Dinner and Hot Latin Jazz at Compass School Dec. 13th

WESTMINSTER, VT- On Saturday, December 13th, Compass School will host a Caribbean dinner and a musical performance by Eugene and Julian’s Latin Party Band featuring renowned musicians Eugene Uman and Julian Gerstin.

Eugene Uman is a pianist and composer who has performed with Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, George Mraz, Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd, and many others. Uman has written over 120 wide ranging jazz compositions; three of his original compositions were recorded by Latin Jazz star Sammy Figueroa on his 2005 Grammy Nominated CD. Uman appears in numerous ensembles including The Convergence Project, the As Yet Quintet, and Zabap, and he is the director of the Vermont Jazz Center and serves as an adjunct professor of music at Amherst College and Marlboro College.


Brattleboro Arts Committee Meeting Agenda

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100


Brattleboro Parking Ban Ticket?

When I moved in to the town of Brattleboro in April, I went to the parking enforcement office to find out about the parking rules on my street. Carol Coulombe in that office said don’t worry about unless there is snow and not mentioning the winter parking ban. Well apparently Officer Hamilton went on a ticketing spree last night and I woke to a parking ticket and not a flake of snow.


Next Brattleboro Area Techies Meeting December 4

The holiday meeting of Brattleboro Area Techies will be held on December 4, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, at the office of Mondo Mediaworks in Brattleboro. All people who work with technology in the Brattleboro area are invited to attend. There is no cost.

Brattleboro Area Techies was formed as an 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.


Caravan of Thieves at Next Stage on Friday, November 28

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present acoustic swing and alt gypsy jazz quartet Caravan of Thieves at Next Stage on Friday, November 28 at 7:30 pm.

For the past six years, Caravan of Thieves has roamed the North American continent recruiting a family of avid thrill seekers at their high energy shows. Driving gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. It’s theatrical and humorous. It’s musical and intense. It entertains, dazzles and defies classification while welcoming the spectator to join the band throughout the performance in momentary fits of claps, snaps and sing-alongs.


Brattleboro Union High School Board Meeting Agenda

BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL BOARD
53 Green Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
www.wssu.k12.vt.us

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The BUHS #6 Finance Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 1 in WRCC Room 294. RE: Special Education Budget

The BUHS #6 Planning and Policy Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 1 in the WRCC 1st Floor Conference Room.


Entergy Push Poll

Yesterday, I was called by “VT Opinion Survey” with what was quite obviously a push poll from Entergy, owners of Vermont Yankee. I am a sucker for polls and had a fun time scoring Entergy on topics such as “trust worthy” and “transparency.” After about 20 minutes, the caller repeated the same initial questions and asked if, as a result of the call, I had changed my mind on any of the topics.

Anyone else out there get a call?


Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee Meeting

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 6:00pm at 528 Goodenough Road. It is anticipated that the Committee will enter into executive session at 6:00pm to discuss agencies’ financial records exempt from access to the public.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100


Brattleboro Thanksgiving Schedule

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28, 2014, with the exception of emergency services.

Brooks Memorial Library will close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 26, and will be closed on Thursday, November 27. It will be open for regular hours on Friday and Saturday, November 28 and 29.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28. Parking will resume regular enforcement hours on Saturday, November 29. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.


Drugmakers Mum on Huge Price Hikes – Legislation Filed to Save Taxpayers $500 Million

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 – Sharp increases in prices for many generic drugs were examined today at a Senate hearing where three pharmaceutical companies refused to testify.

Generic drugs, copies of drugs no longer protected by patents, historically have cost much less than brand-name prescription medicines. But federal records made public at the hearing show the price for 1,215 generic drugs increased 448 percent on average from July, 2013 to July, 2014. During that period, nearly 10 percent of all generic drugs more than doubled in price, according to the analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.


I-91 Bridge Replacement Project: Week of November 23

No planned closures this week.

Motorists should expect traffic delays related to Thanksgiving travel on I-91 between Exits 2 and 3, especially Wednesday afternoon and evening northbound, and Sunday afternoon and evening southbound.

The project team wishes you a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!


Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meetings Scheduled

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, November 24, 2014 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:00pm to discuss labor relations agreements with employees, and reconvene the business meeting at 5:20pm.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100


Vermont Partnership Updates Vision, Mission

Brattleboro. Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity has revised its vision, mission, and position statements according to Dr. Ann-Marie White, president of the organization’s board of directors.

“We refined our vision, mission, and position statements after listening closely to the attendees at our 3rd Annual Vermont Vision for a Multicultural Future Conference held in early November,” states White. The participant-driven conference celebrated the completion of the first decade of Vermont Partnership’s four-decade in length Vermont Vision for a Multicultural Future Initiative. Formerly known as Facing Change: The Changing Face of Vermont, the initiative prepares the state, its leaders, and residents for an increasingly multi-racial/ethnic/lingual/cultural/abled landscape.


Young Guitarist Plays in Brattleboro

Sunday, November 23 there will be a contra dance at the “Stone Church” on Main St in Brattleboro. Dances will be called by Quena Crain, with live music from Everest Witman, Peter Siegel and Audrey Knuth. Witman, 16, is the youngest of this trio, and is a thoughtful, intelligent and clearly-spoken young man with the ability to laugh at himself. He and his band, Nova, appeared earlier this year at the Brattleboro Contra Dance to loud cheering and stomping from the crowd of dancers.

Witman is this year’s recipient of the Johnny Trombly Memorial Scholarship. The fund was established to support and encourage young musicians interested in playing instruments used for traditional New England dance music.


Building Tar Sands Pipeline Would Be ‘Insane,’ Sanders Says

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today that it would be “insane” to construct the Keystone XL pipeline to ship the dirtiest oil on the planet from Canada’s tar sands region to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico.

“The scientific community is telling us that we have a narrow window of opportunity to address the crisis of climate change and to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” Sanders said in prepared remarks. “This legislation would move us in exactly the wrong direction toward not only more dependence on fossil fuels but on some of the dirtiest fossil fuel imaginable. That is insane.”