UK Telecom providers are facing calls from ministers to halt the spread of “crazed conspiracy theories” about 5G after mobile phone masts were set on fire and employees abused by people peddling “nonsense”.
Activists have been targeting the infrastructure being used by emergency services combating the coronavirus. Cabinet minister Michael Gove described ‘conspiracy’ theories blaming 5G for the spread of Covid-19 as “dangerous nonsense”.
Brattleboro Senior Meals Menu April 13 to April 17
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENU
Apr. 13 Glazed Ham
Au Gratin Potatoes
Mixed Vegetables
Pears
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Governor Scott has extended his “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order through Friday, May 15.
• In announcing this extension, Governor Scott and other senior State officials stressed that staying home and practicing social distancing is working in Vermont, these sacrifices are “flattening the curve” of COVID-19 infections, and that it is essential for everyone to continue to adhere to the restrictions on social contact to keep the curve flat enough so that Vermont hospitals will continue to have sufficient capacity to handle all of Vermont’s COVID-19 cases.
• Brattleboro’s Fire Department and Police Department are conducting additional COVID-19 screenings of employees to protect the workplace as much as possible from exposure to the virus.
Here are a few videos you might find useful. One is a good demonstration of washing hands. Paint is substituted for soap so you can watch how to best get it in all the right spots. Another is on exponential growth, which uses the virus as a jumping off point for a short math lesson. Our third video is a short visual explanation of how social distancing works to keep the number of cases down low enough so that hospitals don’t overflow. Our final video helps you determine the day of the week.
During this uncertain time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be very confusing to know where to go locally to learn about resources that can be useful. A new COVID-19 resource guide, aimed at individuals living in southeastern Vermont, is now available. This resource list is a compilation of currently known programs and activities relevant to people living in southeastern Vermont. The resource can be found on the Windham Regional Commission’s website by visiting http://www.windhamregional.org/. If you are in immediate need of assistance, call Vermont’s resource line by dialing 2-1-1 about help and resources.
NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING
The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet remotely at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Please note that this meeting will take place remotely via Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/99535501176?pwd=Y0dnTnpMYkhUL2dKK2pnMTEybERPZz09
Meeting ID: 995 3550 1176
Password: 7E7Faj
Some people see opportunity in a crisis. If we put in even a little bit of effort we will find many opportunities to pursue endeavors we have put off, or have never made enough of an effort to engage in, in this time of quarantine and pandemic.
On the less glamorous side, house cleaning may be at the top of the list for some. Gardening and yard work have the potential for a special kind of soulful renewal and I suspect more people are now doing outdoor projects they have been putting off for a long time.
Another opportunity is for people to read more books. In this age of online access there are some who embrace platforms such as Kindle and find that kind of access to books satisfying. I have always been someone who needs to have a physical book in hand. I don’t think I will ever change that habit because it fulfills a unique kind of need.
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today extended Vermont’s State of Emergency through May 15, which also extends the expiration date of all corresponding orders and directives issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The original State of Emergency, issued on March 13, was set to expire on April 15, as were the subsequent mitigation measures. As a result of this extension, all measures, including the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order, are now in effect until midnight on May 15 (note, schools remain dismissed for in-person instruction through the end of the school year).
“These are incredibly difficult times, and I know this extension is disappointing news for many. But the fact is, Vermonters are literally saving hundreds of lives by staying home,” said Governor Scott. “We are making big sacrifices to save lives, but we cannot let our foot off the gas just yet. We will continue to watch the trends, and as soon as the data shows a downward trend, we can open the spigot, a quarter turn at a time, to get folks back to work in a way that’s responsible and safe. Please know, I will work every hour of every day, for as long as it takes, to see Vermont through this and to help rebuild stronger than we were before.”
What is your most interesting encounter with the police?
We had just finished up at a booksale… my wife is a bookie, um, I mean an online book-dealer. If we hurried, we might get to our favorite restaurant 30 miles away just on time for the lunch specials.
Too late, I saw the blue lights.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Effective today, Morningside Cemetery has opened for the season. Anyone visiting the cemetery to honor a loved one or to get some fresh air and exercise should adhere to all the requirements of social distancing.
