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A Bonanza of WiFi Trumps Our Children

by Not Signed In | Opinion

The fifth Annual Southern Vermont Educators Symposium was held recently at the Maple Street School, Manchester, to discuss the theme Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Of course, educators want to facilitate their student’s access to an incredible resource like the internet that puts the world at our fingertips. At issue is how students access that information, through wired or wireless technology.

WiFi has become commonplace, along with an automatic assumption of its safety. Its use has expanded, unchecked and unquestioned, from coffee shops to public spaces, work environments, home, libraries and now our schools. This expansion is driven in part by industry innovators churning out devices like iPads compatible only with WiFi, and by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in tandem with wireless carriers, whose intent is to create a captive wireless market.

Information for Brattleboro Special Referendum on Thursday

by Not Signed In | Politics

Voting on the town-wide referendum is Thursday 4/17 at the Municipal Center from 9 am to 7 pm in the Selectboard Meeting room on the second floor.

Ample parking in the back of the Municipal Center, in the area that is normally permit parking only, will be available for voters and there are handicapped parking spaces next to the entrance.

There is an elevator located just inside the back entrance.

It’s a Family Affair at Sandglass Theater as Ines Zeller Bass hands down shows to daughters.

by SandglassTheater | Entertainment

On Saturday, April 26th, Sandglass Theater’s Co-Founder, Ines Zeller Bass, will pass the torch as she and her daughters, Jana Zeller and Shoshana Bass, take to the Sandglass stage with “Kasper, Fritzi, and Me”.  

Not just an afternoon of delightful puppetry, this momentous occasion celebrates the work of Ines Zeller Bass’ and the rise of a new generation in Sandglass Theater’s history.  “Kasper, Fritzi, and Me” features three of Zeller Bass’ most cherished puppet pieces: “Punschi”, “Tschokolino”, and “Fritzi’s Flea Circus”. More  

This special presentation is the final event in this year’s Winter Sunshine Series at Sandglass Theater.  Admission is $8 and reservations are highly recommended. To reserve your space, contact Sandglass Theater by phone (802) 387-4051 or email info@sandglasstheater.org. With poetry and song, daughters and mother take to the stage together as Zeller Bass ceremonially hands over her iconic puppets and objects: 

Trash Pickup To Resume on Gravel Roads

by Not Signed In | Town News

Trash and recycling pick up will resume on the gravel roads this week as normally scheduled.

If you have any questions, please contact Calista, Brattleboro’s Trash and Recycling Coordinator, at (802) 254 – 4541 ext. 1103.

Town of Brattleboro
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
211 Fairground Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301
Tel: 802-254-4255 • Fax: 802-257-2316 • E-mail: brattdpw@sover.net

BMH Dedicates New Lobby to Roland and Harriet Fisher

by BMH | Health

On April 10, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital hosted a dedication ceremony of BMH’s new lobby in honor of long-time Brattleboro residents Roland and Harriet Fisher.

The new “Roland and Harriet Fisher Lobby” recognizes the couple’s final and generous gift in support of BMH’s $3.5 million “Doorway to Exceptional Care” Capital Campaign for the new Emergency Department and front entrance at the hospital.

The guests were welcomed by BMH Board Chairman Peter Carvell. Following brief remarks about the renovation and the improved facilities, BMH President and CEO Steven R. Gordon, introduced the featured speaker Arthur Magnaghi.

Brattleboro Spring Leaf Pickup Schedule

by Not Signed In | Town News

The following dates have been scheduled for Brattleboro’s curbside Spring Leaf Collection. Whereas in the past leaf pickup was determined by scheduled day of rubbish pickup, all locations will be picked up each Friday:

Leaf Pick Up Date

ALL RESIDENTS Friday, April 25, 2014

ALL RESIDENTS Friday, May 9, 2014

All leaves and clippings must be in brown paper leaf bags and at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on scheduled leaf collection days. Acceptable waste…leaves, grass, clippings, garden waste, twigs, no branches larger than 1″ in diameter and 2 feet long. No other household trash is to be included.

