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Selectkitten Meeting Notes – Cuteness Not Called Into Question

by cgrotke | Pets

The Brattleboro Selectboard is meeting tonight and the agenda looks thrilling. By thrilling, I mean pretty ordinary. The biggest item, to my eye, is the hiring of two security firms for downtown patrols. They will also start to look at enterprise fund budgets. It’s all in their background materials.

Tonight, I’d rather tell you the tale of a stray cat that showed up late last fall. It was a little thing, and solid gray. It was getting cold out and I wondered if it was just lost so I put some food out. It seemed a bit on the feral side, or at least a bit standoff-ish or unsure, so I kept my distance.

Warning – Scammers Locally Active

by MarkTwain© | Living

A polite “gentleman” knocked on my door, offered to pave my driveway, explaining that the town wants everyone’s driveway to be brought up to code.

At first he sounded like he was there on official business from the town, but when I asked precise questions, such as why I have not received written notice from the town, I was able to determine that, in fact, the statement that the town wants everyone’s driveway to comply with code was a non-sequitur, and that my driveway is not out of code compliance.

Brattleboro Committee and Board Vacancies

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:

Agricultural Advisory Board
ADA Advisory Board
Arts Committee
Brattleboro Housing Partnerships Board of Commissioners
Cemetery Committee
Citizen Police Communications Committee

History of Andrews Inn, First Gay Bar in Vermont, Final Chapter Premiere at Stage 33 Live with Gail Golec

by Mark Piepkorn | Education

Gail Golec will premiere the final episode of her audio podcast series about the first gay bar in Vermont, Andrews Inn in Bellows Falls, on Friday, June 23 at 7:00 PM at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls. Limited seating, reservations by 6/22 are recommended; the event will be recorded and filmed.

Gail is a professional archaeologist and the creator, writer, editor, researcher, producer, and host for a podcast called The Secret Life of Death. A cemetery nerd, the podcast is a way for her to draw lines from the past to the present by showcasing the life of a random regular person buried in one of the thousands of historic cemeteries throughout New England.

Lately, however, she’s taken a deep dive into the history and times of the Andrews Inn, which from 1973 to 1984 was located in the current Hotel Windham in Bellows Falls. It was the first gay bar in the state of Vermont.

Brattleboro Hinsdale Bridge Construction Update – June 2

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

DETOUR INFORMATION: The truck detour route from VT 142 will be up Cotton Mill Hill Road, left onto South Main Street, continuing onto Fairground Road, and finally back to Canal Street. Cars detouring from VT 142 should proceed up Cotton Mill Hill Rd. and make a right hand turn onto South Main St. A turnaround has been constructed just south of Cotton Mill Hill Rd. on VT 142 to allow vehicles with significant turning radius from the north to approach Cotton Mill Hill Rd. from the south. A three-way stop configuration will also be implemented at the Cotton Mill Hill Rd. and VT 142 intersection. Motorists are advised to watch for trucks turning and reduce speed in this area.

WSESD Social Justice Committee Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Education

AGENDA
I. Call to Order / Introductions / Recognition of Visitors
II. Establish chair, clerk & minutes expectations
III. Re-establish mission:Mission: Foster learning environments in which all members of the school community are safe, feel valued and are appreciated, as well as promote policies and procedures that value equity and diversity in our schools.
IV. Centering social justice in our hiring process, what specifically to focus on.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 6, 2023

by cgrotke | Town News

At their first regular June meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hire two outside security firms to patrol parts of downtown.

They will also discuss utility budgets, financial software, traffic safety, and committee vacancies.  You might be able to bring up other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows. 

Boston-based Tap Ensemble Subject:Matter Comes to the Bandwagon Summer Stage

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts brings Boston-based tap dance ensemble Subject:Matter to the Bandwagon Summer Stage on Saturday, July 8th, at 6:00pm. The performance will take place at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), 10 Town Crier Drive, in Brattleboro. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the gate, children under 12 free. Visit nextstagearts.org for tickets and more information.

Subject:Matter brings an assortment of music from their varied musical catalog, including jazz standards from their show “Songbook,” funk tunes from their show “Blowout,” and new music from their upcoming premieres this fall.

Kruger Brothers at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present contemporary bluegrass, Americana, and folk trio the Kruger Brothers at Next Stage on Friday, July 7 at 7:30 pm.

