The Brattleboro Finance Committee will meet on Monday, April 14, 2025 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Charter Revision Commission will meet Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom.
Join Next Stage Arts on Thursday, April 17th at 7:00pm for an exclusive sneak peek of Riding Home, a documentary in progress that follows longtime Putney resident Caryl Richardson as she navigates the final chapter of her life, surrounded by the horses, land and people she loves.
More than just a portrait of one woman’s journey, Riding Home seeks to crack open the conversation around death, dying, and end-of-life choices. In a culture that often avoids these discussions, this film invites us to bear witness, reflect, and engage with the complexities of mortality with honesty and grace.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a rare listening session Tuesday evening. It was held at the Library and the topic the FY26 budget.
The board was quiet; some took notes as they heard from many community members responding to three pre-set questions which enabled a wide-ranging discussion and quite a few passionate, eloquent arguments for various desired outcomes.
Since having been diagnosed with, among other things, a malignant cancerous colon tumor while at CVMC for two full weeks late last year, I have been the recipient of a priceless wealth of kind and generous encouragement as well as support that has taken many forms, including deliveries of food (e.g., freshly homemade omelets and scrambled eggs as well as, recently, breakfast and a half dozen donuts from the Wayside Restaurant and so on).
This is what I term as going the gracious extra mile and beyond.
Everyone who has done so, has my deepest gratitude.
A good size crowd (estimated at near 2000 by the Reformer) met at the Center Congregational Church on Main St. There they listened to Rep. Becca Balint speak, then walked to the Town Common For more speeches. It was a loud but civil crowd. All on a rainy day.
Over six million Americans who rely on federal government fuel assistance to heat their homes or pay electric bills to fend off extreme heat may have to find another way to pay for things that keep them alive. The government office that administers the LIHEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Program) has been gutted and all of the staff have been fired.
Theoretically, the money still exists to meet people’s needs but there will be no way to get that money to people. The bottom line is that if this program doesn’t do what it has done in past years a lot of people are going to suffer and die. This kind of action by the Trump administration is nothing short of murder.
April 7 Chef Salad
Tomato Basil Salad
Cucumber Ranch
Pudding
Any citizen can draft a proposed bill in Vermont, but only members of the Vermont General Assembly (the House of Representatives and the Senate) can introduce it for consideration.
The Vermont citizen needs to pray that any member of the House or Senate will be willing to introduce the bill.
It is proving to be a concerning statistic that in cities across the United States of America where homeless unsheltered people live, in view of tourists who cringe in sympathy, that this upsets tourists so much that they are now avoiding places where homeless people are suffering in plain sight.
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – The second annual Palestine Film Series concludes on Sunday, April 13, with The Teacher, a plot-driven drama about a Palestinian teacher grieving the loss of his teenage son and struggling to reconcile his commitment to political resistance with his support for two students. Meanwhile, an American couple begs for the return of their son, who was kidnapped while serving in the Israeli military.
Predating the events of Oct. 7, 2023, The Teacher highlights the atrocities and inhumanities enacted upon Palestinians and shows that these horrific circumstances are not new; they have been happening for decades.
It’s the April 2025 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. Numbers are low, but not zero. Scroll down the new comments for the latest. Happy anniversary, too. This ledger started in April 2020.
The Brattleboro Selectboard begins the double-meeting stretch, with meetings on both Tuesdays and Thursday for most of April as they try to compress an enormous amount of work into a short time frame. First up – a listening session on Tuesday. Go tell the board your thoughts on the budget for the coming year. They are redoing it and want to know how you would like it redone. It would be very helpful for RTM members to attend, too.
Thursday the board will review what was heard, and figure out how to turn that into a series of useful meetings that results in a budget that will pass Representative Town Meeting.
Hear public participation
Consider motion: Members of the Committee who disagree with parts or the whole of the
majority-approved report have the right to have that dissent included in the Committee
report.
Brattleboro, VT – Compassionate Brattleboro is excited to announce the launch of Compassionate Dining (compassionatedining.com). This volunteer group is inspiring people to eat compassionately, sustainably, and healthfully by increasing the availability of plant-based dining options. This work helps businesses–and the community at-large–thrive by fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for locals and visitors alike.
Business partners are being added every day and now include High Thai, India Masala House, Superfresh!, Tavernier Chocolates, and Vegan A.F. These businesses are showing off their participation by displaying the Compassionate Dining certificate and, during April, many of them will put up smiling carrot balloons to call attention to their delicious plant-based offerings.
Dear Governor Scott,
State of Vermont
It boggles the mind how your administration can be so deliberately indifferent and uncaring when it comes to those who are being or already have been evicted from the Vermont Hotel/Motel Program without those persons having anywhere else safe and secure to go inside, day or night.
The rationale used by your administration for not allowing everyone to stay in the program who are currently eligible as well as clearly in need and most vulnerable does not wash, nor does it pass the straight face test, either.
The fact is that it actually costs much more in terms of fiscal (read: funding), human, medical and other social related matters to do nothing for those the state could and should be assisting more humanely.
The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday,
April 08, 2025 at the Guilford Central School and remotely via Zoom.
The Windham Southeast School District Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting will take place Wednesday, April 09, 2025 at 2:00pmin the WSESU Central Office, 53 Green Street, Brattleboro
Gender Freedom in Schools
This policy has been reviewed by counsel. The attorney counsels caution, and points out that the law is always fluid, and that there are consequences for not following the law. The Agency of Education counsels the use of district policy on HHB.
6:45 – 7:55 Town Plan 2026
• Community Conversations – Discuss and finalize questions for inclusion in the document; Decide on timeline for Planning Commissioners to conduct conversations
• Town Plan Survey – Review responses collected to date and give direction, if necessary, on how to achieve target desired demographics
Next Stage Arts presents Stephane Wrembel, the “living face of Gypsy jazz,” at Next Stage on Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 pm.
Stephane Wrembel stands as one of the world’s most celebrated guitarists. Originally from Fontainebleau, France, Wrembel is renowned for his masterful blend of jazz, gypsy swing, and world music, enchanting audiences worldwide with his distinctive sound.
The newest version of the Brattleboro Selectboard had their first regular meeting, and it was quite something. Chair Liz McLoughlin kept things under control but things weren’t going her way most of the evening. The public was riled, the new members had “ideas,” and her suggestions weren’t always easily agreed upon by others. It was a long meeting.
The primary focus of the night was what to do about the rejected FY26 budget and how to go about doing it. It’s not 100% determined, but generally there will be lots of meetings in April (most Tuesdays and Thursdays), including a listing session to hear why the budget was rejected, a meeting to discuss what was heard at the listening session, and more meetings to discuss whatever then needs to be discussed. There will also be one or two special Representative Town Meetings to vote on whatever gets presented.
And, our new Fire Chief was sworn-in. There was much rejoicing.
Summary
● Leadership Council and Committee assignments were established.
● The Board determined that they will follow Robert’s Rules for Small Boards and confirmed Board Norms.
● A committee was established to explore the Board goal setting process.
● Donation of $4,626,00 made to the Rural Community School Alliance was approved.
● Approved 3 policies.
