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Windham Southeast School District Board Meeting Minutes March 26, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary
● Board Officers were nominated and elected.
● Voting Members of the WSESU Board were nominated and elected.
● Board Meeting days/times were determined.
● The Board will follow the “Robert’s Rules of Order” for Small Boards adding back in seconding a motion.
● Leadership Council assignments were established
● The Board voted to change the Board Meeting scheduled for April 23 rd to April 30 th to avoid meeting during Spring Break.
● Six new employees were presented and approved for the FY25 school year.
● Board approved the submission of Head Start/Early Head refunding application. Application due April 1.
● Board approved the new members of the Guilford and Academy Leadership Councils.

Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – April 2024

by cgrotke | Health

Here’s the April 2024 dashboard summary. We continue semi-regular COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro, as long as they continue providing them. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

VT, NH and MA do weekly updates, near the end of the week, so we update on Fridays usually. All three have changed their dashboards since the start, so it is now tough to easily compare how things have changed. Variant updates are every two weeks.

Canadian Polish Folk Music Ensemble Polky at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Polish folk music made in Canada with Toronto’s Polky, at Next Stage on Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 pm.

Toronto’s Polky, led by multi-talented immigrant female musicians, delights audiences with traditional vocals, unusual instruments, and energizing performances. Drawing deep inspiration from Poland’s rich cultural tapestry, they push musical boundaries by fearlessly blending Polish traditional music with sounds and rhythms from across the globe.

FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament

by hajm | Culture

The FIDE Candidates tournament begins today and ends on the 22nd.  The winner becomes the Challenger will face the reigning World Chess Champion, Ding Liren, most likely at the end of this year in a location yet to be determined.

The field features two Americans–Nakamura, who I’ll be rooting for, as well as Caruana–and three players from India.   Eight of the world’s top players going at each other twice results a small trove of well-played games.

Duo Andalus featuring LALA Tamar at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents an intimate encounter of voice and strings, sounds and cultures, with Duo Andalus, featuring LALA Tamar, at Next Stage on Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 pm.

“Take a trip through the Mediterranean – Flamenco, Ladino, Moroccan, Jewish, Arabic – merging together with Duo Andalus. Lala Tamar’s vocal virtuosity blends with Ofer Ronen’s flamenco guitar style and oud,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We love the journey music brings us on, and for this show, we may ask audiences to bring a passport.”

Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – April 3, 2024

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

Delivery of steel girders to Pier 1 is scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, April 9th, 10th, and 11th, and Monday, April 15th.

The delivery route will be along New Hampshire and Vermont Route 119 to Depot Street. This impact will include a short duration closure (approximately 15 minutes) of the twin bridges beginning at the intersection of Bridge Street to Canal Street, Main Street, and Vermont Route 142. Uniformed Traffic Officers will be located at the intersection’s entrance to Bridge Street during the closure period. All deliveries are tentatively set for 1:00 p.m. to accommodate the train schedule.

Should Safe Injection Sites Be Legalized?

by RDavis | Politics

Rhode Island and New York City allow people addicted to drugs to inject themselves at safe injection sites without fear of prosecution. The drugs these people use are illegal but they are given a pass if they go to one of these sites. Vermont is about to pass legislation that would allow cities and towns to set up these sites if the local municipal body approves it.

The bill, H. 72, has passed the Vermont House and is now in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and is expected to be passed into law. Governor Scott has made it clear that he will veto this bill, so the big question is whether or not there will be enough votes to override his veto.

Sara Juli’s “Naughty Bits” at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts presents Sara Juli’s Naughty Bits, a dance-play set inside Juli’s memories that examines trauma while finding levity within the tragic. Through movement, text, song, projections and humor, Naughty Bits finds the forgotten bits, funny bits (and wobbly bits) of putting one’s mind and body back together. Performances are at Next Stage on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 pm.

“What fascinates me most of all about Sara Juli’s work is that she frames these immersive, theater-inspired one woman shows as choreographed pieces. She pulls from so many various places to produce these personal narratives that seem to hit directly into the audience’s personal experiences,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Her professional career in New York gave her the chops and vision to craft world-class theater, and now New England benefits from her relocation.This will be a presentation for community members seeking something new in their theater experiences.”

Selectboard Meeting Notes: We Don’t Like the Cost of the Bridge We Ordered

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard april 2 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard took issue with new costs of a bridge project requested by an earlier board, and sent VTrans back to their offices without an approval for their design of the Western Ave bridge replacement near Melrose. VTrans is invited back when the project won’t cost the Town quite so much. No one mentioned the increases that will inevitably occur between now and 2028 when the bridge is scheduled to be completed.

The board also took up some start-up and general housekeeping issues. New Chair Daniel Quipp pledged earlier meeting end times and more public participation in the coming year.

Brattleboro Excavation and Trench Permits Required

by Not Signed In | Town News

Beginning this construction season anyone performing excavation work in the Town of Brattleboro right-of-way or on systems involving Town infrastructure must have an Excavation and Trench Permit. The permit will allow Public Works to have greater communication with homeowners and contractors about Town infrastructure and important steps for a safe workplace prior to beginning excavation. It will also ensure that at the end of the project that the ground surface covers (pavement, concrete, plantings) are left in proper condition.

Simon Renault on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Living

Take a look!  Simon talks about the good will that comes from life on the land, hard cider & sweet, the bounty of 150+ varieties of apples in one orchard, AND the dry stone walling center, farm market, cafe, crepe nights – all at Scott Farm, a stone’s throw from Naulahka on Kipling Rd.

Brattleboro Winter Weather Advisory Beginning April 2

by Not Signed In | Nature

The National Weather Service is forecasting a prolonged storm beginning Tuesday, April 2, and continuing into Thursday. The storm will initially bring rain before transitioning to snow Tuesday night through Wednesday, where it will potentially turn back to sleet and rain.

The shift to snow will occur first in higher elevations followed by the valleys. The Weather Service is predicting heavy snowfall in higher elevations and moderate amounts in the valleys. The accumulation of wet, heavy snow could lead to downed trees and power lines, which may cause power outages.

Brattleboro Selects BFD For Trash Collection

by cgrotke | Rumors

The Town of Brattleboro received four bids for the new trash collection and recycling service. At Tuesday’s meeting, the Selectboard chose the Brattleboro Fire Department to do the job.

“It’s been our experience in the last few months that having the fire department do everything in-house is more cost-effective for taxpayers,” said the Assistant Town Manager.

March Precipitation Report

by local | Education

March precipitation total is 7.88″.  NOAA normal is 3.62″ so we are 218% above average for the month. Yearly precip stands at 15.99″ compared to NOAA average of 10.12″ or 158% of normal.   Normal is a NOAA term which is a 30 year average for the years 1990- 2020.  The average or normal changes every 10 years.  I think of the terms as interchangeable.  NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the National Weather Service.  

Snowfall at my location this winter season is 35.1″.  There are no official averages for this area but my average for the past 30 years is about 64″ so we are low even though the moisture is high.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – April 2, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

A relatively easy first official Brattleboro Selectboard meeting for new Chair Daniel Quipp is scheduled for Tuesday. The Consent Agenda is ample, there are some board rules and assignments to take care of, and there will be some discussion of the recent Representative Town Meeting.

The big discussion could be that the board might use property taxes to pay for matching costs associated with replacing the Rt 9 bridge at Melrose Place.  The Town’s share has risen from half a million to $1.6 million since 2021.

You can once again, one assumes, bring up any other item not on the agenda during public participation.