In their ever-expanding body of work, Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Although initially staying fairly close to a traditional repertoire, the Kruger Brothers later turned to songwriting and composition in order to draw more closely from their personal experiences. Their ability to infuse themes and forms of classical music into folk music creates a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music.

Brattleboro Walking History Tours

by giddyitup | History

Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.

Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am in summer and fall 2023. The summer tours will take place Saturdays, June 3 & 24, July 22, and August 5. 

Tours walk from one end of Main Street to the other (approximately 7/10 of a mile) with about 10 stops explaining Brattleboro’s history and culture. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and will go from Plaza Park (across from the Co-op) to the Brattleboro Common. Kids are welcome, but the tour is designed for adults.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus Concerts This Weekend

by bwchorus | Music

The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus presents their 27th annual spring concerts, “Sweet are the Days,” on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4 at 4 pm outside at the Retreat Farm. Sunday’s concert will also be live streamed via Zoom.

Directed by founder and musical director Becky Graber, the spring concert features an eclectic program of soulful songs. Selections include compositions by Floridian singer/songwriter Velma Frye and former Brattleboro resident Susan Kisslinger; the haunting Estonian piece, “Mis on inimene?” (in English, “What is human?”); and a beautiful rendition of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s well-known song, “In My Life.” Local writer Karen Hesse and conductor Becky Graber collaborated to create “Granny and Bean,” a tale of an adventurous day by the sea. And the chorus will sing the opening of “Let Time Be Your Friend,” a piece composed by Diane White-Clayton as part of the Black Lives Matter Commissioning Project. The Chorus will sing the full piece with soloist Samirah Evans in our spring 2024 concert.

WSESD Policy & Amendment Committee Meeting Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

DST discussed how new policies should come to the committee.
They should come directly from the community to the P&A Committee.
Only time a new or revised policy goes to the full Board for discussion is when it is ready for 1st or 2nd reading for readoption.
All policies up for readoption need to be warned.
Policies are under constant scrutiny and may be revised at any time the P&A Committee decides they should be reviewed.

WSESD Board Meeting Draft Minutes May 23

by Not Signed In | Education

SUMMARY: The board heard a presentation by the Superintendent on administrative goals, and a presentation by three principals on the teacher peer observation program that was piloted this year. BUHS administration gave an update on the school branding process: a screening committee composed of students and staff has narrowed down 132 submissions for a new team name to three finalists, which students will be voting on this week. The Finance Director provided an update on the grant application process for funding the Oak Grove School capital improvement projects, which include installing a heat pump, insulation, PCB remediation and window replacements. The board shared news that the sexual abuse investigation will soon be closing the information gathering phase and encouraged anyone who has been considering reporting to do so as soon as possible. The Superintendent provided information on possible improvements to Natowich and Tenney Fields, and the Board voted to direct the administration to resuscitate Natowich as a natural field.

WSESD Board Meeting – Draft Minutes May 9

by Not Signed In | Education

The board heard a presentation from the Office of Diversity Equity and Social Justice about the teacher leader structure and diversity, equity and social justice programming in the district. There was a discussion about how to address and facilitate input from leadership councils. The board approved an updated capital plan, focused on increasing sustainability. The board heard from students that they would appreciate more transparency around the sexual abuse investigation and disclosed that they are in meetings with their attorney in order to gather some data that can be released to the public.

There was a discussion about the need for increasing athletic field capacity which could include resurfacing Natowich Field and improvements to Tenney Field. The superintendent provided an update about the process to select a new name and mascot for BUHS. The board voted to approve the superintendent’s recommendation for a reorganization of leadership roles at BUHS.

Vermont Route 142 in Brattleboro Closed

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

The 90 day closure of Vermont Route 142 has begun as of today, May, 30th, 2023 and is anticipated to be completed August 28, 2023. During the closure the contractor will be working on bringing the road grade up to meet the new alignment and tie-in for the Vermont/New Hampshire Route 119 bridge over the Connecticut River.

The location of the closure is approximately 1000 feet south of the current intersection of VT 142 and VT/NH 119. Access to both Royal Road from the southern approach and to 28 Vernon Street from the north will be maintained and flaggers will be present to assist local motorists with access to these locations as needed.