• Tomorrow (Friday, April 10) a Utilities Division crew will complete emergency pipe repair work near 12 Estabrook Street. Estabrook Street will be closed to through traffic from 7am until 4:30pm while this work takes place. Vehicles parked in the driveways between 111 Clark Street and 12 Estabrook Street will need to be moved prior to 7am on Friday. Anyone with questions should contact Mike Earle at 802-254-4255 or by email at mearle@brattleboro.org.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Many buildings are currently in a state of prolonged shutdown. The Town’s Water Department reminds all building owners that water lines within buildings should be flushed to keep the water supply safe. While the Town is continuing to deliver water to the meter that complies with all drinking water standards and has a trace of chlorine for disinfection, the water quality within the interior piping of a building will deteriorate if not used.
• The annual Winter Parking Ban has been lifted. Beginning tonight, overnight on-street parking is allowed except where regulations prohibit parking anytime (e.g. on one side of some streets, near fire hydrants, etc.) and except on the following streets: Main Street, High Street, Elliot Street (east of School Street), Flat Street, Church Street, Elm Street, Harris Place, and Grove Street.
The Brattleboro VFW Post #1034, Brattleboro Elks #1499, Masonic Lodge #102, and the American Legion Post 5 is banding together with the guidance of the Brattleboro Fire Department to buy groceries and other essential items for those who cannot and should not venture out. Volunteers will be purchasing items, bagging or boxing them, and delivering them to homes where needed in the Brattleboro area.
We are asking for donations to support this cause. 100% of the proceeds will be used to purchase items. Please make checks payable to VFW Post 1034, and include a return address so a receipt can be mailed. Mail to:
The Dems have shown that they’d rather lose the election to Trump than to nominate the only one who could beat him.
Greetings from the re-invented Brattleboro Food Co-op! We have now more or less stabilized into our new schedule for curbside orders paired with open store hours. Just to remind you, we take orders at 802-246-2800 from 8:00 a.m. to noon for same-day pickup, and noon to 2 for next day pickup. We also are open for those not isolating from 2 pm to 7 pm, except for Sunday April 12, when we are closed for Easter.
A few explanations about how we are doing what we are doing, and what you can expect from us.
Great book! Bad Costume 🙂
You can share on what you’re reading or just a book you like. This is a game for all ages!
The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to announce the lifting of the winter parking ban. Starting tonight, 04/08/20, at midnight, overnight parking will be allowed on all streets EXCEPT in the downtown area. The following streets are never available for overnight parking:
Main Street
High Street
Elliot Street (from School St to Main St)
The Brattleboro Selectboard met virtually to discuss updates regarding COVID-19, staff furloughs, putting Representative Town Meeting on further hold, and other matters. Board members urged landlords to pause rents and banks to pause mortgage payments. And licensed electricians may be required for most rental properties repairs.
It wasn’t the smoothest technological feat, and it took a while to get things working semi-smoothly, but it sufficed.
• The Selectboard meets tonight at 6:15 pm on GoToMeeting…
• We have been advised that United States Census responses from Windham County are coming in more slowly than from some other areas of Vermont and other states. A complete count of everyone in Brattleboro and Windham County is important because, among other things, comparative populations are used to determine how much State and Federal funding assistance a community receives for a variety of programs and services. Please complete your 2020 Census form online or mail it in. If you are unsure how to do that, at least be responsive when a Census worker contacts you to ask for the information for your household. Thank you!
• The Recreation Department is offering “virtual gymnastics” on Wednesdays and Fridays, as follows:
Brattleboro Senior Meals Menu April 6 to April 10
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENU
Apr. 6 Beef Stroganoff over Noodles
Brussel Sprouts
Glazed Carrots
Clementines
It’s important to keep up morale during the emergency. One way to do that is food. But what to do when you hit those days when your delivery order isn’t ready yet, your curbside pickup order isn’t till tomorrow, or you just don’t feel like going to the grocery store yourself? This kind of circumstance can lead to a lot of bean and rice dinners, and who’s to say that’s a bad thing? It brings us back to basics, enduring a little hardship in what is, after all, a life and death situation. On the other hand, simple, noble cooking can be seriously boring if you really like food.
I think the key for me is to have on hand a few basic meals that we actually like to eat. That way, we can always make something reasonably appetizing. It’s important to keep meals appetizing because boredom and depression can diminish appetite and you want to keep eating, within reasonable bounds. Food makes us feel good, and it’s good to feel good, especially during an epidemic, because feeling good boosts our immunity.
