Living story sections
CLOSED! The Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro will be closed on Saturday, October 30 as it is the 5th Saturday of the month.
Swap Shop will be open on Nov. 6 for shopping only, Nov. 13 for donating only and our last day before closing for the winter will be Nov. 20 for shopping only.
SCHEDULE & HOURS:
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month
There seemed to finally be hope that the American health care non-system would finally be scrutinized in a new way. It became clear that as the pandemic unfolded our public health infrastructure was inadequate to meet even the most basic of needs. It also became clear that what we call health care in this country is really a reflection of the socioeconomic divide that is growing wider every day.
We learned that if you have money and live in a “good” neighborhood you have a better chance of staying healthy and avoiding the ravages of the pandemic. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has had their eyes open for the past few years.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENU
Oct. 25 Breaded Baked Chicken
Pasta Salad w/Tomato & Feta
Veggie Salad
Watermelon
Breakfast at the VFW every Wednesday and Saturday from 6 am – 10 am. Public welcome as are to-go’s by calling 802-257-0438
Remember, breakfast will be served on our hall side from now on.
Our $7 lunch specials are listed below.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENU
Oct. 18 Franks & Beans
Tater Tots
Spinach
Apple
Seniors are being bombarded with advertising for Medicare Advantage plans because the open enrollment period for Medicare is from October 15 to December 7. Insurance companies make piles of money if people switch from traditional Medicare to an Advantage plan.
The Advantage plans were created to move Medicare into the private marketplace and provide a financial windfall for the insurance companies.
They are good plans if you never get sick because the initial premiums are low and you get a few extra benefits not available in traditional Medicare.
But if you try to use the insurance in an Advantage plan you are subject to network restrictions and out of pocket expenses. It is not uncommon for a plan to have you pay $6000 out of pocket if you need care.
Another SHOPPING ONLY DAY at Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro on Saturday, October 16, 8:30 am to noon. ALL ITEMS ARE FREE. Many new donated items were added last Saturday. Photos of some available items are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page. Many Christmas decorations!
SCHEDULE & HOURS:
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month
Oct. 11 CLOSED
Oct. 12 Chicken Marsala
Rice Pilaf
Roasted Zucchini
Cantaloupe
Recent research shows children around the world are highly anxious and depressed — not just about the climate, but about their parents and governments doing nothing about it. Isn’t it weird to talk about it and see it looking so calm and harmless in a screen or paper? If you really think about it, you can get very very upset in a few moments. As a serious active work it will make you anxious and depressed. And now we know, when we do nothing, children feel betrayed. Belief in the science of climate change is not enough… Scientists have been demanding radical, drastic, unprecedented action.
The crisis is unthinkable. But doing nothing is NOT an option. We must act.
It’s the same old game. One side doesn’t like what the other side is proposing so they will block every attempt to pass the other party’s legislation. The difference this time is that the entire country’s infrastructure hangs in the balance.
Even Washington politicians of all parties know that this country lags behind most of the industrialized world in keeping bridges, roads, railways, drinking water, internet access and a host of other basic necessities up to an acceptable standard. These issues have been with us for decades and we finally have an administration willing to make the effort to make life better for all Americans.
Everyone knew that such a project was going to cost a lot of money, even in Washington dollars. It started out at around six trillion dollars and the political process has whittled it down to 1.5 trillion. The Democrats want to pay for the plan by taxing the rich and making them pay the fair share that they have not been paying for years.
Information is never lost, not even in a black hole (as per Hawking) seems to be the consensus among all or nearly all astro-physicists.
Can someone knowledgeable please explain what they mean by “information?”
If that proposition is true, does it mean that, in principle, It is possible to learn what happened at any moment in the past, by gathering all the bits of information, and analyzing how they fit together?
I really do hope to read responses to this question.
Your local check of the October numbers. We continue daily and limited-weekend COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro. We’ve also added weekly variant updates. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.
From their newsletter:
“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Maya Richmond to be our next Executive Director, taking over the position from Annie Guion, who has filled the role since 2008.
Maya has 18 years of animal welfare experience and has led progressive change at her previous organizations. As the first shelter in Vermont to create an affordable veterinary care program, that kind of leadership is important to WCHS. The board and staff are looking forward to expanding existing programs and creating new ones under Maya’s leadership. Animal welfare has changed dramatically in the last decade and, like most things, was deeply impacted by the pandemic. In 2020, WCHS helped a record 2,000 animals, taking in close to 600 homeless animals and providing veterinary care to over 1,400 local animals.
SHOPPING ONLY DAY at Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro is here again! Saturday, October 2, 8:30 am to noon. ALL ITEMS ARE FREE. Many new donated items were added last Saturday. Photos of some available items are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page. Halloween and Christmas decorations!
SCHEDULE & HOURS:
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENU
Sept. 27 Breaded Chicken Sandwich
French Fries
Cole Slaw w/Pineapple
Pears
We got the predicted rain last night. Sometime after midnight, in the darkest hours of the night, the rain began to pour. It was hard not to notice. Even the cat was intrigued, opening the curtains to look out despite the fact that it was before dawn.
The American people have become pawns in a deadly game being played between the pharmaceutical industry and Washington politicians. This should not be news to anyone who has to pay for prescription drugs, especially those who struggle with medications such as insulin and other life-sustaining drugs that they have to ration in order to pay all their other bills.
News of this horrific situation is surfacing again because there are a few legislative initiatives in Washington aimed at lowering U.S. prescription drug prices. Our drug prices are the highest in the world because we do not allow negotiation for prices with the drug manufacturers.
According to the Center for American Progress, “Legislation such as H.R. 3—the Lower Drug Costs Now Act—would allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices directly with drug companies to the cost of drugs. The bill ensures that both Medicare enrollees and privately insured patients will benefit from these prices, and it establishes an upper limit of 120 percent of the drug’s average price in several peer nations if drug companies refuse to come to the negotiating table.”
Northeast Kingdom, VERMONT: Today the progressive UNITED! Slate overwhelmingly won their third straight election for leadership positions within the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO at their annual Convention. United! prevailed in winning 18 of 19 Executive Board positions including David Van Deusen for President (2nd term), Dwight Brown for Executive Vice President (1st term), and Danielle Bombardier for Secretary-Treasurer (2nd term). United! also won elections for the Chair of the Rank & File Presidential Advisory Committee (Damion Gilbert), and for President of the Green Mountain Riders Union Motorcycle Club (Dan Brush). The election results are viewed as a mandate by the incoming leadership to keep moving in a more progressive direction.
UNITED! was formed in 2019 in response to the continuing decline of the labor movement happening all over the country, including right here in Vermont. Union density — the percentage of workers who belong to a labor union — has been hovering around 10% nationally, a record low. In Vermont, union density is 11.8% as of 2020, but has climbed in 2021 due to new organizing by UFCW, AFSCME, and AFT. The Vermont State Labor Council now has over 11,000 members.
Breakfast at the VFW every Wednesday and Saturday from 6 am – 10 am. Public welcome to our meals!
Remember, breakfast will be served on our hall side from now on for more spacing. Slight differences between our Wednesday and Saturday breakfast. Every Wednesday there is a breakfast special offered, and Saturday has sausage gravy and biscuits.
It’s back! Friday September 24th at the Brattleboro VFW located at 40 Black Mountain Road. Hand breaded fried haddock with fries and coleslaw for $13 a person. Also having burgers for those of you who don’t like fish. Public is welcome. Serving 4pm-6pm. Please be aware we have one fish fryer, and this is a big piece of haddock that takes time to cook. In other words, you could be waiting for your meal. Have some patience. Sit and stay awhile.
