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Sanders to Vote No on U.S. Military Role in Syria

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today he will vote against the United States training and arming Syrian rebels.

Sanders said the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria “is a brutal and dangerous extremist organization which must be defeated, but this war cannot be won by the United States alone. There needs to be a real international coalition led by the countries most threatened – Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and Iran.

“The worst thing that we can do now is allow ISIS to portray this struggle as East vs. West, as Muslim vs. Christian, as the Middle East vs. America. That is exactly what they want and that is exactly what we should not be giving them,” Sanders added.


150 Years Ago (1864 9/18)

Clifton Farm, Va.

Sept. 18th, 1864.

Dearest Wife,

The mail has come in rather unexpectedly, and will soon go out again. The mail that has arrived has not been distributed, so I know not whether there are any letters from you or not. I got one Thursday. I have nothing new to write.


Community Input on Future Use of Melrose Terrace

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions for the future life of Melrose Terrace. They came via email, mail, phone, in person, and here on ibrattleboro. Some are practical, some fanciful, some a bit tongue-in-cheek, but we asked for all ideas. There were a few that have not been included because they clearly were sarcastic comments on the process and those involved.

The ideas seemed to run on a continuum – leave it as for housing or another use to modified to active open space to natural open space to complete redevelopment. Many of the ideas blend between the categories. Many ideas are similar but all have been included because they have a slightly different approach.


Guilford to Celebrate Dylan Thomas Centenary

October 2014 marks the centenary of Welsh author Dylan Thomas, known to an unusually wide audience for a poet, this despite his early death at age 39.  

The town of Guilford  will host three commemorative Dylan Thomas events, each sponsored by a different non-profit organization, in October and December.  Guilford is known for its unique celebrations, such as our year-long 250th Town anniversary in 2011, so a few of us got the idea that if anyone was going to present this commemoration it would probably be our town.


Kilburn Joins Youth Services Board

New Board Member Join Youth Services Brattleboro— Bobbi Kilburn of Westminster, recently joined 15 other community members in serving on Youth Services’ board of directors. Through 10 programs ranging from Court Diversion to Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nonprofit agency helps Windham County children, youth, and families thrive.

The board and staff are looking forward to tapping Kilburn’s background in financial management and business consulting services, as well as her willingness to help with the many fundraising activities of the organization.


Paul Winter Consort To Perform “In Celebration of the Earth” at Latchis Theatre

A benefit concert by the Paul Winter Consort will be held at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, Vermont, on October 25 at 7:30 p.m.

The performance, a fundraiser for the Guilford Community Church’s green-up efforts, will highlight soloists Paul Winter, Eugene Friesen, and Theresa Thomason, three Grammy Award-winning and internationally recognized performers, in addition to Todd Roach on percussion and Jeff Holmes on piano. The Greater Brattleboro Choir of the Community, under the direction of Peter Amidon, will join the Consort on stage to perform several songs, including ones made famous by folksinger Pete Seeger.


The Commons Will Be Late This Week

Due to an unfortunate  and unavoidable production glitch, The Commons will be printed and distributed one day late this week.  Look for it tomorrow at the usual locations around Brattleboro and throughout the county.

 We apologize for any inconvenience,  and thank you for your patience.

Barry


Brattleboro Internal Medicine Welcomes New Physician

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome new internist Dr. Sarah Fulham, MD, to Brattleboro Internal Medicine, as of September 15, 2014.

Dr. Fulham will be providing care at Brattleboro Internal Medicine Tuesday through Friday.

Dr. Fulham earned her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City and completed her internship and residency at Brown University General Internal Medicine Residency Program in Rhode Island. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and a Bachelor of Arts degree with an individual concentration in Japanese, Arabic, and Diplomatic History, both from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.


Better Business Bureau: Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft

Join Amy Schram, Community Outreach Specialist for The Better Business Bureau, on Wednesday, September 17, at 7 PM, in the library’s meeting room for a program on Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft. 

The talk will  cover the most common tactics scam artists are using to obtain our personal information and steal our identities, the major Red Flags to watch out for, and the precautionary steps we can use to protect ourselves from falling victim to fraudulent activity.


BMH Welcomes New Patient Experience Manager

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome Sally E. Fegley as the new Patient Experience Manager in the BMH Quality Department.

In this position, Fegley will work closely with the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kathleen McGraw, as well as with the quality director and department managers, to work with the patient call-back process; to further develop skills of staff regarding customer service; to serve as point of contact for patient complaints; and to assist in the education of the hospital community regarding patient satisfaction scores as reported by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS, pronounced “H-caps”), a national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care.


