Four Weeks And Counting: 93rd Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition To Be Held February 14 and 15 In Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro, Vt. (January 19, 2015) – The only International Skiing Federation (FIS)-approved ski jump in New England will soon be fully active as the 93rd Harris Hill Ski Jump sets to take off February 14 and 15 in Brattleboro, Vt. The world-class competition will feature more than 40 of the world’s top male and female jumpers from the US, Europe and Canada who will compete on a 90-meter Olympic sized jump.


Sanders Announces Winners of State of the Union Essay Contest – Brattleboro’s Taggard Takes Second Place

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 19 – With President Barack Obama set to deliver his State of the Union address tomorrow, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced the winner and top finalists in his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students.

Leo Lehrer-Small, a sophomore at Mount Mansfield Union High School, was named the winner of the contest, which was judged by a panel of four Vermont teachers. Sanders called to congratulate Lehrer-Small on Friday.

Ryan Taggard of Brattleboro Union High School finished in second place. Two students – Craig Pelsor of Milton High School and Hadley Menk of Champlain Valley Union High School – tied for third place. (The full list of finalists is below.)


I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of January 18

Night work on the new bridge will resume at Route 30. Night work will be conducted Monday night, January 19th thru Friday night, January 23rd.

I-91

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.


Brattleboro Area Techies To Meet January 22 at 5:30 pm To Kick Off The New Year

Brattleboro Area Techies, the fast-growing networking group for technology users, will host its first meeting of 2015 on Thursday, January 22, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, at the office of Mondo Mediaworks in Brattleboro. Everyone who works with technology in the Brattleboro area, from programmers to designers to makers, is invited to attend. There is no cost.

Brattleboro Area Techies was formed as a networking group to bring technology people and makers together in an informal setting to discuss common issues and provide people with an excuse to get out from behind their computers.


The Vermont Jazz Center Presents: The Clarence Penn Quartet

Clarence Penn plays Monk and celebrates release of new CD

On Saturday, January 17th, The Vermont Jazz Center will present drummer Clarence Penn in concert with his Quartet, “Penn Station” performing the music of Thelonious Monk. The group includes the leader with young New York heavyweights Chad Lefkowitz-Brown on saxophone, Matt Mitchell on piano and Yasushi Nakamura on bass. This working ensemble displays a telepathic level of communication, a mastery of dynamics and a remarkable degree of facility while playfully navigating challenging tunes, often in odd meters.


Sanders to File Global Warming Amendment on Tar Sands Pipeline Bill

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today will file that would put the Senate on record acknowledging that climate change is being caused by humans and is a major threat to the planet.

Sanders plans to offer the amendment to a bill that would force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The controversial project would ship oil from Canada’s tar sands region in Alberta to refineries in Texas along the Gulf of Mexico.

“The American people need to know whether Congress is listening to the overwhelming majority of scientists when it comes to climate change,” Sanders said.


Public Outreach For Comprehensive Revisions to Brattleboro’s Land Use Regulations

The Brattleboro Planning Commission will be hosting a series of events in January and February to introduce its comprehensive revision of the town’s land use regulations.

“The Planning Department has been working with the Planning Commission and Brandy Saxton of PlaceSense to design an outreach and public comment process that offers people many opportunities to comment and better understand the intent and purpose of these proposed regulations,” Brattleboro Planning Director Rod Francis said.


Let’s Get Brattleboro Heard! Use WikiMap To Identify Bicycle Routes and Bicycle Infrastructure Concerns

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is currently involved in a project with multiple large planning/engineering companies to gather public input regarding existing infrastructure concerns as they relate to bicycling. The state has limited funds to make improvements so they want to focus what they do have available in the locations that people use the most. In order to prioritize specific routes they are using WikiMapping to allow people to go onto a map of Vermont and put comments on particularly tricky sections of road OR entire routes.

There is not a guarantee of funding or projects at this time. It is simply a means for VTrans to gather information on where the biggest problems are and prioritize them. Let’s get Brattleboro heard!!!


Brattleboro Martin Luther King Jr. Day Schedules

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2015, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Monday, January 19. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19.


Qigong Exercise & Meditation Half Day Workshop in Brattleboro

Qigong – “Quietness as Medicine”

Qigong is one of the best practices to help relax the physical body and calm the overactive mind. The simple movements induce a calm, meditative state that relaxes the mind, improves one’s health, and raises the spirit. It is also an excellent form of preventative healthcare while treating major illnesses and minor ailments.

During this half-day workshop participants will explore the profound benefits and insights of diving deeper into “Quietness as Medicine”. Be prepared to be guided into an experience of profound relaxation, while opening up to the truth of who you really are.


Road Map to Efficiency: A Regional Energy Roundtable

Come to “Road Map to Efficiency”, a regional energy roundtable Wednesday, January 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s community room located at 68 Birge Street, Brattleboro

The roundtable will offer tools, resources, and support to homeowners, energy committees, and interested community members.

Roundtable topics include community grant opportunities, programs for schools, cold-climate heat pumps, residential solar options, on-bill repayment for residential efficiency projects, NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad program updates, advice for starting an energy committee and how to spur action in communities.


Sanders Welcomes Relief for New Homebuyers

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) welcomed President Barack Obama’s announcement today that the Federal Housing Administration will cut mortgage-insurance premiums as part of an effort to expand opportunities for first-time homebuyers.

Annual fees the agency charges to guarantee mortgages will be cut by 0.5 percentage points from the current rate of 1.35 percent.

Sanders and 17 other senators had signed a letter asking the Obama administration to take the action that the White House announced.


Public Invited to ‘Trail Talk’ To Be Held For I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project

The PCL+FIGG Team will conduct the next on-site “trail talk” for the Public on Saturday, January 10, 2015. There has been a lot of progress at the I-91 Brattleboro Bridge project site, which will be shared with attendees. The talks will originate at the West River Trail near the marina. The trail talk will be led by Caleb Linn, Project Manager for PCL (lead contractor) and Garrett Hoffman, Design Manager for FIGG (bridge designer).

Interested participants should meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail trailhead on Saturday, January 10, 2015, at 8 a.m. and the talk will begin at 8:15 a.m. Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.


Brattleboro Committee and Board Vacancies

The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:

Agricultural Advisory Board
BASIC (Brattleboro Area Skatepark is Coming) – must be Brattleboro resident
Conservation Commission
Development Review Board
Development Review Board Alternate
Energy Committee


I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of January 11

Night work on the new bridge will resume in the vicinity of Route 30. Night work will be conducted Monday night, January 12th thru Friday night, January 16th.

The next trail talk is scheduled for January 10th at 8:00 AM.

I-91

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.


Great Board Training Opportunities in Brattleboro

T​his spring, ​Marlboro ​College ​will offer its first Board Leadership Institute​. ​The Board Leadership Institute is a series of skill-building workshops in March and April that, taken together, introduce board members to the most important knowledge and skills for successful board service. Board Teams and Individual Trustees should register here to reserve their place in the Board Leadership Institute.


Brattleboro Department of Public Works Tree Trimming

Weather permitting; the Department of Public Works crews will be working with a contractor to remove low hanging branches that pose a danger to vehicular traffic on several streets around town on January 12th and 13th. DPW personnel will continue trimming throughout the rest of the week as needed.

If you have any questions, please contact Hannah O’Connell, Town of Brattleboro Highway / Utility Superintendent at (802) 254 – 4255.


Town of Brattleboro
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
211 Fairground Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
Tel: 802-254-4255 • Fax: 802-257-2316 • E-mail: brattdpw@sover.net