iBrattleboro.com | spoon | Activity

spoon wrote a new post, Going Deeper into RTM and Democracy

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 17:10:52 +0000

Responding to comments to my post about RTM on Sept 17th:

Since last read comments remain most in mind I shall respond first to the statement that you “could buy the argument that RTM members were more […]

spoon wrote a new post, Is Democracy Best Served By An Open or Representative Town Meeting?

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 18:34:28 +0000

In the first part of this examination of RTM and democracy it was demonstrated that RTM is in fact more representative now than it has ever been. In this part we compare direct democracy to representative […]

spoon wrote a new post, Is Representative Town Meeting Really Representative?

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 14:12:37 +0000

Is Representative Town Meeting Representative?

I have called Brattleboro home for the last 37 years, most of which I have been quite civically and socially engaged. Until now I had never heard the claim that […]

spoon wrote a new post, Former Lt Gov Zuckerman Discussing State Politics

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 21:12:09 +0000

A Community Conversation with Former Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
Sunday, July 20th – 3:00pm at 118 Elliot Street
Brattleboro, VT

Join David Zuckerman and community leaders for a powerful community gathering […]

spoon wrote a new post, God of Democracy Where Art Thou?

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 15:39:43 +0000

The Charter Revision Commission is making its public debut on Monday, the 30th, in the Library at 6 pm. And online too. After two and a quarter years it is introducing itself by asking the public what to do […]

spoon wrote a new post, Just Cause Eviction and Decision Making

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 14:09:33 +0000

Next Tuesday, when we vote on Town Meeting Day, we will have an opportunity to support some of our most afflicted in our community: renters vulnerable to unpredictable no cause evictions. This is Article II on […]

spoon commented on the post, Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting - Fix It or Toss It?

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 21:28:10 +0000

The implied claim in the above story is that RTM Reps are not making the best possible decisions for the town because they likely have no idea about what their immediate neighborhood constituents want. They rely […]

spoon wrote a new post, Keen Vermont Biologists Make Startling Discovery

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:37:40 +0000

Seven Days online newspaper informs us in a bold headline in the Daily 7 column of October 1st, item #7: (Vermont) Biologists: Shooting Ruffed Grouse Could Offer Clues As to Why They Keep Dying

spoon wrote a new post, Governor Scott Did What He Should Have. Is That Exceptional?

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 18:29:45 +0000

It’s true that, given the limited extent of impact and damage in Vermont from the virus, Scott has done a proper job. However he only did what any of us would do. If you recall, one of his earliest public […]

spoon wrote a new post, What Does The US Flag Stand For?

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 14:24:25 +0000

There was a post the other day on my regular Fbook thread that rhetorically asked “What does the US flag stand for?” I am sharing my reply.

What does the US flag stand for? As far as all of the values of […]

spoon wrote a new post, Affordable Housing in Brattleboro

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 18:55:46 +0000

It is very revealing that in all the comments of sympathy and advice about one family’s difficulties in finding affordable housing, a post and thread appearing very recently on fbook, not one asks if it is […]

spoon wrote a new post, The Brattleboro Charter Blues

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:28:08 +0000

Indeed, Ms Starr, the flaws are built into the documents. The social contracts we are obliged to accept wherever we live. A close look at how they work will show how they are designed to limit power, the ability […]

spoon wrote a new post, Racism is a Tool for Oppression

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 15:38:12 +0000

The other day David Schoales included, in the context of a discussion group, a link to a June 2 statement issued by the Vermont Agency of Education director Daniel French. Following are the first two paragraphs of […]

spoon wrote a new post, Where Are We Going? Does It Matter?

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 13:11:50 +0000

An fbook exchange

Spoon Agave: There are no obvious signs of leadership in Brattleboro so I can only conclude that the collective vision in the Municipal building is that the pandemic will end someday and […]

spoon wrote a new post, Food Security

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:17:23 +0000

Let’s get concrete. One aspect. Food security. There was a suggestion, a well worn mantra but nonetheless very true, to buy local. We’ll keep that narrowed to food. The presumption is that the more local food we […]

spoon wrote a new post, Support for Candidates Oscar Heller and David Schoales

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 18:48:43 +0000

There is an old saying about how, when asked to explain what one means by what one says nine out of ten people will become angry or silent. The one who does not become offended or feel attacked but rather is […]

spoon wrote a new post, Strolling of the Heifers and Climate

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 12:33:09 +0000

Had it ever been suggested that the Strolling Fair would improve if it was squeezed onto the Common such a notion would have been summarily dismissed with a great guffaw. Not worth the effort even thinking about. […]

spoon commented on the post, 40 on 30

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 21:22:49 +0000

It’s under state control and they decided on 40 mph. That sort of decision is normally made with local consultation. I’m guessing the factors that determined a reduction to 40 from the original 50 included […]

spoon wrote a new post, On Education II

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 16:00:24 +0000

After taking my seat on the Brattleboro Town School Board for the first time I took up as an early task the reading of the responsibilities of a school board member. Not surprisingly number one was to see to the […]

spoon wrote a new post, Public Notice, Progressive Party

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 21:27:19 +0000

The Brattleboro Town Committee of the Progressive Party will meet on Monday, August 13, 2018 at 145 Green St, 4:30 pm. The purpose of the meeting are nominations for District 1 (Windham 2-1) House Representative. […]

spoon wrote a new post, Anyone Around Brattleboro Refilling Ink Cartridges?

Wed, 23 May 2018 17:48:16 +0000

I just learned that the fellow who for years, working from Price Chopper, was refilling ink cartridges for a very good price is no longer there. Is anyone else known to be doing this?

spoon commented on the post, Santa Fe, Texas Shooting

Wed, 23 May 2018 17:37:37 +0000

So far the analysis is showing that firearms need to be taken away from white males under 40. This would be the most effective solution, assuming that firearms are the problem. This is an attractive possibility.

spoon commented on the post, Sara Coffey Running For State Representative for Vernon/Guilford

Mon, 14 May 2018 02:10:15 +0000

Read through her web page. I don’t think Mike Hebert put her up to this. Can’t be sure, though.

spoon commented on the post, Vermont Labor Relations Board - In Opposition to Confirmation

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 01:33:09 +0000

Impressive fact checking, Bob. I forwarded this to Pollina and Pearson in the Senate, asking for some additional information.

spoon wrote a new post, Representative Town Meeting 2018 Thoughts

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 13:03:19 +0000

The following is an excerpt from some replies I made on an FBIbook thread. I want to share them here in part to also mention an invitation to discuss Town Meeting more deeply. you will see the invitation at t […]

spoon wrote a new post, Woolen Mill

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 12:35:26 +0000

I noticed the history note about John Birge’s woolen mill burning down. There is an old woolen mill still standing on Birge Street. It is now apartments. I wonder if this is on the site of the one that burned? […]

spoon commented on the post, Welcome To The Newest iBrattleboro

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 03:33:59 +0000

very nice

spoon commented on the post, Welcome To The Newest iBrattleboro

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 03:32:07 +0000

Me too

spoon wrote a new post, Representative Town Meeting - The Fire Truck

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 21:47:48 +0000

Town meeting is this coming Saturday, the 24th. The big issue that has come out so far, not surprisingly, is the request for a new ladder truck for the fire department. Generally speaking, from what I saw a t […]