Weekend Comedy Series: George Carlin, in NYC 1992

by cgrotke | Entertainment

Let’s try something different in the New year, shall we? Instead of weekend concerts, we’ll do weekend comedians and see how that goes. Everyone needs a laugh, right? Plus, there are many, many funny people out there.

To kick things off, we’ll attend a show in NYC featuring George Carlin. This one has Italian subtitles, adding to the already-ample humor.

Carlin, to me, is best known for his love of language and observation of details. Some of his funniest pieces are about the way we use words, and things we do out of habit.

Vermont Reads: Haroun and the Sea of Stories – 3 Events at Brooks LIbrary

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Vermont Reads: Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. Three events at Brooks Library. A film, a book discussion & a live streaming with Salmon Rushdie. All events are free and open to the public. Save the dates! January 3rd, 8th & 14th, please join us! Details below.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 3 PM FILM: THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) 98 minutes–A classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess. The film will be discussed on Thursday, January 8, in relation to Haroun and the Sea Stories. Director: Rob Reiner. William Goldman (book), William Goldman (screenplay) Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – January 6, 2015

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will discuss tax increases resulting from revised FY16 budget number at their first regular meeting of 2015. The increases come from the board’s recent decision to again try to get taxpayers to pay for the full Police-Fire facilities project. Money discussions will also include tapping the unassigned fund balance, necessary improvements required at the Municipal Center, and trying once again to pass a 1% local options sales tax.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant project might be completed in 2015. The board will receive an update on the project, learn more about the Windham Solid Waste Management District FY16 budget, and discuss charter change amendments that shift some deadlines, allow early ballots to be counted mechanically, and create a Futures Committee for Representative Town Meeting members.

You can participate, and bring up other items not already on the agenda during Public Participation if you so choose. Watch on BCTV, and read about it here after the meeting.

Brattleboro Zoning Rewrite

by AHubbard | Town Plan

The draft Zoning District Map and Section 2 of the zoning bylaw have been published for review. The Zoning Districts and Standards sections contain specific rules for what property owners can do within each district. These are substantial changes, with a highly prescriptive approach to land use control and very detailed requirements for changes to your property. Property owners are advised to take part in these discussions.

Section 3 and Section 5 have yet to be published and will contain general standards and presumably the Subdivision Regulations

Petitions for Brattleboro Town and Town School District Officers and Town Meeting Members Now Available

by Not Signed In | Town News

Petitions for Brattleboro Town and Town School District Officers and Town Meeting Members are now available at the Town Clerk’s office.  Town elections will be Tuesday, March 3, in  the Selectboard Meeting Room of the Municipal Center and the Annual Representatives Town Meeting, Saturday, March 21, in the BAMS multi-purpose room.
 
Petitions for Town Officers must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters and be filed in the clerk’s office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 26 in order to have their name placed on the ballot.
 
Candidates for Town Meeting Member must file a nomination petition with at least 10 valid signatures of voters from the district where the candidate lives.  Petitions of new candidates must be filed no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 26 (same date as Town Officer petitions).  Incumbents for Town Meeting Member must return their Notice of Intent form no later than 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 20.

Brattleboro Union High School Board Meeting Agenda – Public Information Meeting on the Proposed FY16 Budget

by Not Signed In | Education

BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL BOARD
53 Green Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
www.wssu.k12.vt.us

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The BUHS #6 Finance Committee will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 8 in the WSESU James E. Kane Conference Room, 53 Green Street.

NOTICE OF MEETING

The BUHS #6 Board of Directors will hold a Public Information Meeting on the Proposed FY ’16 Budget at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2015 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room. The regular board meeting will follow at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Brattleboro New Year’s Day Schedule

by Not Signed In | Town News

In observance of New Year’s Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2015, with the exception of emergency services. Offices will be open regular hours on Wednesday, December 31, and Friday, January 2.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Thursday, January 1.All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 12/29/14

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 Schedule for the week of 12/29/14

Monday, December 29, 2014

12:00 am Full Duty: The Civil War Collection of Howard Coffin

1:25 am Common Good VT: Campaign for Vermont

2:00 am Green Mtn. Vets for Peace: Guest Rache Siegel – Peace and Justice Ctr

3:00 am The Music and Life of Eugenie Gorin

4:15 am Vermont Association of the Blind and Visually Impared: Volunteer Video

Protester’s Are Officially Unemployed

by mr.mike | Op/Ed

Well it’s official. At approximately 11:00 am today VY powered down for the last time. There may finally be peace in the area as the protesters, most from well outside the evacuation zone I might add, have officially become unemployed. They can move on to another area and chain themselves to the perimeter fence of another nuclear facility. If they don’t mind the cold and would like to enjoy the benefits of no sales tax maybe they should consider Seabrook N.H. 

