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Weekend Concert Series: Live Aid 1985, Wembley Stadium

by cgrotke | Entertainment

Remember Live Aid? The dual-continent benefit concert to change the world?

Here, some kind person has assembled a rather complete playlist of the full show in England at Wembley Stadium. Get ready for bands and artists such as The Style Council, Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant, Ultravox, Elvis Costello, Sade, Sting, Phil Collins, Howard Jones, Brian Ferry, U2, Dire Straits, David Bowie, the Who, Elton John, and others. The set by Queen is regarded as one of the all time great live performances.

Weekend Concert Series: BIS 10th Anniversary 1007, Glasgow

by cgrotke | Entertainment

You might not know about BIS, but you should. High-energy, political, dance music from the Scottish trio of Manda Rin, Sci-Fi Steven, and John Disco. They started in 1994, self-released a few things before being picked up by the Beastie Boy’s label, Grand Royal and then, of course, broke up.

One of their best known releases was The New Transistor Heroes, and this concert came from a three night return to the stage 10 years after its release (and a few years after the band broke up). They run through the whole disc at this show, and have a few backstage moments.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Brattleboro Town Manager Search 3.0, Money, and Beer

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard has decided to again attempt a search for a new Town Manager after the second search process resulted in two qualified applicants finding other jobs closer to their homes. The process was also harmed, in some unnamed but serious manner, by confidential information being published by the Reformer newspaper last week, according to Chair David Gartenstein, who was not pleased.

Brattleboro will see a new brewery open in town, new equipment for town departments, a new committee tasked with identifying Brattleboro’s share of Entergy funds, new parking spaces, new no parking spaces, and more.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – July 15, 2014

by cgrotke | Town News

We’ll get an update on the (second) Town Manager search at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. The board will also approve a license for a new brewery, rename a road, award various bids including the purchase of a “one ton class dual drum articulating vibratory roller,” and more.

You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation, or just weigh in on what’s already being discussed if you attend in person at the Municipal Center. You can also watch on BCTV, and read full coverage here the day after.

Weekend Concert Series: Beyoncé

by cgrotke | Entertainment

The Brits know how to hold an outdoor music festival. Glastonbury is a big, multi-day music fest, with big names sharing the stage with smaller, more indie acts. 170,000 people attended this concert on a muddy farm in Somerset.

This week we turn the clock back just a bit to 2011 to attend the festival’s closing main stage act, a performance by Beyoncé .

Why Bey? That’s a fair question. I’m not particulary a fan, nor do I know much about her. I figure that a front row seat at this show might be a way to find out a bit about pop culture in the second decade of this century. What’s popular? Have things changed much?

Robots In Our (Not So Distant) Future

by cgrotke | Sci-Tech

As Brattleboro’s Future’s Committee begins to form, it might be good to look at a few things predicted for the near future. One of them is robots.

The current path with robotics is to replace a majority of human workers wherever and whenever possible with robots. Very soon, they will be cheaper and better skilled than humans in a wide variety of tasks, from farming to surgery. Foxconn, maker of iPhones and such, has announced already plans to buy 10,000 robots to assist in production at a cost of about $25,000 each.

Appreciating the Right to Disorder – Our Evolving Fourth of July

by cgrotke | History

The way we celebrate the 4th of July has changed.

I read the news from long ago each day, scanning old copies of the Phoenix, and for the last few days (many decades ago), the papers were filled with reports of Fourth of July celebrations. It appears that our earlier celebrations of independence involved more mayhem and being quite independent for the day. It almost seemed a bit more like Halloween, with noise, pranks, costumes, and silliness.

Independence Day in Brattleboro, 1858

by cgrotke | History

A report on plans for Independence Day celebration in Brattleboro of July 3, 1858, written in The Phoenix. (It was celebrated on the 3rd of July back then…)

…

“INDEPENDENCE – The celebration on the 3rd by the fire department of Brattleboro and the several companies from abroad will be one of more than ordinary magnificence. The number of firemen who will be present, the reputation of the companies into which they are organized, and the arrangements for the occasion all give evidence of an unusual and unprecedented display. Information has been received by the committee of arrangements of the attendance on Saturday of Companies from Claremont, Keene, and Hinsdale in New Hampshire, from Greenfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, South Royalston and Baldwinville, in Massachusetts. These with our own excellent companies will make a special pageant.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Skatepark Location Remains TBD

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard officially heard the official recommendations of the official Skatepark Site Selection Committee at their Tuesday meeting, but questions from the board and the public remain, and second-guessing of the results began almost immediately. An official Selectboard decision should come by the end of August.

