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Brattleboro Selectboard Organizational Meeting Correction

Correction to 03-15-22 Selectboard agenda: The agenda for the 03-15-22 Selectboard meeting states that the Organizational Meeting will take place on Monday, March 21, 2022 at 6:15pm at the Central Fire Station. The time of the meeting has been changed from 6:15pm to 9:00am. It will no longer take place at the Central Fire Station but will instead take place in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – March 15, 2022

The long-anticipated housing plan will be presented to the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular meeting. This comes after Steve Barrett and Peter Elwell receive special ceremonial recognition from the board and the State of Vermont.

They’ll also hear a discuss work at the Windham Regional Commission, appoint some committee members, approve the brewer’s festival permits for an alcoholic beverage celebration, and start the process of prohibiting alcoholic beverages on Town property. You can discuss how we aren’t conflicted, or bring up other items not on the agenda, during public participation.


New Community Solar Array

Brattleboro, VT – Integrated Solar Applications (ISA) has announced a limited opportunity to join a new community solar array entitled “ISA Exit 1 Solar”. The array is located on 13.8 acres owned by the company, on Canal Street in Brattleboro, serviced by Green Mountain Power. It will provide direct access to renewable energy, enabling members to reduce their electricity bills and carbon footprint, without having to install or own a solar array on their property.


Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market Seeks New Vendors

The Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market is now accepting applications for the 2022 market season. We’re open to agricultural, prepared food, specialty food, and craft producers from Windham County VT and Cheshire County NH, and will consider out-of-county applicants on a case by case basis.

Our lovely brook-side market, now going on its 48th year, runs from May 7 to October 29 from 9am to 2pm every Saturday at 570 Western Ave., just west of the covered bridge on Route 9 in Brattleboro. We have openings for full season, half season, and daily vendors.


Did Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Make A Mistake Raising Selectboard Stipends?

For many years it was assumed that the pool of selectboard candidates could be increased by increasing the compensation for the position. The idea was that maybe people who are single parents or working multiple jobs would run if only there was enough compensation to make it worthwhile. A corollary was that perhaps the board has been dominated by only people well-off enough to have the free time to serve.

Representatives at Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting would have this discussion at each RTM when the compensation article would come up. Eventually the arguments prevailed and the stipends went up. A board member now gets $8000 plus money to pay for child or other care during meetings. The chair gets more.


Winter Sunshine Puppetry Series presents Urban Wizard Academy, by Scotty Swan

Come witness magic maker and puppeteer, Scotty Swan with Urban Wizards Academy March 12th at 11am and 2pm. Swan’s work is a unique blend of sleight-of-hand magic, puppetry and improvisation that is woven together in an exhilarating show that gets the audience up off its feet to become part of the performance. This show is for family audiences ages 6 to 12 and sure to be a thrilling delight for parents as well.

Scotty Swan is a well-regarded artist and teacher who has been performing throughout the region since 1999. His shows are a unique blend of comedy, magic, 80s pop culture references, silly puppets, amazing illusions and hysterical audience participation, that keep his audiences laughing.


Brattleboro District 3 Forum

In an effort to promote citizen involvement and help RTM members better represent their constituents, there will be a public forum for District 3 residents at 3 pm on Sunday March 13 in the social hall at Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Avenue. This citizens’ forum is intended to allow people who live in District 3 to express their concerns and to ask questions about Town issues in advance of the RTM meeting on March 19.

I would encourage RTM members from District 3 to attend to hear from their neighbors.


BCTV Schedules – Week of March 7, 2022

BCTV Channel 1075 schedule for the week of 3/7/22

Monday, March 7, 2022

6:00 am Addiction Recovery Channel – Dr. Richard Rawson 1/21/22
7:00 am Vote for Vermont – Housing in Vermont 12/9/21
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast
9:00 am Guilford Community Church – Ash Wednesday Service – 3/2/22
10:00 am At BMAC – Lunar New Year Cooking Demo 2/1/22


What Time Is It?

How do you stop a deranged dictator from creating his own image of the world while he kills people and terrorizes an entire planet? I don’t have the answer to that question and it looks like world leaders are having a hard time slowing the juggernaut of death and destruction that Putin is causing.

Sensible and humane people see war as an option only after all other methods of diplomacy have failed. In Putin’s world, diplomacy is a tool for weak nations. He knows that he can use bombs and bullets whenever he wants because he has no regard for human life. When a leader is of that mindset, diplomacy and the gentler methods of compromise and conciliation will never succeed.


Woodworking for Women

Master teacher and woodworker, Gail Grycel, is offering 3 Woodworking for Women classes this spring at HatchSpace.

Beginning Woodworking for Women
Learn basic woodworking skills in a safe and supportive environment. This class is designed for anyone who has had little or no experience working with wood or tools, or who wants a refresher.
2 groups offered. Each group meets for 8 sessions.


Make a Pivot Top Box

Only 2 spaces left in this fun class – Wednesday March 9, 1 – 5 pm . This project offers infinite design possibilities and is a fun and quick to make, using the bandsaw and drill press.  Register now at https://www.hatchspace.org/event-4715001 


Winter Sunshine Puppetry Series presents Under Night Sky, by PuppetKabob

Putney, VT- Sandglass Theater kicks off the Winter Sunshine family puppetry series with guest artist Sarah Frechette of PuppetKabob. Performances are Saturday March 5th at 11am and 2pm at Sandglass Theater.

Under Night Sky follows three children on journeys united by threads of courage, love and hope. Unravel the stories of the Underground Railroad stitched together in Grandmother’s patchwork quilt. Hear the waves crash aside the ship as you listen to the magical tale of an Irish Memory Quilt. Quietly enter an Old School House to see a girl proudly wearing her coat of rags, stitched to patchwork perfection.


Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee Guide to the Brattleboro Budget

Complying with a vote of Representative Town Meeting in 2021, RTM’s Finance Committee has prepared a “Guide to the Brattleboro Town Budget.” The guide is posted on the Town’s website under the Finance Committee’s page and the RTM Resources section, both of which are accessible from the Representative Town Meeting tab on the left menu bar. Also newly posted is the annual report for RTM’s consideration of the FY23 budget.


Vermont Jazz Center Presents: George Cables Trio

The Vermont Jazz Center will present the George Cables Trio in concert on March 12th at 8:00 PM. Cables will perform with his longstanding trio of Essiet Essiet on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums. The concert will be held in front of a full-capacity audience (proof of vaccination, photo ID, and masks required) and will also be live streamed on Facebook and the VJC’s website.

George Cables is a living legend of jazz piano. He is one of the few masters alive today who toured the world and recorded with many of the musicians who are currently hailed as the top artists of the post-bop movement. His live recordings with Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Art Pepper, Woody Shaw, and Freddie Hubbard are testaments to the era of burning-hot solos, where groups would stretch out on a jazz standard for 15-plus minutes.


Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Information Session and District Caucuses

Brattleboro Town Selectboard will hold a pre-town meeting information forum on Wednesday, March 9 via Zoom beginning at 7:30pm. Representative Town Meeting articles will be discussed, including the budget.

Beginning at 5:15pm (District 1), 6:00pm (District 2), and 6:45pm (District 3), town meeting members of each district will be available to meet with constituents to offer residents an opportunity to share their views and discuss articles to be voted on at the annual meeting. Also, at those times, each district will be accepting nominations to fill meeting member vacancies for 1 year.