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Collaborative Community Statement  Regarding the Brattleboro Policing/Community Safety Review Process

by cgrotke | Town News

Here’s the full text of the document discussed at the July 21, 2020 meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard:

…..

July, 21, 2020

Collaborative Community Statement  Regarding the Brattleboro Policing/Community Safety Review Process

Summary Statement

We are seeking a review process focused on a comprehensive examination of community safety and policing in Brattleboro to determine whether the police force effectively meets the communities’ needs, and to determine how to best fund and support community safety. 

The Evolution of the Brattleboro Colonel

by cgrotke | History
Colonels 1958

The Brattleboro Colonels’ mascot is again being questioned. As it currently exists, it is a cartoonish characterization of a southern colonel, along the lines of something you’d see at a fried chicken franchise. It should be retired and replaced.

That said, the current version is not quite what was originally intended.

Joe Rivers, local history teacher and a president of the Brattleboro Historical Society, explained that for the first half of the high school’s existence there was no sports team name or mascot. “When the school was located in what is now the municipal center the sports teams were just known as Brattleboro. The sports editors assigned nicknames, often associated with the last name of their coach, but there was not an official name until 1950.”

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda – July 21, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

The next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard will be devoted to a single topic – the continued discussion of a potential police review process. 

The previous conversation left off with two competing proposals – one from the board and one from community groups working with these issues – and a request that the selectboard’s proposal be withdrawn. The board wanted time to consider merging the two proposals.

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – $3,600 Toward Three Hand Sanitizing Stations

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard july 14 2020

Handy Stations were the primary topic of a special virtual meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. The board approved spending $3,600 on three artistic devices to help people sanitize their hands downtown. If it works out, they may spend even more on keeping people safe.

It was admitted that some hand sanitizer taped to the wall might be significantly less expensive, but a motion-sensing, artist -decorated, musical hand sanitizing station to be adopted and maintained by businesses was the preferred idea. There was also an interesting discussion about the Civil War monument.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Collaborative Proposal for Police Reform Presented To Board, RTM Remains On Hold

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard july 7, 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard didn’t get to new business until after 11 pm. Old business of Representative Town Meeting scheduling, second thoughts on an already-approved budget, and competing proposals for police reforms filled the lengthy meeting.

In the end, no new RTM was set, the board was told the budget cannot be changed but can be ignored selectively, and competing proposals for police reforms will fill a new meeting schedule for July 21.

Department of Fireworks

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

The explosive substance we know as gunpowder was originally developed in China. The bright displays to expel evil spirits and bring good luck, we learned, could also be aimed at enemies and used to blow things up.

But what if we had never thought using it as a weapon?

I pondered this as we launched our illegal fireworks last night and listened as explosions from neighboring illegal fireworks shows reverberated off the hills.

What if we only used gunpowder for fireworks displays? 

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – July 7, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will consider a re-imagined, two-part Representative Town Meeting at their next regular virtual meeting. The plan calls for an online portion on one day, and voting by Australian ballot on another.

A “police review” process is being proposed to look at funding and whether social services might be able to relieve the police of some responsibilities, new bike lanes and pedestrian safety measures will be discussed for Putney Rd., a new Exit 2 to downtown bike lane possibility will be studied, the board will offer up thoughts on the rebuilding of Rt 9 to Wilmington, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Some iBrattleboro Stats for Early 2020

by cgrotke | iBrattleboro

Wondering how many people are visiting iBrattleboro.com? Let’s look at some recent stats.

May 2020 had 33,760 unique visitors, with 60,030 visits to 458,918 pages. (This does not include traffic generated by robots, worms, or crawlers.)

Unique visitors for Jan were just above 27k, Feb had 32.5k, March had just over 31k, and Apr was 22.5k.

Noticed Around Brattleboro – Summer 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

It’s summer. It’s Brattleboro.  Time to list the little things that grab your attention and share them with others.

Parklets are being set-up for some restaurants in town to serve outdoors. Cement barriers have been dropped in parking spaces to mark boundaries.

1912 Story Mentions Brattleboro’s “Only Living Ex-Slave” – Mr. Jake Cartlidge

by cgrotke | History

I was looking though old Brattleboro newspapers for mentions of slavery. Most of the articles are op-eds on slavery in the South, but I came across this mention of Brattleboro’s “only living ex-slave” – Mr. Jake Cartlidge. He was a Brattleboro resident for over 40 years, and this story is about trying to help him get some extra pension funds. (A warning that the newspaper used the n-word discussing his time as a slave, while quoting a slave buyer.)

From the Vermont Phoenix, Dec 6, 1912

“Town’s Ex-Slave In Need Of Funds

Efforts to Secure More Pension for “Jake” Cartlidge

Born in Slavery, Sold on the Block, Beaten by Cruel Taskmaskers – Served Pennsylvania Regiment

Oh, Yeah. The Climate… New IEA Report Offers Sustainable Recovery Plan

by cgrotke | Nature

Coronavirus. Protests. Police. Elections. Masks. There is a lot to be thinking about right now.

Add that pesky climate emergency back on the list:

“The world has only six months in which to change the course of the climate crisis and prevent a post-lockdown rebound in greenhouse gas emissions that would overwhelm efforts to stave off climate catastrophe, one of the world’s foremost energy experts has warned.

Massachusetts Air National Guard Over Southern Vermont

by cgrotke | The Region
map of airspace

Wondering about the  planes buzzing southern Vermont? We asked the VT Air National Guard about it and they weren’t sure where the planes were from at first. After a bit more research, they told us the planes were F-15’s from Massachusetts, and directed us to a page about what they are doing:

SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE

Chugs Temporary Military Operations Area (MOA), Windham, VT

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Defund the Police, and Other Matters

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard june 16 2020

There were many big issues at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard but the biggest of them all was an extended discussion about dismantling a racist system by defunding the Brattleboro Police.  Citizens were rather clear and consistent in asking that the General Fund budget be voted down, and that funding for the police be reassigned to social services.

The system moves slowly, they were told, and their attention should be placed on next year’s budget process. The board committed to making a re-evaluation of community safety a priority in the near future, but passed the budget by a 3-2 split vote.