Brattleboro DRB Revised 10-16-2024 Agenda

by bbannon@brattleboro.org | Town Plan

Call to Order
Review and Approve Minutes of previous meeting.
Review of Cases/Public Hearings to be reviewed under the Brattleboro Land Use Regulations as warned on October 12, 2015.
2024-84                BEEC & Earth Bridge Community Land Trust; Rural District; request for Site Plan & Local Act 250 Approval to construct a parking lot at 1219 Bonnyvale Road; Tax Map Parcel #100248.000 Request to continue to the meeting of November 20, 2024

Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – October 2024

by cgrotke | Health

Time for the October 2024 dashboard summary. We continue semi-regular COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro, as long as they continue providing them. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

VT, NH and MA do weekly updates, near the end of the week, so we update on Fridays usually. All three have changed their dashboards since the start, so it is now tough to easily compare how things have changed. Variant updates are every two weeks.

Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will hold a Q and A session on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 4:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street) and over zoom.

The Brattleboro Charter Revision Commission will meet on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom.

Brattleboro RTM Human Services Committee Q & A Meeting

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro RTM Human Services Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 at 4:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room (and over Zoom) for their annual Q and A session with potential applicants. Anyone wishing to apply for Human Services funding this year is highly encouraged to attend. You can find the agenda for this meeting (which includes the Zoom link) posted on the Town website, Brattleboro.gov. Please contact Jessica Sticklor at jsticklor@brattleboro.gov if you have any questions.

Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – October 3, 2024

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

Concrete for two of the three remaining moment slabs was placed this week, and the last is set to be placed Friday, October 4th. This is the last structural concrete needed for the project! Concrete will still be needed for some sign bases and sidewalk work, so concrete trucks will still be using local routes to reach the construction site when needed, and from time to time their proximity to a traveled road may require alternating one lane traffic controlled by flaggers.

The crew placing the waterproof membrane on the bridge deck is completing their work this week. Paving will begin Tuesday, October 8th, with a 1” layer of Bridge Base pavement followed by the 1 ½” bridge wearing course of asphalt.

Crews continue to take advantage of the weather and strip, patch (if needed), and waterproof exposed concrete as clean-up continues. This includes stripping of overhang forms.

Online Serious Illness Support Group Forming Now

by CenterforSolace | Health

Beginning in October 2024 Support for Those Going Through Life-Altering Illnesses

The Serious Illness Program was created to offer support, solace, and assistance to people going through a life-altering serious illness, one that may or may not have a terminal prognosis. The program offers one-on-one volunteer services, support groups with others who have a serious illness, as well as opportunities to learn more about what resources are available in the community.

Our Peer Support Groups are a place where folks can get together and openly share their experiences with others who truly understand. We offer a safe space to share personal experiences, feelings, coping strategies, and also allow for shared learning. Support groups are both online and in-person.

The Other Presidential Candidates

by cgrotke | Politics

November election ballots arrived in the mail and there are some candidates that are lesser known. I know many of you are going to vote for one of the two major party candidates, but it doesn’t hurt to see what those other folks would like to do.  Here’s your guide to the other names and parties on the ballot, and issues they care about.

Claudia de la Cruz and Karina Garcia, Socialism & Liberation

“End Capitalism before it ends us. We will end the rule of the billionaires once and for all” is the big message of the “Vote Socialist” campaign site homepage.  Their plan:

September Precipitation

by local | Nature

A dry month with rain on only 4 days at my location totaling 1.19″.  The NOAA average for September is 4.21″. This also marks the end of the Water year or hydrologic year that runs Oct 1 – Sept. 30.  My total for this period is 51.32″ compared to the normal of 47.54″.

Talked to a Town employee last week and the town reservoir (Pleasant Valley) was only down 8 inches at the time so no water shortage.  I can remember the reservoir being down 6 or more feet with the old road across showing.  This is opinion that I try to stay away from, but I enjoyed this past month with drier than normal weather and temps not too hot or too cold on average.

WSESD Board Meeting Minutes September 24, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary
● Policy Review and Accountability: The Board discussed the requests for self-reflection and accountability regarding response to comments from the Dummerston Leadership Council, but an amended motion to direct the Policy and Amendment Committee for review did not pass. Original motion tabled.
● Leadership Council Updates: Leadership Councils provided updates on community engagement efforts and the importance of tools and support for effective communication and collaboration, including recording meetings for accuracy.
● Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP): The Board adopted the district’s proposed CIP goals.
● Panorama Survey Process: The Panorama Task Force outlined a new approach to administering climate surveys in both Fall and Spring, emphasizing student input to enhance school safety and support.
● Budget Considerations: The board reviewed budget reduction strategies presented at the Annual Meeting and their implications for student support services

Unacceptable Health Care Reform?

by RDavis | Health

When I first read the report “Act 167 Community Engagement: Recommendations”, I almost laughed because I had a pretty good idea of how hospitals would react. The passage of Act 167 was a recognition that Vermont’s health care system needs serious change if it is to survive and this report was commissioned to find out what to do. It focused on the state’s hospitals.

Many of the recommendations make sense, but what I find difficult to understand is how all of the affected hospitals could possibly make the changes called for in the report. They talk about regional centers of excellence where only certain hospitals would do specific procedures. There could be fewer hospitals doing joint replacements and those who continue would become more expert at the procedures.

There is also a call for hospitals to share staff. That makes sense from an intellectual perspective, but how many nurses are going to want to travel an extra hour or more to work each day just to fulfill the aims of systemic restructuring?

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas and San Miguel Fraser at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of traditional and contemporary Scottish and fiddle music by duos Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas and San Miguel Fraser (Galen Fraser & Maria San Miguel) on Sunday, October 20 at 7:00 pm at Next Stage.

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling,” and brilliant Californian cellist, Natalie Haas, spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 16 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. This seemingly unlikely pairing of instruments is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. Alasdair and Natalie blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In addition to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.