Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced Sunday that all pre-K-12 schools in the state will close no later than Wednesday and remain closed until April 6, according to a news release from Scott’s office.
Students are not required to go to school Monday or Tuesday, if their parents or guardians would prefer to keep them home, Scott said.
Update: Not many people have asked for help here, but this has become a bit of a collection of useful information links, so we’re changing the title slightly.
Beloved customers, your health and safety is what matters most to us. For this reason, Sunday will be our last day of regular hours for a while. Helping to reduce the possible spread of COVID-19 by closing is our act of community solidarity to help flatten the curve. We will take appropriate steps for resuming our regular schedule with the guidance of health officials.
On Sunday we will be offering our regular menu plus grab-and-go items such as sambar soup, turmeric bone broth, dosa batter and curry and rice boxes. Support us and your health by stocking up, or consider purchasing a gift certificate that you can use later (consider this for as many downtown businesses as you can!).
The United States Government and the State of Vermont are operating under State of Emergency declarations issued by President Trump and Governor Scott related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. While a separate local State of Emergency is not necessary in Brattleboro at this time, the Town of Brattleboro has implemented a variety of emergency actions and is planning to scale-up local emergency actions, if necessary.
Fire Chief Mike Bucossi, who also is the Town’s Emergency Management Director, is in close ongoing communication with Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Rescue Inc., and other emergency health service providers. Chief Bucossi and Town Manager Peter Elwell are in daily communication with the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Emergency Management. Through this coordination, they are not only ensuring the preparedness of Brattleboro town government but also assisting in the preparedness of first responders throughout southeastern Vermont. All other members of the Town’s senior management team are maintaining similarly close contact with their colleagues in State government and others to ensure that the Town’s actions are taken in concert with similar actions to protect the public throughout Vermont and beyond.
The following summary of the Town’s actions on this matter are separated into “Emergency Services,” “Non-Emergency and Administrative Support Services,” and “Representative Town Meeting and Other Meetings”:
From the Governor’s office:
“WHEREAS, since December 2019, Vermont has been working in close collaboration with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with the United States Health and Human Services Agency to monitor and plan for the potential for an outbreak of respiratory illness due to a novel coronavirus (a disease now known as COVID-19), in the United States; and
WHEREAS, this rapidly evolving global situation required the Governor to direct the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) to activate the Health Operations Center in February 2020 when VDH began to monitor and later, test Vermonters who may have been exposed to COVID-19; and
The Brattleboro VFW located at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public for lunch. Lunch is served Mon-Fri from 11:30 – 1:30. Specials listed below are only $6.50 a plate. Hand made burger, fries, sweet potato fries, wings, onion rings, soups and sandwiches are also available. Take outs available by calling 257-0438
Brattleboro Senior Meals Menu March 16 to March 20
Mar. 16 Baked Chicken
Baked Potato
Sesame Broccoli
Apple Crisp
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
The Brattleboro Board of Listers will meet on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 10:30am in the Assessors’ Office (Suite 109) at the Municipal Center.
Saturday, March 14: The Swap Shop at Windham Solid Waste Management on Ferry Road will not be open this Saturday.
We hope to be open again on Saturday, April 11.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve a bid to begin construction of a skatepark at their next regular meeting. Yes, you read that right. The skatepark is finally going to be built.
There will be updates on COVID-19 from the Town Manager and a status update on Representative Town Meeting, a sewer rodder will be bought, Groundworks will get a $100,000 grant, the Windham Regional Commission will give an update, stormwater will be managed, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.
There may be a bright side to the current COVID 19 pandemic, at least in terms of showing how the current U.S. for-profit health care system fails people when they get sick. In the political debate about a Medicare for All plan the defensive posture is to tell people not to support it because they will have to give up their current health insurance.
Last time I checked I couldn’t find people who tell me they love their current health insurance plan and that they would never give it up. As things stand now for people who have private insurance that they pay for in part, or in whole, contracting a serious case of COVID 19 could mean bills anywhere from $10,000 to one million dollars depending on the type of insurance they have or don’t have.
Because of the concern with COVID19 spreading via public gatherings, a number of our vendors will not be coming to the market this week. We were going to officially cancel the market, but at least one intrepid farmer, Elizabeth Wood from New Leaf CSA insisted on coming down to sell veggies to you, and she will be joined by Mary Ellen from High Goose Farm with all those healthful black currant concoctions, and likely Orchard Hill Breadworks as well. I’m sure others will be there too. Check our Facebook page -@brattleborowinterfarmersmarket – for updates.