Show in Memory of Jamis Lott Opens at River Gallery School January 2nd

by Not Signed In | Arts

River Gallery School will display the work of Jamis Lott, artist, puppeteer, maskmaker, and philosopher, throughout January with a public opening during Gallery Walk. Jamis, along with his father Steve, was killed recently in Townshend. He was 28.

Since early childhood, Jamis had an exceptional interest in and talent for art. Along with his friend and teacher, Margaret (Missy) Stearns, he worked on art projects exploring his vivid imagination. When he was a child, she helped him collage a giant dragon, which hung for years in his family’s kitchen. They remained close and important friends throughout Jamis’ life.

Rick Perry

by tomaidh | Politics

Rick Perry is the governor of Texas and will be Until January 21, 2015. He was a Republican candidate for President in 2012 and has been mentioned as a possible candidate in  2016 (Sorry, Jeb).

On August 15, 2014, Perry was indicted by a grand jury on felony charges for abuse of power. He was accused threatening a Democratic District Attorney who had been convicted of drunk driving.  The indictment received some support and also wide criticism from all sides of the political spectrum, and editorial criticism from major US newspapers.  He has not been convicted to date.

US Did Not Warn Asian Nations Of Quake And Danger Of Tsunami

by Not Signed In | Op/Ed

On December 26, 2004, shortly after 0.58 UTC, scientists of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had been made aware that a deadly tidal wave could be building up in the Indian Ocean from an earthquake of 8.1 magnitude, yet did not warn any of the many nations that might be about to be hit.

Brattleboro Time Trade – Week of December 28

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Other

Brattleboro Time Trade:

Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time.

See below for exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade is all about!

This week’s fabulous listings, brought to you from holiday detritus:

OFFERS:

I’ll Teach You Tiny Habits
Indoor Vermicomposting Guidance
Reiki Master Treatments
Class: Inner Child Connection & Healing
Class: Creating Money, Abundance, & Prosperity
Class: Connecting with the Psychic Self

Who Knew? – Walking Sticks Revealed

by Vidda | Health

I ran across a recent discovery.com article about King Tut’s virtual reconstruction. Using 2,000 computerized tomography (CT) scans of the pharaoh’s body to conduct a “virtual autopsy” an image is “built” that shows Tutankhamun naked except for wearing a loincloth.Looking directly into the “camera,” he looks as if he is posing for the picture.

The reconstructed photo shows him standing holding a cane to support his club foot. At first, I thought something was odd about the image. Tutankhamun’s damaged foot is his left foot, but contrary to my expectation he is holding the cane in his right hand.

Happy New Year! Will This Be The Year The State Legislature Obeys The Vermont State Constitution?

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

Happy New Year! I would like to share this LETTER TO THE EDITOR I wrote to THE VERMONT JOURNAL which they Pubished Dec. 18, 2014

My favorite fantasy is to imagine men in Vermont in the 1770’s riding their horses across the hills and mountain trails, splashing naked in the hollowed gorges and streams, and fighting for their freedom.

The Panominousican

by spinoza | Creative

When Jeremy Bentham, in the 18th century, devised his ingenious architectural structure to revolutionize detention, little did he know that his idea would infiltrate every aspect of society. The simple premise of a central eye which sees everything, yet itself remains unseen, may have had a precedent in religious order, but aside from the Illuminati symbol which later appears atop the American dollar bill, no such mechanism was actually in place in any edifice near or far.

The Panopticon was designed to change schools, hospitals, asylum, and all manner of buildings committed to reform. However, execution was impractical, and its realization hardly employed.

I Come To Bury Representative Town Meeting, Not Run For It

by Glenn | Op/Ed

How is Representative Town Meeting (RTM) better than the “normal” open Town Meeting that every other Vermont town uses?

Taken on its own merits in a vacuum, RTM is a fine concept. But we don’t live in a vacuum; we live in the state of Vermont. If there were 30 people running for 14 seats, and there were platforms and discussions and a system of accountability between representative and those being represented, then it would be great – but we have 14 people running for 30 seats and it’s not clear who’s representing what. If there were so many people attending Town Meeting that it was impractical to allow everyone to participate in a Robert’s Rules style meeting, then I can see where RTM would be a good alternative – but space doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Brown & Roberts Year-End Sale — Gone!

by DonInGuilford | Opinion

When it was announced that Brown & Roberts Hardware was being sold, my first thought was, “there goes the year-end sale.”  I shop at B&R year-round of course, but I especially liked the pre-inventory sale which, for decades, was held between Christmas and New Years.  The fact that everything in the store was discounted a bit was fun for the wallet, but I also enjoyed saving up a list of  things, often as mundane as a certain size of wood screw, a kitchen utensil, some glue, a weird wattage light bulb, which I could have bought at any time but didn’t seem to get around to.  Then on around December 27 I’d go in and load up on cool, mostly useful, stuff, surrounded by other afficiandos doing the same.