June 22nd 1984 Police Raid on the Island Pond Community

by melevav | Other

There are moments in your life and in history that one never can forget. They change the course of your life, of the planet’s history. We are living in such days right now in June of 2020. For me ,as I was watching my carrots grow in Walden, Vermont, a wake up call came to my life on June 22nd 1984. The State of Vermont conducted an early morning raid on a peaceful community of Bible believers. The search and detention order had no names of the children to be seized, no names of accusers and the clear charges that they were making on that day against those parents. When Judge Frank Mahady saw all those parents and children in Orleans County Court, Newport, Vermont that day he is quoted as saying,”In all my years as a family and child judge I have not seen such a close bond between parents and children as I do today! There is something deeply wrong with how these people and the way they choose to live their faith is being viewed by the State of Vermont”.

BCTV Schedules – Week of 6/22/20

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 6/22/20

Monday, June 22, 2020

4:05 am Brattleboro Literary Festival – Literary Cocktail Hour with Chard deNiord and Novelist, Vincent Panella
5:00 am Protest for the Life of George Floyd – Battery Park, Burlington 5/30/20
7:00 am Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance E-Meeting – Welch, Leahy, Sanders
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast
9:00 am Heartline Ministries – Jesus Came to Bring Peace

Celebrate Men’s Day

by Namaya | Arts

Celebrate Life: Viva La Vida by Namaya Art Rat Peace

To all the loving men in my life, who have inspired and nurtured me. Thank you all. Happy Men’s Day. #MensDay. from my book “Celebrate Life: Viva La Vida”

“Naches: The Pride One has in their Children”

Brattleboro Civilian Police Board Steering Committee in 2004: And Now in 2020

by Namaya | Police & Fire

This document presented to the Brattleboro Selectboard by the Civilian Police Review Board Steering Committee in April 2004 is part of a long process to create a CPB in Brattleboro, Vt. Information on CPB is drawn from www.nacole.org, and leading researchers on the issues of CPB.

Brattleboro Civilian Police Review Board Proposal

Presented by the
Steering Committee for the Brattleboro Civilian Police Review Board

VFW Lunch Specials $7 June 22nd – June 26th Open to the Public

by LisaL | Food

The Brattleboro VFW at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public. Our hours are Mon-Fri from 11am-7pm. Sat & Sun from 1pm-7pm. We will be serving lunches Mon-Fri from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, with doors opening at 11 am. There will be slight price increases at this time, with prices subject to change. Our lunch specials will now be $7. Lunches will be served on our hall side due to social distancing restrictions. Entrance will be through the glass doors, and the public is welcome. Per town ordinance, masks must be worn while walking around the hall, but not while seated at your table.

VT Governor Scott Raises Occupancy Limits to 50% As of June 26

by Not Signed In | State News

Montpelier, Vt. – As state data and expanded testing and tracing capacity continue to support reopening, Governor Phil Scott today announced the state will raise occupancy limits for event venues, arts, culture and entertainment venues, as well as restaurants.

Beginning June 26, these venues can expand capacity for events and dining to 50% of approved occupancy size or one person per 100 square feet of customer facing space. This change will allow for indoor events of up to 75 people and outdoor organized events of up to 150.

Noticed Around Brattleboro – Summer 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

It’s summer. It’s Brattleboro.  Time to list the little things that grab your attention and share them with others.

Parklets are being set-up for some restaurants in town to serve outdoors. Cement barriers have been dropped in parking spaces to mark boundaries.

Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) Virtual Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, June 22, 2020 at 5:30pm via GoToMeeting.  In keeping with Governor Scott’s “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order, this meeting will be held with no physical location using GoToMeeting.  A copy of the agenda is attached and it contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.  

Deadly Priorities

by RDavis | Activism

Why do so many Americans value the lives of others so little? Why are they willing to allow the spread of disease, disability and death with such arrogant defiance so they can eat at restaurants, have their hair cut and mingle in public crowds at beaches and rallies?
Some argue that if more businesses do not re-open then the economy will suffer too much. We have a society that worships commerce and the power of the dollar and that is one of the reasons so many Americans are deciding to stop taking measures to spread the COVID virus.

We must re-tool our economy in the face of the pandemic while also making the decision to value life above all else. Our collective ethos is heading in the wrong direction and a lot of people are going to suffer and die.

NCUHS 1970 50th Class Reunion

by melevav | History

(I graduated from North Country Union High School Newport, Vermont 50 years ago this June. The following is a letter to my old classmates. In March I called my old school to see if a 50th reunion was planned and the school secretary told me that due to lack of interest the reunion committee had been discontinued some time ago. “People don’t seem to care about their 40th and 50th reunions so much these days”.)

Growing Up in Vermont

Growing up in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s was an exhilarating experience! Being born only six years post World War II, I found that life in America was a special privilege. We had been ushered into the greatest generation imaginable! In reality rural Vermont of the North East Kingdom was my home but America of the 50’s was booming and moving. Moving fast away from old traditional values.

1912 Story Mentions Brattleboro’s “Only Living Ex-Slave” – Mr. Jake Cartlidge

by cgrotke | History

I was looking though old Brattleboro newspapers for mentions of slavery. Most of the articles are op-eds on slavery in the South, but I came across this mention of Brattleboro’s “only living ex-slave” – Mr. Jake Cartlidge. He was a Brattleboro resident for over 40 years, and this story is about trying to help him get some extra pension funds. (A warning that the newspaper used the n-word discussing his time as a slave, while quoting a slave buyer.)

From the Vermont Phoenix, Dec 6, 1912

“Town’s Ex-Slave In Need Of Funds

Efforts to Secure More Pension for “Jake” Cartlidge

Born in Slavery, Sold on the Block, Beaten by Cruel Taskmaskers – Served Pennsylvania Regiment

Oh, Yeah. The Climate… New IEA Report Offers Sustainable Recovery Plan

by cgrotke | Nature

Coronavirus. Protests. Police. Elections. Masks. There is a lot to be thinking about right now.

Add that pesky climate emergency back on the list:

“The world has only six months in which to change the course of the climate crisis and prevent a post-lockdown rebound in greenhouse gas emissions that would overwhelm efforts to stave off climate catastrophe, one of the world’s foremost energy experts has warned.

Where Are We Going? Does It Matter?

by spoon | Op/Ed

Spoon Agave: There are no obvious signs of leadership in Brattleboro so I can only conclude that the collective vision in the Municipal building is that the pandemic will end someday and everything will be OK. If anyone reading this has seen something different please share what it is. At the moment it feels like the town is simply marking time (just filling potholes) until whatever happens happens and we’ll deal with it then. That is one strategy, anyway.

Dot Lenhart: Do you have any suggestions?

Massachusetts Air National Guard Over Southern Vermont

by cgrotke | The Region
map of airspace

Wondering about the  planes buzzing southern Vermont? We asked the VT Air National Guard about it and they weren’t sure where the planes were from at first. After a bit more research, they told us the planes were F-15’s from Massachusetts, and directed us to a page about what they are doing:

SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE

Chugs Temporary Military Operations Area (MOA), Windham, VT

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Defund the Police, and Other Matters

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard june 16 2020

There were many big issues at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard but the biggest of them all was an extended discussion about dismantling a racist system by defunding the Brattleboro Police.  Citizens were rather clear and consistent in asking that the General Fund budget be voted down, and that funding for the police be reassigned to social services.

The system moves slowly, they were told, and their attention should be placed on next year’s budget process. The board committed to making a re-evaluation of community safety a priority in the near future, but passed the budget by a 3-2 split vote.