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Living story sections

I Want A Snow Day

by cgrotke | Nature

Remember way back when we used to have snow? Wasn’t that a fun time?

I’d really appreciate a good, old-fashioned snow day sometime soon. One of those days when we get a foot or more of (not heavy and wet) snow and everything has to close down. Everyone gets a day off, schools close, and  we hear the sound of plowing, shoveling and snow blowing.

Postponed : Lecture on Critical Race Theory (CRT)

by Kurt Daims | Activism

We’re having a problem.

The CRT lecture by Etan Nasreddin-Longo must be postponed (date TBA).  Professor Nasreddin is well.  Unfortunately, one BCS staff member is sick with COVID, and other residents at BCS headquarters are sick and in isolation.   Although we would be glad to see everyone, we have plenty of help from the community.  Please do not drop in unannounced. 

Masking Smartly Makes A Difference

by RDavis | Health

Are people who are getting infected and re-infected with COVID using masks? Are they using masks correctly? When we hear about numbers of cases or individual cases there does not seem to be any reporting about mask use. This got me to wondering if people who use masks are using them to maximum benefit.

I have read a number of peer-reviewed medical journal articles and I also looked at data from the CDC and the EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) to determine the most effective masks and how they should be used.

Harris Hill Lights, Fireworks, Night Jumping Planned

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

On Friday, February 18, an evening of FREE festivities will be held to kick off the weekend and honor the fans as Harris Hill Ski Jump and The Brattleboro Outing Club celebrate their 100th anniversaries. The evening, which will run from 6-8 pm under the new lights, will include ski jumping competition, local food and beverages and a fireworks display. The Harris Hill Ski Jump and Brattleboro Outing Club were founded by Fred Harris in 1922.

We Need A New Definition Of Parenthood

by RDavis | Activism

Over the past 50 or more years we have heard just about every possible argument for and against abortion. In 1973 the issue seemed to be settled from a legal perspective when the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, making abortion a constitutional right.

But the debate never ended and the anti-abortion forces have been patiently packing the courts with sympathetic judges with the hope of once again making abortion a criminal act. In 2021 we are now on the verge of having a country where abortion will no longer be a constitutional right. The Supreme Court could go further and turn pregnant women who have abortions into criminals.

When it comes to abortion and the law I have a simplistic view. The courts should not be telling a woman what she can and can’t do with her body. There are many other issues to consider and I will not rehash them.

COVID’S Bigger Lessons

by RDavis | Health

It is two years since the emergence of the first versions of the COVID virus. The world was slow to figure out what was going on and even slower to figure out ways to deal with this new deadly disease. Despite all of the technology and science that we have developed over the years, COVID continues to make fools of the humans who are trying to beat it.

On the surface it may seem that the best way to contain COVID and to make it less of a threat to humans is to develop effective vaccines and get those vaccines to as many people as possible. It sounds like a simple plan and it makes sense from a scientific perspective.

False Hope and Deadly Consequences

by RDavis | Health

Just when it seemed that the validity of science was gaining credibility among the masses the story of Aducanumab (Aduhelm) shows that profit still rules. Aducanumab is a drug that claims to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug in June despite the fact that an advisory committee of experts outside of the FDA, as well as many Alzheimer’s specialists, said that that it was not clear if the drug provided benefit to patients. They noted that the drug presented a high level of risk because of serious side effects.

Last Shopping Day at Swap Shop

by rbrem | Home & Garden

The LAST SHOPPING DAY at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro will be on Saturday, November 20, 8:30 am to noon….then we’ll be closed until the spring.  ALL ITEMS ARE FREE.  Photos are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page.  Some available items are 2 drawer file cabinet, lamps, dresser, crib, high chair, small vacuum, sewing machines, Christmas tree stands, jumper cables,  jelly jars, chairs, kitchenware.

SCHEDULE & HOURS:(CLOSED FOR WINTER SEASON AFTER SHOPPING DAY ON NOVEMBER 20)
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month

Windham County Humane Society Thanks Harriet Ives

by cgrotke | Pets

You’ve seen the donation cans for the Windham County Humane Society around. The coffee cans near cash registers in town where you can toss a few coins to help local animals?  Harriet Ives, the keeper of the cans, has passed away at age 96.

Here’s the what WCHS had to say about her in their newsletter:

“Harriet Ives recently passed away, at 96 years old. She was a longtime WCHS supporter and friend to any animal in need and we already miss her.

As The Planet Dies All We Get Is Blah, Blah, Blah

by RDavis | Activism

This is the 26th year that world leaders have come together at the Conference of Parties (COP) organized by the United Nations. During those years the planet has been increasingly abused by humans and is now in danger of even more climate catastrophes than we have already experienced.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has declared COP 26 a failure and she has made it clear that as the planet dies all we get are words of recognition that a crisis is taking place. What little action there has been to fix the planet has not been enough and world leaders have nothing to offer but empty promises of throwing money at the problem a few years from now.