West River

Brattleboro’s Air Disaster of 1922

by cgrotke | History

In 1922, a big flying event was held on the Retreat Meadows, back when it was still a meadow. The World war had ended and Brattleboro was interested in the potential of aviation for civilians.  Pilots flew in for a weekend of events, competitions, and demonstrations at a special aviation event that Governor Hartness, a big fan of flying, helped bring to town. Everything was going  fine until late on a Friday afternoon, when disaster struck.

This is the story as it appeared in The Phoenix August 25, 1922. It isn’t hard to imagine how a tragedy such as this would perhaps sour the local citizenry on any plans of aviation or airports for quite a long time.

….

AIRPLANE MEET HAS TRAGIC END

Three Passengers Lose Lives When Curtiss Oriole Burns

Were Miss Evelyn Harris and Joseph Trahan and Son – Crowd of About 3,000 Sees Disaster – Inquiry Held.

Upper West River to be Studied this Summer

by Not Signed In | West River Valley

The water quality of the upper West River and some of its tributaries is getting closely examined this summer. Fitzgerald Environmental Associates has been hired through the State of Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct a Stream Geomorphic Assessment (SGA), which is a way of assessing, understanding, and evaluating the condition of the river system.

According to Marie Caduto, Vermont DEC Watershed Planner for the southeastern portion of Vermont which includes the West River and its tributaries, “this project has been in the works for several years.  The local communities are concerned that the recreational use of Townshend Lake and the West River has been impacted by all the sediment moving down the river since Tropical Storm Irene.  What we are looking to study is where this sediment is coming from and to find on-the-ground projects that can be done to help stabilize the erosion.”

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – September 14, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

Five proposals for community safety review facilitation have been received, twenty six applications to be on the committee are in hand, and the perhaps re-organized Brattleboro Selectboard will decide next steps at their next Tuesday meeting. Committee members will be interviewed and appointed at a special meeting.

Grants and bid awards are also on the agenda, as is the purchase of a new salt shed. You can add other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Water Quality Partners Address Clean Water in Windham Region

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

Windham Regional Commission (WRC) and the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District (WCNRCD) are pleased to announce expanded outreach and services to municipalities and the public to improve tactical basin planning efforts for the West, Williams and Saxtons River and Direct CT River Tributaries (Basin 11/13). In addition to the basin planning efforts, the WRC and WCNRCD will also support overall water quality efforts throughout Windham County.  The work is supported through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Activities began this fall and will extend through September 2020.

Brattleboro Conservation Commission hosts Source to Sea Cleanup in the West River Park on September 24

by Not Signed In | Nature

Join the Brattleboro Conservation Commission on Tuesday, September 24 from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. to clean up trash along the West River as part of the annual Source to Sea Cleanup of the Connecticut River system. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and should meet in the West River Park at the entrance of the trail to down to the West River.

Brattleboro Shop Offers New West River Poster

by cgrotke | Business
west river 91 bridge

We have a new poster in the Brattleboro Shop – a stylized view of the West River and I-91 bridge. It’s the latest addition to our original art series of Brattleboro travel posters and postcards, and the Brattleboro Shop is the only place you’ll find them.

40 on 30

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

The speed limit leaving Brattleboro on Route 30 is wrong.

Currently, the posted limit is 40 mph until after the distillery. The road, though, was engineered for a faster speed. Driving 40 mph now feels very slow.

Driving 40 mph along this stretch seems slow for many reasons. The road is wide as it is. The shoulders are wide enough for extra lanes. The curves of the road are wide and gentle. 

Community & Camaraderie – West River Wetland Tire Removal

by TCarter | Activism

In the Spring of 2017 I started alerting the Town of Brattleboro and related parties to the increasing tire accumulation  in the wetland just off the West River Trail . Last Fall Kathy Urffer , Steward of Connecticut River Conservancy , and a pirate  crew of volunteers ,  including  our local  Fire Dept , set out on a cold rainy  morning  in our first attempt of tire retrieval . I believe  we brought  in around 133 tires that day .

On May 4th this Spring , volunteers  from The West River Trail,  S.E.Vt Watershed ,  Conn River Conservancy , and  Brattleboro Fire Dept came  to help along with volunteers  from related area businesses , independent  individuals , and also , VERY ENCOURAGING , a young  man from our local school  system . We got over 138 tires  that day , this was more challenging then before  as the tires were more spread out and  in deeper water.

Thin Ice: 3 People Per Day Fell Through The Ice The Past 2 Days at Retreat Meadows

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

The Retreat Meadows outdoor ice skating across from Grafton Cheese factory outlet store on Rt 30 in Brattleboro: THIN ICE. 3 people fell through today. I saw 2 of them. I organized a rescue for one of them, but then he managed to get out before we had to actually do it, thankfully. 3 people fell through yesterday.

The West River is completely open water with no ice, all the way up to Townshend. This means the water is being warmed by the sun, the whole time it’s coming down the river. 20+ miles. The water is warmer than freezing temperature by the time it gets to Brattleboro, and melts the ice from underneath. This isn’t apparent by looking at the surface of the ice.