Hope Restored

by RDavis | Politics

It seemed like the Democrats were facing a gamble that might not be worth taking. Could Joe Biden really beat Trump after so many of his party allies called for him to step down? The problems that he displayed were clearly not going away and they provided too much fuel for a vindictive opponent to burn a candidate at the stake.

Biden did something that Trump would never do. He looked at the situation objectively and listened to a lot of people and he put his own needs aside and made a decision that was best for the country. The real embodiment of what it means to be a mensch and a true patriot.

Now we have Kamala Harris as the heir apparent. I was never really excited about the possibility of a Harris run for president but when Biden made his announcement I felt a sudden sense of relief. I felt a level of hopefulness that I have not experienced from politics in a long time. This reaction surprised me.

Peer Support Groups for People with Serious Illnesses

by EileenBAH | Health

Are you going through treatment? Feeling overwhelmed or scared? Talking with others may help.

The Serious Illness Program support groups provide a safe space for people to share personal experiences, feelings, coping strategies, and allow for shared learning.

Free, facilitated, peer support group for people who live in Windham County and neighboring NH towns who are experiencing a life-altering illness, with a focus on cancer, heart and organ diseases.

August 21, 2024 Brattleboro Development Review Board Agenda

by bbannon@brattleboro.org | Town Plan

AGENDA

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.
2024-62                Stephanie Abrams; Residential Neighborhood 3600 District; request for Waiver of Dimensional Standards Approval to construct 10’ tall fence at 117 Pine Street; Tax Map Parcel #00325467.000

WSESD Social Justice and Equity Committee Meeting Minutes June 20, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

An email was sent to highlight issues with retention, including retirement, resignation, and reasons for leaving. The focus is on analyzing the factors contributing to and impacting retention. Mikaela is examining the reasons for employee turnover and the positions that people are leaving.

Michael mentioned that our school’s turnover rate is lower than the state average. The state turnover rate is 30%, while ours is approximately 12%. In Massachusetts, the teacher turnover rate is 12%. There have been several retirements.

WSESD Board Special Meeting Minutes – July 9, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

KP Motioned and seconded to find that premature public knowledge would place the board at a disadvantage for the purposes of providing professional legal services to the body.

Motion Carried Unanimously

KP Motioned and seconded, to enter into executive session inviting Kendall Hoechst into the meeting.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting – Agenda and Notes July 23, 2024

by cgrotke | Town News

Community Safety will be one of the major topics at the next Brattleboro Selectboard meeting. The Town will give an update on current and future community safety initiatives, including a Brattleboro Police data project and convening a “Brattleboro Collaborative.”

EMS billing policies will change.  The Town will buy a new sand and salt shed, HVAC system, improvements at Living Memorial Park, a new Fire Bucket Truck replacement, and more! You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – July 19, 2024

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

Formwork for sidewalks and rail copings is still being installed on the bridge deck. Concrete is being placed today into a portion of those forms, and that work will continue. Placing concrete for another deck section is scheduled for July 24th.

Additional rebar to complete the bridge deck had to be ordered, and installation of that should be finished next week.

The subgrade for the approach slab at the Vermont abutment has been graded in preparation for building forms and installing rebar next week.

Yann Falquet & Keith Murphy and The Murphy Beds at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present a double bill of traditional and original folk, with Yann Falquet & Keith Murphy, and The Murphy Beds on Saturday, August 10 at 7:30 pm

Keith Murphy and Yann Falquet are masters of contemporary Celtic guitar, representing the compelling textures, harmonies and rhythms that the guitar has brought to traditional songs and instrumentals since the Celtic music revival in the 1970s.

Rainbow Girls at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of folk, roots, and Americana music by California-based trio Rainbow Girls at Next Stage on Thursday, August 15 at 7:00 pm. Children of Divorce open.

Rainbow Girls are an eclectic folk trio hailing from the golden countryside just north of California’s Bay Area. Vanessa May, Erin Chapin, and Caitlin Gowdey seamlessly combine soul-touching harmonies, varitextured instrumentals, and poignant lyrical content into a beautiful sonic tapestry. Throughout their performance, voices are paired with an ever-changing amalgamation of acoustic and slide guitar, keys, upright bass, harmonica, and an array of vocal techniques creating an engaging and emotionally moving live show.

Ian Goodnow for District 9 State Rep

by RDavis | Politics

Ian Goodnow should become the next state representative from Brattleboro District 9 because he is the right person at the right place at the right time. The 32 year old Brattleboro lawyer has already proven that he has extremely effective leadership skills serving on the Brattleboro selectboard for four years, two of those as chair. Anyone who has been elected and then re-elected to office has earned the trust of his constituents and that is one of the many reasons why I am voting for him.

Ian represents a generation that does not have enough presence in the statehouse. If we are to remain a vibrant state that is responsive to the needs of the long future ahead for this state then we must elect people who are part of the emerging social and economic fabric of communities.

David Gartenstein Is The Best Choice

by fidel | Politics

In the contest for the Democratic nomination for the Windham 9 (old 3) district, we have two candidates with records of community service and good policy values. In part because he is older, David Gartenstein has a much longer history of working for the people of Brattleboro; moreover, he has broader experience, including 20 years as an assistant State’s Attorney and service on Brattleboro school boards.

What really distinguishes Gartenstein is the depth at which he has thought about the issues that matter to Brattleboro. He speaks with more than superficial knowledge on these things and has concrete plans for trying to improve the town’s circumstances. (For evidence, watch the candidate forum on BCTV.)

“Thinking Outside The Box”

by RobertOeser | Op/Ed

We often talk about the merits of “thinking outside the box,” yet the reality is, we live within the confines of culture, experience, tradition and . . . the law.

But there are some unique individuals who can think creatively while both recognizing those boundaries and working to change them in meaningful ways. I believe that David Gartenstein is one of those individuals.

This is particularly evident in the area where criminal justice and mental health issues intersect.

Safe Bicycling

by RDavis | Recreation & Sports

We live in a world where safety is often elusive. The police have their areas of responsibility and all other departments of cities, states and the entire country protect us in many ways. But there is one area where Americans seem to be more vulnerable than they need to be: bicycle safety.

As a member of the Brattleboro selectboard, a small Vermont town with limited resources, I am trying to work on making our town safer for bicyclists. There are lots of reasons why we should promote bicycle travel and in order to do so it means citizens have to become activated because they can’t rely on government alone to get the job done.

That is why I, and a number of local people, are working to figure out how to make our town safer for bicycling. As with any other issue, safe bicycling is something that is not simple to assure. This is especially true when it comes to trying to plan bicycle paths along public roadways.

Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – July 12, 2024

by Not Signed In | Hinsdale

Overhang formwork for the bridge deck and welding the girders to the VT abutment bridge shoes has been completed.

Crews are continuing to install stainless steel rebar for the bridge deck, and should complete that next week.

Conduit and hanger supports are being installed along the underside of the bridge this week, and should be completed early next week.