Brattleboro Water Treatment Loan Article 11 Passes: 111-2

by Not Signed In | Politics

Good evening,

At Representative Town Meeting this year, scheduled for March 20, 2021, the body voted through Australian Ballot on Article 11:

“To see if the Town will authorize the capital improvement as the Water Treatment Plant Reconstruction Project, at anestimated cost of twelve million, five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000) and authorize the issuance ofnotes and/or bonds in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed twelve million, five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000) at a rate of interest not to exceed five percent (5%) per annum and for a term not to exceed thirty (30) years to pay to that extent the cost of said public improvement.  The vote on this article shall be by Australian ballot as required by law. The question to be voted upon is as follows:

White Supremacy Culture –  What It Is And What To Do About It

by Woody Bernhard | Activism

Racism often refers to acts of overt, intentional prejudice and a social order that debases people of color while glorifying whiteness. But white supremacy is a systemic and structural phenomenon woven throughout our culture—rather than just the work of racist individuals who intentionally and maliciously discriminate. Our institutions and social practices themselves prop up white advantage and protect white communities, while making communities of color vulnerable to exploitation, domination, and violence.

What actions are needed to repair ourselves in order to identify and dismantle white supremacy culture? This discussion will incorporate the pre-session resources listed below. Click on the link or copy the URL into your search bar to have a look. General discussion will follow Mary’s presentation. Please take part.

Occasional Robot Round-Up – March 2021

by cgrotke | Sci-Tech

We haven’t done one of these in a while. What’s up with our robot overlords?

It seems as if it is a given, now, that robots can walk, fly, swim, drive, crawl, and otherwise move freely about. It looks like robot research is now moving into more subtle forms of communication and action.

Consolidated Fiber in Brattleboro?

by rapjr | Business

I received a flyer in the mail from Consolidated.com that says they will be offering fiber internet connections in Brattleboro soon.  I found a couple stories on iBrattleboro that do not paint Consolidated in the best light and which suggest Consolidated has been offering internet services in Brattleboro already for some time:

VFW $12 Pot Roast Meal to Go Saturday April 17th from 4pm-6:30pm Public Welcome

by LisaL | Food

Pot roast to-go meal Saturday April 17th from 4 pm – 6:30 pm. Meal will be pot roast, mashed potato, brown sugar carrots, roll, gravy and red raspberry pie for $12 each.

No need to get out of your vehicle. Just drive up to the glass doors on the hall side, tell us your name and the number of meals ordered, and we will bring everything to you. When you call to reserve your meals, let us know name, time of pick-up and amount of meals needed.

Brattleboro Dog and Wolf-Hybrid Licenses Are Due April 1

by Not Signed In | Pets

Brattleboro dog and wolf-hybrid licenses are due on or before April 1. Vermont dogs and wolf-hybrids 6 months of age and older must be licensed on or before April 1.  For dogs not previously licensed in Brattleboro, a new dog license application form is available on the www.brattleboro.orgwebsite; go to Departments; Town Clerk; on the right-hand side bar is a section on Dogs.  From that page on the right side bar look at Licensing a New Dog.   Licenses being renewed may be processed in the Town Clerk’s office (by using the drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot), through the mail or online at www.brattleboro.org.  

Any Old Vermont Sugarhouses Out There?

by Not Signed In | State News

Vermont sugarhouses are a vanishing landmark and with them their history is at risk of being permanently lost.  A statewide network of sugar-making enthusiasts have organized a project to create a comprehensive and descriptive list of all sugarhouses in Vermont with a focus on the oldest sugarhouses. 

Once the list is complete the project team will interview sugarmaking families and photograph Vermont sugarhouses. This visual and documented history will be made available for future review and use. The final outcome will be the creation of a photo book to showcase these architectural legacies and landmarks.

Brattleboro Selectboard: McLoughlin Becomes Chair, Gelter Joins Board

by cgrotke | Town News

Town Clerk Hilary Francis swore in newly-elected members of the Brattleboro Selectboard Monday evening.

