Windham Southeast School District Board Meeting Minutes June 4, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

Summary
● The Board voted to rotate the location of the Board meetings among the schools again this year
● The Norms of the Board were discussed
● The Portrait of a Graduate work is actively being embarked upon by the district
● Four hires and one resignation were approved for the 2024-25 school year
● As it is hiring season, and the need to approve new hires in a timely manner, the Board voted to give the Personnel Committee authority to approve hires throughout the summer with the caveat that the Board still receive resumes and the committee keep the Board informed of their work
● The Board voted to authorize the Finance Committee to approve the warrants, payroll and to implement Capital Plan projects throughout the summer
● The Consent Agenda was passed

The Other Sports Page

by RDavis | Obituaries

Some people call it the Jewish Sports Page. Others call it the Irish Sports Page. I’m sure there are a lot of other names for what most people recognize as a newspaper’s obituary section. Nowadays that section may be online, but it usually amounts to the same thing. A picture and a description of a life.

I don’t know when it started for me, but one of the first things I do in the morning is to scan the local obituaries. It has reached the level of a compulsion and I have been trying to figure out why it has become such an integral part of my life.

During the week my news and “sports page” reading is usually online. On Sunday I like to have the newsprint in my hand and I spend a considerable amount of time reading about the lives of people I have never known.

Cycles, an Exhibit of Art by 25 Vermonters with Disabilities

by ann.newsmith | Arts

Join us for an artists reception on Saturday, June 22, for Cycles, an art exhibit of Vermont artists with disabilities at All Souls Church. The show is presented in partnership with Inclusive Arts Vermont, through August 31. The theme, CYCLES, emerged from community input, and the artwork expresses cycles of nature, of the body, mind, and spirit, as well as experiences of repetition, circular shapes, and more.

According to Heidi Swevens, IAV’s Director of Community Partnerships and Exhibition, the CYCLES exhibition “is more than art on the wall.” Accessibility is an integral part of the show. The venue is physically accessible, and the art and artists can be experienced remotely in the online tour. Each of the 27 pieces in CYCLES has verbal descriptions. Tactile representations and elements accompany selected works. Materials are available in multiple formats, including print, large print, Braille, audio tour, and digital formats.

Swevens adds, “Yes, the art is exciting and engaging. What I find equally compelling is the artists’ stories. The creative processes.” As CYCLES artist Leah Schulz shares: “For the last five years, I have been cycling, in and out, up and down, riding the waves of chronic illness… I have been socially, financially, and systematically removed from society… The only thing that tethered me to society is art. I leaned into a different side of my brain that I had never allowed myself to explore before and found I loved crochet, block printing, and painting. This is my first piece to be included in an art show. I am grateful to Inclusive Arts Vermont for giving me a way to exist in these places again.”

WSESD – Personnel Committee Meeting Minutes June 5, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

The chair reviewed the process of 1% funds with the committee.

On a motion by Kim Price the committee moved to accept 16 applications for 1% funds from Academy School in the amount of $12,279.96.

On a motion by Kim Price the committee moved to accept 11 applications for 1% funds from Green Street School in the amount of $8,091.

Review Living Memorial Park Pool Options

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

BRATTLEBORO – The Town of Brattleboro welcomes the community to participate in an interactive session to review the conceptual design options for the proposed improvements to the pool and aquatics facilities at Living Memorial Park, and share input on those options. It will provide the opportunity to review the results and outcomes of prior public input sessions held during the summer and fall of 2023 and will be led by the Town’s contracted design consultant team. This session continues the work of the feasibility study to determine the optimal conceptual design and cost estimate for a new facility at the park. The Town welcomes input from both those who attended the prior sessions and those who did not.

Fuller Park Public Forum

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department and the Planning Department will be hosting a community input session on Thursday, June 20 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Fuller Park (aka Esteyville Common) located at 98 Estey Street in Brattleboro. If you’re interested in attending, we please ask that you bring along a lawn chair. 

While the park is in fair condition, the park’s major feature, a hexagonal bandstand constructed in 1913-1914, is in poor condition and has gone unused due to safety and accessibility concerns. 

Susan Brearey on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

SUSAN BREAREY is an accomplished artist whose evocative, unique paintings have been exhibited world-wide. Tune in to hear more about their origins – and hers. Susan also shares some terrific stories of her adventures in music, museums and magic lanterns.

