have gone on to careers in photography, all in very different areas of the profession. Jeff Curto is a photographer and Professor of Photography at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. His particular interest is in photographing Italy and its history. Steve Brettler is the president of E. Phillip Levine Inc in Boston. This company is a successful camera supplier for over 50 years. The company is the largest New England resource for professional photography equipment. Also present for the discussion will be Jonathan Barber, a Cambridge, New York photographer, and Eileen Travell who works in The Photograph Studio at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Susan Alancraig is a photographer who lives in Cambridge, New York and works in international community development. Finally, Simon Biswas, a photographer and graduate of Skidmore College will join in the discussion. He has recently been photographing and writing about three Washington County, New York dairy farms. In Place: The Photographs of Neil Rappaport, is an exhibit of the former Bennington College professor, who established the photography department at the college. The work in the exhibit primarily focuses on his "visual census" of Pawlet, Vermont residents from 1980-1990. These intimate photographs give a glimpse into a Vermont that is swiftly disappearing. The discussion on October 21, organized by Neil's wife Susanne, will give a glimpse into the creator of these stunning photographs. The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main St. (Route 9) one mile west of the intersection of Routes 7 and 9 in downtown Bennington, Vermont. Open daily except Wednesdays from 10 am- 6pm through Columbus Day. After that 10 am - 5pm. For more information, visit the website at www.benningtonmuseum.org or call 802-447-1571.
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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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