Ian Goodnow, Daniel Quipp, and new member Jessica Gelter took their oath of office and joined Tim Wessel and Elizabeth McLoughlin to form the next selectboard.  New signed Oaths of Office will be arranged at a later date.

They all affirmed that they will faithfully execute the duties of selectboard member for the Town of Brattleboro, doing equal rights and justice to all people, in the best of their judgement and ability, according to law under the pain and penalties of perjury.

Last Week for Curbside Orders from the Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market!

by Sherry | Food

And then there was 1…just 1 more chance to order for curbside pick up from the15th season of the Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market – a season unlike any others!

Go to our online store, open now through Thursday morning at 9AM! Place an order for your weekly provisions like beets, carrots, greens, garlic, eggs, meat, cheese and bread, special treats, handmade soaps along with lovely handcrafted gifts. There’s also seeds for your gardens, preserves, teas, syrups, tinctures and more!

Rock the Boat by Sandglass Theater featured in this week’s Winter Sunshine Series

by SandglassTheater | Family

This week’s virtual Winter Sunshine Series features “Rock the Boat” by Sandglass Theater. It is a puppet show for young audiences that explores themes of migration, refugees, inclusion and respectful curiosity. It aims to get young audiences thinking about relocation, displacement and the interconnectedness of racial, climate and social justice. The production addresses attitudes about acceptance of those who come from other countries and cultures, and provides a narrative in which there is room for everyone in an inclusive society.

A Ka-Razy RTM

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

It was a ka-RAZY meeting. The 2021 RTM ran into overtime and continued Sunday (3/21), and since the members only had the remaining agenda to handle, they were alert and curious at the end. Many members and the moderator made efforts to preserve even more time for the proposals of the RTM members.

BCS advanced an uncontroversial educational pamphlet for the members that passed overwhelmingly. Toward the end there were a glitch and a flurry of objections as the establishment didn’t have a quorum (enough participants) for a big money maneuver. The panic was hilarious, as the moderator counted the members three times and Tim Wessel apparently arranged for people to return from dinner to vote to “adjourn the meeting to a later date so we could convene only to officially end the meeting”.

BCTV Schedules – Week of March 22, 2021

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 1075 schedule for the week of 3/22/21

Monday, March 22, 2021

4:30 am The Future of Vermont 2021 – with Paul Costello 3/5/2021
5:00 am BUHS Varsity Hockey – Girls vs. Harwood/Northfield 3/6/21
6:55 am Vermont Institute of Civic and International Involvement – The Consequences of Trying a Past President 2/3/21
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast
9:00 am Hooker Dunham Presents – SOLOs Episode 6

Plant Trees with 350Vermont this Spring!

by LBritt | Nature

Rewild Brattleboro
Planting trees, sowing justice, growing community

350VT’s statewide Rewild Vermont project builds on synergies between food justice, climate action, and ecological restoration, and we’re excited to dig in locally! Fill out this google form to reserve trees to be planted this spring, either as an individual or as an organization.

Britain Threatens Humanity with Nuclear Winter Extinction Without Explaining Why It Foresees War by jay janson

by jay janson | Op/Ed

DESCRIPTION:

Why do the rest of us allow the British (the former genocidal colonial power) to get away with claiming the right to destroy the world if Britain comes under some sort of less than clearly defined non-nuclear attack? Is there no legal authority to sanction the UK and its officials involved in threatening Humanity – the UN Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission, the IAEA, the WHO, the international Criminal Court?

Reform RTM? Maybe, But Let’s Understand It First

by Timmy | Politics

The dramatic front page Reformer article of March 17th, “Representative Town Meeting reform pitched” left me wondering if Kurt Daims and his “common sense” gang had really done their homework around Brattleboro’s current governmental structure.

Mr. Daims seems to have some confusion as to the roles of both Representative Town Meeting and of the Selectboard. Lately he has been fond of quoting our Town Charter (reviewed and revised as recently as 2013-2016) which states that RTM is “a guiding body for the town and a source of ideas, proposals and comments…” without allowing that full paragraph’s quote to continue with “It exercises exclusively all powers vested in the voters of the Town.” The mention of the powers of voters is the important phrase there.