I-91 Northbound Brattleboro Bridge Closure On Saturday, April 12, 2014 – Details

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

BRATTLEBORO, VT – April 14 – PCL Civil Constructors, Inc., in coordination with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, closed the I-91 bridge on Saturday, April 12 through Sunday, April 13 due to unexpected safety concerns. During the demolition of the I-91 northbound bridge, safety concerns were raised when the northbound bridge shifted during the removal of a portion of the structure. As a result, the contractor recommended that, in an abundance of caution, the adjacent I-91 southbound bridge structure be closed to traffic until the partially demolished northbound bridge could be inspected and adjustments could be made to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Contractor crews and engineers worked around the clock to rectify the situation and traffic was restored Sunday night.

The Vermont Jazz Center Presents: A Tribute to Howard Brofsky

by Not Signed In | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center will be presenting an evening dedicated to the memory of former board president, trumpeter and educator, Howard Brofsky on Saturday, April 19th at 8:00 PM. This special tribute will include performances by his close musical colleagues and family. In every community that Brofsky settled, be it Queens College, the Louis Armstrong House, the Vermont Jazz Center, or Brattleboro, Vermont, the people have benefited from his wisdom, charm and generosity. Like a single pebble in the water, his spirit lives on through the actions of his family, colleagues, students and friends who continue to channel his enthusiasm and his dedication to the spreading of jazz.

This Saturday evening concert will celebrate Howard’s life through music. Performers will include New York-based musicians Jay Clayton, Cordelia Tapping (voice), Alex Brofsky (horn), Tim Armacost (saxophones), Ray Gallon, Jorn Swart, (piano), Curtis Ostle (bass); local musicians will include Scott Mullett, Sherm Fox (saxophone), Draa Hobbs (guitar), Eugene Uman (piano), George Kaye (bass), Jon Fisher, Claire Arenius (drums). It is likely that surprise guests will appear at the last minute. It will be limited to two-hours.

Brattleboro Time Trade — Week of April 12th

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Activism

This week’s listings, arranged spuriously but without impugnment:

RECENT OFFERS:
Computer Help
Chinese Translating
Computer Assistance
Photography
Gardening Help

RECENT REQUESTS:
Need Carpenter to Shave Off a Few Inches from a Large Table
Yard Work
Home Repairs
Spring Garden Help

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 4/14/14

by BCTVProg | Media

Channel 8, Monday April 14

12:00 am        The Cody & Aaron Show: Cody & Aaron: Ep 2 – Awkward Moments

12:10 am        Landmark College Presents: Landmark College -Virginia Prescott 3/31/14

1:30 am          The Artful Word: Irish Heritage Celebration – 3/17/14

2:00 am          FSTV Overnight

4:00 am          That Was The Week That Was: Educational Governance in Vermont

National Library Week: Take a Selfie @ Brooks Memorial Library!

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Celebrate your library! For National Library Week, April 13-19, 2014, take a selfie in your favorite spot at Brooks Memorial and post it to your social media (or ours) to show the world the truth of the National Library Week slogan: lives change @ your library. Read on for more information on how it works–and to see more fabulous library selfies!

Take a selfie, alone or with friends, in a favorite spot at Brooks Memorial Library. We recommend filling out a National Library Week thought bubble to include in the picture. It will telegraph the important idea to all the friends who spot you on Facebook, Twitter, or your other favorite social media site.

Brattleboro Area Overflow Shelter Needs Volunteers

by JenniferH | Activism

Hello fellow Brattleboro and sorrounding areas….

I am Jennifer Haselton the brattleboro area overflow shelter coordinator.

I am looking to see if there’s anyone who is interested in some volunteer hours I am currently looking for 2nd shift which consists of 1 a.m. To 7 a.m. I have quite a bit of volunteer hours during that shift available if anyone is interested please email me at: jenniwooo@gmail.com 

Estey Organ Museum Receives Important Collection

by Estey Organ Museum | Music

Lee Chaney had a life-long love of musical instruments, especially those with keyboards.  Over the years he built a sizeable personal collection of instruments of a wide variety, even setting up a small museum in his home so that others could view his collection.  Formerly a Professor of Educational Psychology at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama for over 40 years, Chaney retired to Clinton, NC. He died there on March 4, 2012.