Selectboard Retreat Special Meeting Agenda – June 13, 2024

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 12:00pm at Holton Hall at the Winston Prouty Center (4th Floor, 209 Austine Drive) to conduct their annual Selectboard Retreat. This meeting will be carried by BCTV after the conclusion. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town Website Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard by the end of today.

Jennie Reichman Concert June 21 on Cedar Street

by RDavis | Music

Local singer-songwriter Jennie Reichman will present an outdoor concert on the backyard patio at 63 Cedar Street in Brattleboro on Friday June 21 at 7:00 p.m. Reichman has a soft lilting voice reminiscent of a younger Joni Mithcell. She presents songs with a clear voice that easily communicates with the audience. She plays original as well as cover songs.

The concert is free and open to the public but donations will be accepted. All proceeds will go to the musician. Refreshments will be available. Seating is limited so please bring a chair.

UN Says No More Fossil Fuel Ads. Let’s Do It.

by cgrotke | iBrattleboro

The UN says media companies should stop taking fossil fuel ads.

“Stop taking fossil-fuel advertising,” António Guterres said in a speech. He said the ads are distorting the truth, deceiving the public, and sowing doubt about the climate crisis.  He competed the situation to ads for tobacco – existing bans on advertising something dangerous to human health.

Will Vermont media drop ads for oil and gas? Count us in.

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

by cgrotke | Health

Here’s the June 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.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Maine-based Multicultural Collaboration Bondeko, on Saturday, July 6

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Maine-based multicultural collaboration Bondeko, on Saturday, July 6 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney.

Bondeko is the unlikely collaboration of neighbors in Portland, Maine’s migrant community: an Albanian crooner, a Guinian drummer, a French singer-songwriter, a Latin musician from Texas…

The result is a mix of hypnotic Roma melodies, festive Cumbia rhythms, Malenke sing-alongs, and relentless Balkan tempos, peppered with heartwarming waltzes and maybe even a lullaby in Portunhol if the vibe is right.

Goodenough Road Closure

by Not Signed In | Town News

On Monday, June 10, the Highway Division will be replacing a failed culvert on Goodenough Road. The closure will be near 42 Goodenough Road.  Residents and Emergency Services can access address numbers 82 and greater via Akley Road. Please plan accordingly and avoid the area if possible.

WSESD Policy and Amendment Committee Meeting Agenda June 12, 2024

by Not Signed In | Education

1st Reading
– E14 Environmental Awareness and Responsibility
– F4 Searches, Seizures, and Interrogation of Students by School Personnel
– F5 Searches, Seizures, and Interrogation of Students by Law
– Enforcement Personnel or Other Non-School Personnel
– F41 Policy on Section 504 and ADA Grievance Protocol for Students & Staff
– G13 Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources and the Internet

Review Brattleboro Pool Concepts

by Not Signed In | Town News

BRATTLEBORO – The Town of Brattleboro welcomes the community to participate in an interactive session to review the conceptual design options for the proposed improvements to the pool and aquatics facilities at Living Memorial Park, and share input on those options.  It will provide the opportunity to review the results and outcomes of prior public input sessions held during the summer and fall of 2023 and will be led by the Town’s contracted design consultant team. 

Cantrip at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of Celtic music by high-energy bagpipes/fiddle/guitar quartet Cantrip at Next Stage on Friday, July 5 at 7:30 pm. 

From the strong base of its Celtic roots, Cantrip branches out into the music of other European cultures. With swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar, and three rich voices, Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Eric McDonald, and Alasdair White take audiences on a cultural journey, putting their own spin on each musical style. Known for their innovative arrangements, high-energy songs and tunes, and dry wit, Cantrip has toured throughout Scotland and the US, expanding the boundaries of Celtic music along the way. 

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Water & Sewer Rates Up, Parking Meters To Come Down But Rates Likely To Rise

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard june 4 2024

The first meeting of June for the Brattleboro Selectboard and they decided your Water & Sewer Rates are going up 5%. 

The board spent quite a bit of time, though, talking about raising your parking rates, too.  Remember the great meter system that the Town staff insisted be purchased a few years back? Fast forward a bit and now the Town staff wants to cut down every meter and replace them with a handful of credit card powered kiosks. They’d like to get rid of any coins or cash in the system. And Town staff suggested merely doubling current rates.