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Awful Feeling! ‘Starving Palestinian Children Are Watching Me Eat Their Food ‘- Can’t Take It Anymore

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Am feeling some slight pangs of hunger as I sit down to my dinner, and the thought automatically arises, ‘how could a starving person take the immeasurably more severe hunger pain caused by the strong contractions of the stomach when it’s empty,’and that makes me think of the poor desperately hungry children being starved in Gaza. Am still aware of the good taste of the food in my mouth but suddenly am not enjoying eating.

Noticed Around Brattleboro – Spring 2024 Edition

by cgrotke | Town News

A place to make note of little things you see in and around Brattleboro, such as:

New bigger stronger electric poles going in along Rt 30 between the Retreat farm area and the bakery.
Work taking apart the motel in West B continues.
Potholes! Some are so big the Rec & Parks Department will begin maintaining them as swimming pools.

So, About That Winter

by cgrotke | Nature

Now that Spring is here, we can talk freely. We didn’t seem to get very much snow this winter. Felt pretty warm, too. Is the end of snow near?

This is very much like the weather used to be in the mid-Atlantic. When I was in DC in the late 80’s and early 90’s, it would get cold, but there was barely any snow. A half an inch would surprise people and shut things down. We got much more slush, and that would freeze into ruts because there wasn’t a good plow system in place.

Adventures In Used Car Buying in Brattleboro

by cgrotke | Business

I just went through the process of buying a used car from a local dealership – twice! I thought I’d share what happened in case you are considering getting yourself something new or used to drive.

The Realization

Last summer I came to a point in the proverbial road where a choice had to be made – spend some money fixing up my older car, or look for something newer. Both options had pros and cons. 

A Celebration of Earth: An Evening with Bill McKibben, Douglas Brinkley, and Ben Cosgrove at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Activism

Join Next Stage for an evening of discussion and music inspired by the climate crisis and environmental activism. New York Times bestselling author and historian Douglas Brinkley and environmentalist and author Bill McKibben will talk about their writings on climate action and environmental history, in a discussion moderated by Vanessa Vadim.

The evening will open with music from traveling composer-performer Ben Cosgrove, whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment. The event will take place at Next Stage on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 pm at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, VT. Tickets are $15. 

Ember Rebrina on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Activism

A first person account of running for your freedom and safety as a non-binary person from Russia. After much red tape, detainment and hardship, Ember Rebrina is now in Brattleboro, receiving help and support through CASP, and volunteers in the community.

WSESD Board, Finance, IBRC Meeting Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary
● The board conducted a public information session about the proposed FY25 budget that will be presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting on 3/19/24.
● The Board voted to hire Patrice Michelle Herman, Science teacher at BUHS
● Three Executive Sessions were added to the end of the meeting.
● Voted to readopt policy G8- Continuous Improvement Plan

Cultural Revival

by RDavis | Culture

I was recently reminded of how much most Americans are missing from their lives because of the loss of connection to our cultural roots. My wife and I attended a presentation of the history of Mocko Jumbies on St Croix in the Virgin Islands and we realized some of the cultural richness that we are missing.

Many of the Caribbean islands are steeped in cultural traditions that was brought from Africa and continue to be a part of their lives. Mocko Jumbies are stilt walkers who dress up in colorful traditional African costumes and dance and sway to the infectious beat of African and Caribbean rhythms.

Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – March 15, 2024

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

Crews have stripped all forms for the Pier 1 footing and stem. The footing has now been backfilled with clean stone and the cofferdam sheets have been pulled. Work has begun on the cap for Pier 1 and forms are being placed. Next Tuesday, the cap rebar will be placed on top of the stem and the remainder of the week will be spent tying the cap to the stem, installing formwork, and making final adjustments to be ready for concrete. Another crew may begin work on drainage installation required in the Barrows and Fisher yard next week as well.

Upper Dummerston Road Closure March 19

by Not Signed In | Town News

On Tuesday March 19th the Brattleboro Highway Division will replace a failed culvert on Upper Dummerston road, near House #1111. Crews will start at 7:30 am with alternating one lane traffic while they prep the area. At 10:00am this section of road will be closed to traffic, as they install the new culvert pipe. A full closure is expected from 10:00am to 1:00pm. After the full closure, residents should expect alternating traffic for the remainder of the day. Residents should plan accordingly and seek alternate routes. Emergency services are aware of this closure and will implement a plan to continue to provide any services needed beyond this closure.    

Brattleboro Area Middle School Leadership Council Meeting Minutes – Mar 7, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Matt Betz and Peggy shared about the advisory system. They use Developmental Designs. A majority of the staff are formally trained in this framework. Every day starts with advisory – a small group of 10-12 students. It’s like a family during their two years at BAMS. There is a lot of social bonding that takes place among the team. They have daily connection building activities like sharing circles and games. There are team meetings once a week and regular assemblies to celebrate successes and address concerns.

WSESD Recount Results

by Not Signed In | Education

Official recounts are in, for the two three-year terms for Brattleboro representatives on the WSESD Board of Directors. Town Clerks of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Putney, submitted their recount results to the WSESD Clerk at the Superintendent of Schools Office, and the end result didn’t change the outcome of the vote.

The numbers have increased by a few votes for each of the three candidates, but the two winners of this election remain Timothy “Tim” Maciel and Colleen Savage. 

Windham Southeast School District Annual District Meeting March 19, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

The Windham Southeast School District (“WSESD”) will hold its Annual District Meeting on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., in the gymnasium at Brattleboro Union High School (BUHS). BUHS is located at 131 Fairground Road, Brattleboro, Vermont. Residents of the WSESD member towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Putney are encouraged to attend in person.

Childcare will be provided for the Annual Meeting, as one way to support the highest number of residents/voters to attend the meeting. To secure childcare with WSESD staff members, call 802-254-3730 by noon on March 19th, so we’ll know to have sufficient childcare staff available.

Warned items for the meeting include 5 Articles, such as the election of District Officers, what to pay members of the School Board, and a vote on the FY 2025 WSESD budget. See attached Warning. Your opinion matters, but you can only vote if you are present on the floor of the Annual District Meeting.

Groundworks Promotes Libby Bennett To Be New Executive Director

by Not Signed In | Town News
Libby Bennett.

BRATTLEBORO—The Board of Directors of Groundworks Collaborative has announced that Libby Bennett, formerly the agency’s Director of Development & Communications, has accepted the offer to lead the organization as its new Executive Director.  

Bennett has been on staff with the agency since joining the Morningside Shelter team in 2012. Previously, she served as an intern for the organization in 2011 while completing practicum work toward her master’s degree in non-profit management from the SIT Graduate Institute.  

Bennett points back to volunteering for overnight shifts at Brattleboro’s Seasonal Overflow Shelter in 2010/2011 as her earliest interaction with the agency—inspired to volunteer after hearing a presentation from the founder of Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center, Melinda Bussino. 

Brattleboro Planning Commission and Conservation Commission Workgroup Agenda: March 15, 2024

by planning | Town Plan

A workgroup of members of the Brattleboro Planning Commission and Conservation Commission will meet on Friday, March 15 at 9:00 am in the Planning Department meeting room. They are meeting to discuss comments for the Town of Brattleboro to submit to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the relicensing of the Vernon Dam.

Brattleboro District 3/9 Forum

by fidel | Town News

Brattleboro Residents of District 3/9 are invited to attend the third annual District 3 forum where we will hear your questions and concerns in advance of Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting. The forum, organized by Robert Oeser and David Levenbach, will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Avenue, at 3 pm on Sunday March 17. For more information, write fideladelphia@gmail.com or call 413.559.1533.