An Honest Man

I’ve known Ray McGovern since we were both about 7 years old. He was a straight shooter then, and he is one still.

He was a CIA analyst from 1963 to 1990 beginning under President John F. Kennedy and lasting until the Presidency of George H. W. Bush. From 1981 to 1985 he prepared and presented the President’s Daily Brief one-on-one to President Ronald Reagan’s most senior national security advisers including then Vice President George H. W. Bush.


Selectboard Meeting Notes: Necessary PAYT Fees & The Question of Human Services

The Pay As You Throw Working Group is leaning toward high fees for Act 148 compliance, the Brattleboro Selectboard learned Tuesday evening. The “necessary fee” isn’t yet calculated, but is suggested to be calibrated to cover the costs of all tipping fees, program costs, and program materials, and no sliding scale for low income residents is planned.

The board also contemplated cuts to human service funding, and asked for citizen input on the question. The Police received a grant to improve their abilities to unlock and look at everything on your phone, tablet, or GPS device. (Your silly passwords are useless.)

Other grants were received and community members stepped up to serve on town committees and boards. All this and more, below.


Someone You Know is Walking for Animals – Please Donate In Their Honor!

The Windham County Human Society’s 14th annual Walk for Animals is Saturday, September 27. The Walkers (and the animals) would love to have your support! 

Dozens of Walkers have signed up and are collecting donations to support their Walk. They’ve raised more than one-third of our goal, but there’s a ways to go!

And of course, it would be great to exceed the goal so we can do even more for animals in need.

What it supports: The money raised at the Walk goes to help the Humane Society meet these important needs:


BMH Nutrition and Cardiac Rehab Staff Host Mediterranean Dinner

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is hosting a special event entitled, “Mediterranean Dining: A Healthy Approach to Living,” sponsored by the hospital’s Nutrition Services Department and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

The event will feature a dinner of Mediterranean food and a presentation by Drs. Judy and Ed Flower, a clinical psychologist and a marriage and family therapist. They will address how chronic illness is not just an individual problem but involves the whole family system. They will speak from their professional orientation and their own personal experience.


Early & Absentee Voting Start September 19th But VT Candidate Information Guide Has Not Been Published!

What does “one week prior to the general election” really mean?    The Secretary of State Elections Division has announced on its website that Early and Absentee Voting Ballots will be at your Town Clerks Office on September, 19, 2014.   That means you can start voting.  But, the Elections Division has not distributed the NEW internet version of the Candidate Information Guide which Vermont Election law 17 V.S.A., Chapter 59, Section 2810, requires shall be published one week prior to the general election. 


Brattleboro Time Trade Listings – Week of September 14

Brattleboro Time Trade:

Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time.

See below for exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade is all about!

This week’s fabulous listings, brought to you from a view:

OFFERS:

Citizen’s Awareness Breakfast at the Senior Center
FREE Garden Bed Edging
Learn to Sell on E-Bay
Borrow My Chimney Brush
Guitar or Piano/Keyboard Lessons
Computer Assistance – Brattleboro/Townshend/Newfane
Tutoring in Biology, Chemistry, or English
Resume Revision/Composition


BMH Offers Free Health Series on “Freedom to Choose”

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is offering a free health education workshop series entitled, “Freedom to Choose: Basic Concepts and Principles,” beginning on September 23, 2014.

Co-sponsored by BMH, Grace Cottage, and the Brattleboro Retreat as part of Wellness in Windham, this new, interactive bimonthly health education series is designed to empower people to advocate for the medical treatments that they want by providing them with the knowledge and language necessary to understand what is available.


1860: The Little Fairy, Dollie Dutton

1860: The little fairy, Dollie Dutton, finished her series of entertainments to the inhabitants of Brattleboro in the Town Hall on Monday evening. While she herself os but nine years old, measuring 29 inches in height and weighing 15 pounds, she was assisted and sustained by two other persons, upon whose births the reverse ends of a powerful magnifying glass had seemed to smile in respective proportions.


BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 9/15/14

BCTV Ch.8 schedule for the week of 9/15/14

                   Monday September 15                 

12:00 am      All About Alzheimer’s – Vermont Town Hall Meeting on Alzheimer’s Disease

1:30 am       Newport Baptist Church Special Music Team 8/8/14

2:00 am       FSTV Overnight

4:00 am       VT Historical Society 2nd Saturday: Yankee Schoolmarms

5:00 am       Former Vermont Governor Douglas – New Way Book Launch