Recently, his son, John Chaney, decided that the Estey Organ Museum in Brattleboro was an appropriate home for a number of these instruments.  In addition to several Estey reed organs, the collection included instruments by other builders who had a historical relationship with Estey, notably Riley Burdett of Putney, as well as instruments illustrating the development of the American reed organ. Further, the collection consisted of framed posters about organ building and other important archival memorabilia.

Brattleboro Estey Organ Tour

by Estey Organ Museum | Music

The Estey Organ Museum will host a Tour of Estey Organs in Brattleboro, VT on Saturday, May 17, beginning at 1:00 PM. The tour will begin at the First United Methodist Church (home of Estey Opus 1 from 1901) on Putney Rd and conclude at the Museum, 108 Birge Street. Eight pipe organs will be visited, most of which are in playing condition.

The event will include brief demonstration programs on most of the organs. Participants will receive handout sheets describing each instrument and its history. Refreshments will be served at the Museum, and visitors will see and hear the Estey “walk-through” pipe organ as well as other reed organs on display.

1:00 First United Methodist Church, Putney Road
1:30 St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 47 Walnut Street

I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of April 13

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

I-91

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge in the Fall of 2015.

Weather permitting, night work will be conducted Sunday night, April 13th through Saturday night, April 19th.

Route 30

The speed limit on Route 30 near the work zone has been reduced to 40 mph. This reduction will remain in effect through the Spring of 2016.

Project-related truck activity on Route 30 will continue. Route 30 will be reduced to a single lane intermittently both day and night, with flaggers regulating traffic within the work zone.

Weekend Concert Series: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1978

by cgrotke | Entertainment

It’s the very end of 1978, verging on 1979. We’re in Santa Monica, CA at a club. The doors open, and we all rush in to get good spots near the stage. It’s New Year’s Eve and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are touring on their second album. They take the stage and start in on their fresh sounding twist on southern rock.

Tom Petty is one of the few things Florida can be proud of beyond beaches and theme parks. He’s from Gainesville, as any good Floridian will tell you. Bad Floridians will tell you he’s the only good thing about Gainesville, but that’s another tale.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – April 15, 2014

by cgrotke | Town News

Citizen suggestions for town improvements will be center stage at the next regular Tuesday Meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. Former board member Chris Chapman would like the town to consider taking donations, and George Harvey would like a committee to investigate generation of local electric power.

The board will also hear from the Arts Committee, approve whiskey drinking for the Stroll, review staffing of Police and Planning departments, get a PACE update, buy a new police car, and more.

You can attend and participate in person, or watch on BCTV. Full coverage here afterward.

Handle with Care

by spinoza | Education

If you travel to skateparks, as I do, it’s impossible to not notice the trend- younger and younger users are appearing in greater numbers. The prevalence of scooters is undeniable. Many scooter users begin their riding careers soon after they get solid on their feet as walkers.

If you travel to a city, it’s striking how many youth travel the sidewalks, often rolling alongside their parents pushing a sibling in a stroller. There are adult scooters too, and it wouldn’t be exaggeration to speak in terms of an army of scooters flooding a street.

BMH Offers Free Educational Program Focusing on Dementia

by BMH | Health

On April 21, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will be hosting an educational program entitled, “Conversations about Dementia,” designed to help community members talk about some challenging and often uncomfortable topics.

Presented by Maggie Lewis, MPA, LNHA, director of programs and services for the Vermont Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, this program will clarify many of the signs and resources, and clearly outline what steps can be taken.

“Many in our community confront issues with Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” says Lewis. “Often, we are unsure of seeing the signs of dementia and what steps need to be taken to plan for its occurrence.”

Governor Shumlin Appoints BDCC’s Moulton As Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) Secretary

by Not Signed In | State News

GOV. SHUMLIN MAKES KEY STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS

MONTPELIER — April 10, 2014 — Gov. Peter Shumlin today announced two key staff appointments integral to his efforts to strengthen Vermont’s economy by growing jobs, helping to contain rising health care costs and reform health care delivery, and ushering in a universal, publicly-financed health care system in Vermont.

Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) Secretary Lawrence Miller will become Senior Advisor to the Governor and Chief of Health Care Reform. In this capacity, Miller will be tasked with overseeing the state’s health care reform efforts and transition to Green Mountain Care. He will report directly to the Governor.