The Selectboard also set the FY15 tax rate, agreed to go forward with improvements at Union Hill and Western Ave, discussed upcoming funding options using money form VY, learned about the potential threat to our ash trees, bought fuel, and more in a long meeting for returning board member David Gartenstein.

Weekend Concert Series: Neil Diamond 1971

by cgrotke | Entertainment

Here is Neil Diamond performing live at the BBC in 1971, not long after he reached the top of the charts with songs such as Sweet Caroline, Cracklin’ Rosie, and Song Sung Blue.

Some interesting things you may or may not know about Mr. Diamond. It’s his real name. He’s from Brooklyn. Sweet Caroline is about Caroline Kennedy. He once opened for the Who. Rick Rubin produced a 2005 album. He just signed (2014) a new deal with Capitol Music Group.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – July 1, 2014

by cgrotke | Town News

The long-awaited results and recommendations of the Skatepark Site Selection Committee will be presented at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. The Elm Street parking lot leads a list of four top-rated locations.

The board will set the FY15 tax rate, hear about improvements to the intersection at Union Hill and Western Avenue, review staffing levels in the Town Clerk and Recreation & Parks departments, and learn about changes to Vermont’s Open Meeting law. And more!

You can participate by attending in person at the Municipal Center, and can bring up items not on the agenda during Public Participation. Watch on BCTV, and read full coverage here the next day.

P.T. Barnum in Brattleboro, and Jumbo in the Whetstone

by cgrotke | History

Time for a summer circus story.

As I was reading some old newspapers, I found an entry that caught my eye. In a report about a flood, the newspaper mentioned that it was hard to believe that the flooded field by the Whetstone was the same place that had been host to P.T. Barnum and Jumbo just a year prior.

I’m a big circus fan, but didn’t know that P.T. Barnum had come to town, let alone that his world famous Jumbo walked about our streets. I dug around some more and found that this circus story began much earlier and was more interesting than I imagined. 

Weekend Concert Series: Stray Cats Live at Montreux 1981

by cgrotke | Entertainment

The Stray Cats hit big time with a weird niche. While others were going to discos and still others were reacting by inventing punk, the Stray Cats returned us to 50’s rockabilly with a new energy for it that hadn’t been seen in decades.

Brian Setzer is a great guitarist, and the stripped down, simple setup of guitar, bass, and drum was all they needed. Sure, everyone knows the hits, like Rock This Town, but this show allows us to see them more fully. I’m glad to see Runaway Boys and Rumble in Brighton on the set list.

Congressman Welch Joins Overwhelming House Vote To End Some NSA Activities

by cgrotke | Politics

Vermont Congressman Peter Welch voted in favor of defund some of the NSA’s spying on innocent Americans yesterday. He added his support to a bill that stops the backdoor searches of information collected under the Section 702 program and blocks the NSA from mandating that tech companies add backdoors in their software or hardware.

The Senate and White House will need to approve, but a vote of 293-123 shows that the House, at least, is ready to curtail some of the NSA’s unnecessary activities. It’s the first time that Congress has acted to defund NSA activities since Edward Snowden gave documents to journalists just over a year ago. It’s a pretty solid vote, too, across party lines.

Brattleboro’s Calamity – The First National Bank Ruined

by cgrotke | History

If you were alive in 1880, you may have been attracted to the following story in the newspaper: one of the three local banks left in ruins after the bank president skipped town after being discovered forging accounts.

It was a massive and stunning crime, as evident from this coverage in The Phoenix. Read on for an amazing story of Brattleboro banks, lawyers, investigators, detectives, and people who lost everything, today in history.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Collective Bargaining Memo Signed, Search For Police Chief Begins

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a memo of understanding which, once filed, will recognize most remaining non-management staff as union members. This makes the fourth group of town employees participating in collective bargaining.

Brattleboro will have a thorough process for finding a new Police Chief, according to plans presented by Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland. If all goes well, the search will result in a new police chief by the end of the summer.

Committee members were appointed, grants enlarged, businesses fined, and more in this relatively short, summer meeting of the Selectboard.

The Worst Nuisance – Ziz, Ziz

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Today in Brattleboro, in 1881, the Phoenix reported:

Again we are reminded that one of the worst nuisances is the man who is up at early dawn, making his lawn mower ziz, ziz, rasping the whiskers off the lawn.

I found this interesting, in that it seems to be a frequent, modern-day occurrence as well.