New Hydrant for Elliot Street Tuesday

On Tuesday, June 21, the Utilities Division will be installing a new hydrant in the area of 195 Elliot ST.  Elliot ST will be closed in the area beginning at 7:00 am through approximately noon.  Stewart Place and Elliot ST addresses up to #186 can be accessed from the east end of Elliot ST and addresses #190 and higher can be accessed from the west end of Elliot ST. 

Motorists should plan to use alternate routes during this time.


Next Stage 2022 Artist-in-Residence Amirah Sackett and MR MiC present “BeatBox MEETS Popping” on July 2nd at SIT

International artists Sackett and Ahmed Zaghbouni aka MR MiC join forces to bring a fun and energetic performance entitled “BeatBox MEETS Popping.” Amirah is a hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Chicago, IL. Her signature style is the funk style dance known as ‘popping’. As a proud Muslim American, she combines Islamic themes with her dance to share the universal beauty of her faith with audiences of different faith backgrounds to promote unity and understanding. Ahmed Zaghbouni is an international beatboxer and filmmaker from Sousse, Tunisia. His performance always entertains the audience with disbelief by the sounds he creates only using his mouth and voice as an instrument. He is proud of his Muslim heritage and the Sufi faith traditions native to his home of Tunisia. These two Muslim artists, bonded by faith and their love of hip-hop, offer a counter narrative to the media’s portrayal of Muslims. Both Ahmed and Amirah are dedicated to preserving and sharing hip-hop culture with the next generation and audiences around the world, as well as being examples of using art for social change.


A World Without Guns

June 20, 2055- After more than 30 years of grassroots activism a constitutional amendment has been passed in the United States that will make it illegal for most citizens to possess firearms. The 28th amendment is short. It states that, “No citizen, with the exception of military, law enforcement and certified hunters shall be allowed to possess and use firearms. Hunters must be subject to a federal certification process requiring background checks and verification by one mental health professional of suitability to hunt.” The amendment also describes provisions for removing guns from circulation.

The organization No More Dead Children was created in the wake of deaths of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas in 2022. Chapters of the organization formed in communities throughout the U.S. and became the voice for gun reform. Many of the leaders of these organizations were survivors of mass shootings at schools.


Slow Response to Housing Crisis

Brattleboro officials notice the housing crisis: 500 units are needed — NOW. But recent proposals for construction of a dozen or so units are a pathetic response.

The selectboard and committees are fixated on new construction, as if that is the only way.

Brattleboro Common Sense (BCS) proposed rent controls and just-cause eviction controls (JCE) two years ago, and town government has done nothing. BCS is also proposing emergency measures to create new housing by increasing occupancy limits and allowing RV’s to be rented as bedrooms and mini-houses in private driveways.


Cris Ericson On The Nov. 8, 2022 Election Ballot!

Hello! My name is Cris Ericson and I would like to publicly thank more than 500 local Vermonters in southeastern Vermont who signed my petitions to allow me to be on the Nov. 8, 2022 general election ballot as an Independent candidate for United States Senator.

I am very grateful for this opportunity to be another voice in this election when so many people are a little bit frustrated with their usual political affiliations with Democrats and Republicans and they are willing and ready to hear my newest ideas. 


Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It marks the anniversary of an announcement by the Union Army on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas.

The holiday has been celebrated annually on June 19th in various parts of the United States since the 1860s, broadly celebrating African-American culture.

The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in June 2021, when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 21, 2022

Golden Cross is back on the agenda with a limited-time offer that will only cost $50,000 a year after the initial 90 day free trial. The Brattleboro Selectboard will, by approving this, “expand the second AEMT provider to 24 hours per day and situate a third ambulance (to be housed at Station 2.)”

They will also discuss liquor licenses, fines for rental housing inspection program violations, Waste Water Treatment Plant and water pump improvements, and more. You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.


WSESD Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes

AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Kelly Young, Board Chair
II. CONSENT AGENDA
• CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – June 7, 2022
III. Public Comment on Non-agenda Items (10 minutes)
IV. Unfinished Business
A. Sexual Abuse Investigation Update
B. SRO Task Force Recommendations Update


Shopping at Swap Shop

SHOPPING DAY (no donations accepted) at Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro on Saturday, June 18, 8:30 am to noon. ALL ITEMS ARE FREE.   Photos of some available items are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page. MANY NEW ITEMS! WE’RE OVERSTOCKED!

SCHEDULE & HOURS:
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month


That Electric Trolley Idea… I Like It

Django Grace brought up a fun idea at the most recent Brattleboro Selectboard meeting – a return to the electric trolley.

Now, I’d advocate for a trolley-monorail hybrid, of course, but the trolley alone is interesting. I like transportation that is fun.

It would be cost prohibitive to get one custom built and installed.  Recent trolley projects have costs cities between $4-14 million dollars per mile. There are Federal funds available, but they are calculated on ridership estimates and larger locations would certainly win out over Brattleboro.

What could be done, though, is to build something locally.


Brattleboro Planning Commission Special Joint Meeting: Monday, June 20, 2022

6:00 – 6:10 Announcements

6:10 – 6:20 Roles Of These Government Bodies
Possible Presentation of Supporting Documentation; Q & A

6:20 – 7:00 Land Use Regulations Concerns and Proposals
Parts 1, 2, 3, & 5: Discuss suggestions for Cannabis land use classifications, Setbacks, Historic Resource Overlay District, Pets vs. farm animals, Parking, Signs, Noise, Demolition Standards, and more


The Bilbao Song

I’m watching a film on Netflix that takes place in Bilbao, a city in northern Spain.

I can’t stop remembering when, many years ago, I visited Bilbao, courtesy of the US Navy.

Our ship docked in San Sebastian, a sleepy fishing village where nothing EVER happens. However, a dozen miles away lay Bilbao, a thriving metropolis.


Street Closing Tuesday For New Hydrant for Elliot Street

On Tuesday, June 14, the Utilities Division will be installing a new hydrant in the area of 195 Elliot ST.  Elliot ST will be closed in the area beginning at 7:30 am through approximately 4:00 pm.  Stewart Place and Elliot ST addresses up to #186 can be accessed from the east end of Elliot ST and addresses #190 and higher can be accessed from the west end of Elliot ST. 


The World As It Is vs. The World As We Would Like To See It

I have been writing weekly commentaries for 28 years and I am beginning to realize that the time has come to think outside of the box. All those words may have had some impact on the world. People have learned a few things, but I remain impatient for the kind of change I would like to see.

So I have decided to try something new. I will write what might be called wishful thinking news stories, not fake news. These will be stories written in a news format that describe how the world might be if we made some of the changes that many Americans would like to see.


BCTV Schedules – Week of June 13, 2022

BCTV Channel 1085 schedule for the week of 6/13/22

Monday, June 13, 2022

4:10 am Vermont Cannabis Control Board – 5/16/22
5:00 am Brattleboro Development Review Board – Brattleboro DRB Special Mtg 5/25/22
6:45 am Vernon Selectboard – Vernon SB Mtg 6/7/22
8:00 am The David Pakman Show – The David Pakman Show – Weekly Broadcast


Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Executive Session

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street). The Board will convene at 6:15pm and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss labor relations agreements with employees and contracts. The Board will reconvene after the executive session and immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.