So when you come to the market on Saturday, you will find a smaller version of us, and you will not find a terminal to run credit, debit or EBT card sales. Plan accordingly and be prepared with cash or check, or the tokens and coupons you already have on hand.
With the flurry of cancellations and postponements in the area, would it be smart to postpone Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting?
On one hand, Brattleboro hasn’t had any confirmed cases. And there is a bit of time pressure on representatives to pass the budget before the fiscal year ends. Perhaps it would be best to get this out of the way early and hold it as scheduled.
Attorney General Donovan filed a lawsuit today against Clearview AI, a data broker that uses facial recognition technology to map the faces of Vermonters, including children, and sells access to this data to private businesses, individuals, and law enforcement. The complaint, filed in Chittenden Superior Court – Civil Division, alleges violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act and the new Data Broker Law. Along with the complaint, the State filed a motion for preliminary injunction, asking the Court to order Clearview AI to immediately stop collecting or storing Vermonters’ photos and facial recognition data.
The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at the Academy School, 860 Western Avenue, Brattleboro.
AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Administration
As Vermonters, we have heard the warnings to avoid crowds and unnecessary travel. We have heard the recommendation to wash hands frequently. And now we are hearing that some institutions, like Vermont Law School, Middlebury College, & Champlain College are closing their campuses. We also hear rumblings that school districts and perhaps even aspects of State Government will follow suit if and when the infection rate grows. We are being told that this is to diminish the transmission of the Coronavirus and therefore to save lives. What we have NOT heard is how 10,000s of workers are expected to survive with no wages and a limited access to healthcare if and when more workplaces shutdown.
So if I work for private non-union shop that closes its doors in reaction to the virus, and if I am receiving no pay, and if I have no healthcare, how I am expected to feed my family, pay rent, get medical care, and not face an economic disaster? Conversely, what if my work stays open but my kid’s school closes down? Without public (or affordable) childcare how am I suppose to care for my children? Where is the plan to protect working people not only from the virus, but also from economic ruin? Must we as workers decide between exposure to a deadly disease or total economic collapse? Or will that bad choice be made for us?
Due to the concerns around the spread of Coronavirus(COVID-19), this year’s Women’s Film Festival, originally slated for March 20-29th, has been rescheduled to September 18-20th. Look for more information on our website, www.womensfilmfestival.org, this summer.
*If you already purchased a 5-movie pass or gala ticket, it will be valid in September.
*If you hadn’t yet purchased a pass or ticket, but still wish to donate to the Freedom Center, please go to www.womensfreedomcenter.net and click ‘donate’.
*If you are unable to attend the event in September and would like a refund of your purchase, please be in touch with us via email – admin@womensfreedomcenter.net.
This question is being explored in an event taking place on Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Brooks Memorial Library as a part of the Compassionate Brattleboro discussion series.
If we look closely at the words we are bringing together within the title of this discussion, compassion has its Latin roots com- together with + pati to suffer which means suffering together. A poet, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a poet is: “writer of verse distinguished by particular insight, inspiration, or sensibility, or by remarkable powers of imagination, creativity, or expression…” There are many key words, one of them being sensibility from sensibili or the French etymology, both linking to the senses and feeling.
Putney- Sandglass Theater’s Winter Sunshine Series continues its 13th season of puppet shows for young audiences with I spy Butterfly by Faye Dupras on Saturday, March 14th at 11am and 2pm. How does a nature-loving explorer become a bug’s best friend? Find out in this delightful eco-story about the ways we all grow and change. When Trudy’s friend Harold the caterpillar suddenly transforms into a chrysalis, she’s determined to do the same. Just when she is about to give up hope, she learns that her tiny friend needs her now more than ever. Live music, colorful critters, and oodles of audience interaction make this show a fun ecological romp in the wild!
I have been advised this morning that some rumors of significant COVID-19 impacts are circulating in Brattleboro. Examples include “hospital staff have been instructed not to report to work” and “police officers are wearing masks whenever they are in public.” These rumors are not true. Please continue to monitor the situation on the Vermont Health Department’s website at https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/infectious-disease/2019-novel-coronavirus. Please also continue to encourage members of the public to use that Health Department site as their source of reliable information about COVID-19 in Vermont. The link to that site remains posted in the “News” section on the right side of the Town’s homepage. The Health Department is updating the site at least daily and some days it is updated multiple times.
