Pope Francis Spoke Out Against Trump but While a Powerful Jesuit Was Silent During Murder of Thousands

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Those of us who know that Pope Francis, while he was the most influential Jesuit leader in Argentina, maintained a cooperative silence, even as millions of people throughout the world were aghast at the horrific news that thousands of Argentinians were being murdered or ‘disappeared’ during the brutal US supported dictatorship of General Videla, see the Pope’s present outspokenness about anti-establishment presidential candidate Donald Trump as consistent with the Papacy having always been a tool of the business interests of the colonial, now neocolonial, capitalist elite in Europe and the United States.

New Meal Team Coordinator for Groundworks’ Seasonal Overflow Shelter  

by Not Signed In | Food

BRATTLEBORO- This week’s weather safety advisory is in full effect across the region. “Extreme weather poses imminent danger to our community. In these conditions, it’s imperative that people can access at least one hot, nutritious meal after fighting through days like this” said Rhianna Kendrick, Groundworks Drop In Center Director and Seasonal Overflow Shelter Coordinator.

The Seasonal Overflow Shelter (SOS), coordinated by Groundworks Collaborative and located in downtown Brattleboro at the First Baptist Church (190 Main Street) is in its ninth year of operation; open each night from 5pm – 7am.  A hot meal is served nightly at 5:30pm with the support of a variety of generous meal team volunteers.  Community volunteers provide nightly meals, as well as the staffing for overnight shifts.

I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of February 21

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

I-91

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, February 21, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open.

Sunday afternoon closures of the Exit 3 on ramps will continue each weekend through the end of the ski season.

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.

Weekend Creativity Series: Basic HTML

by cgrotke | Creative

This week, let’s learn to code! Nothing difficult, of course, but it is good to know about the basic tags and how a page gets formatted.

This was something many of us learned in the early 1990’s (we used Netscape Navigator to do just what you see in this video), and is very similar to the old word processing programs of the 1980’s.

More recently, people using the internet use pre-made sites and are “protected” from needing to know any code, except for perhaps the skill of cutting and pasting links or embed codes for videos.

But that’s silly. Being able to create, name, and fill a web page with information is useful. Ever site we visit on the internet is built upon the HTML foundation. It is the language underlying the world wide web.

Brattleboro Committee Meetings and Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, February 22, 2016, at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, February 22, 2016, at 5:30pm at Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.

The Brattleboro Regional Economic Hub Study Group will meet on Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Brattleboro March 1 Election Information

by Not Signed In | Politics

Below is information that might be helpful to know for March 1st elections.

In addition to local elections, the Democratic and Republican Primaries will be held.

Attached is a sample ballot from each of Brattleboro’s three districts.

Polling place for all three districts in Brattleboro is the Selectboard Meeting Room, second floor of the Municipal Center from 7:00 am until 7 pm.

Thinking Outside the Box

by tomaidh | Vernon

Recent news articles about a proposed Vernon gas plant have stimulated much thinking.

Ever since Yankee announced closure, many wondered what, if anything would replace it.

It’s a wonderful opportunity for investors who can successfully answer that question.

The existing (and newly renovated) switchyard pictured here constitutes an “injection point” where up to a gigawatt of electricity can be supplied to the grid for distribution over already robust transmission lines to markets in New England, New York and even Canada.

 

The Brattleboro Historical Society Presents: This Week in Brattleboro History Podcast – Dunham Brothers Shoe Company

by reginaldwam3 | History

It was 115 years ago this week that the Dunham brothers held their annual banquet for employees and their two-day school for traveling shoe salesmen.

This week BHS trustee, Joe Rivers, and his intrepid band of young historians at the Brattleboro Area Middle School examine the Dunham Brothers shoe company

Act 46 Study Committee Agenda and Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

ACT 46 STUDY COMMITTEE

Representing the Brattleboro Town School District, Dummerston Town School District, Guilford Town School District, Putney Town School District, and the Vernon Town School District
http://www.wssu.k12.vt.us

NOTICE OF MEETING

The Act 46 Study Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at the Guilford Central School.

The Brattleboro Historical Society Presents: Slideshow of Main Street Through the Years

by reginaldwam3 | History

Joe Rivers presents his slideshow, Brattleboro’s Main Street Through the Years, at the Brattleboro Historical Society’s annual public meeting, 16 November 2015.

This video was created using the actual slides and a recording produced for archival purposes, rather than public release. We mention this by way of a disclaimer, because the audio isn’t always great, and for that we apologize. The presentation, however, was great and we thought our gentle viewers would forgive a few seconds of spotty audio in its reproduction.

The slideshow was created and presented by BHS trustee Joe Rivers. You’ll also hear the voices of John Carnahan, Bill Holiday and many other in the audience of this well-attended, annual public meeting of the Brattleboro Historical Society.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Brattleboro Skatepark Grant and VY Decommissioning Schedule

by cgrotke | Town News

Our local skatepark project got a boost with approval of a $230,000 grant application by the Brattleboro Selectboard at Tuesday’s meeting. If granted, the money will be used for design and construction of the skatepark at Living Memorial Park.

Emergency plans for Vermont Yankee are set to change as the storage situation in Vernon evolves. Maybe. The board also delat with annual approvals of liquor licenses, a Grand List certification, parade permits, and the adoption of a new ordinance for pets.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus Welcomes Singers

by Not Signed In | Music

The spring session of the Brattleboro Women’s Chorus will begin on Wednesday evening March 2 from 6:30-8:30 at 118 Elliot, or on Thursday March 3 from 10 am – noon at Centre Congregational Church. New and former singers are encouraged to join this spring as we prepare for a May concert of compositions and arrangements by our founder and conductor, Becky Graber.

The first two rehearsals are open to anyone who would like to come and check out chorus for the first time. All women and girls over 10 are welcome, and there are no auditions. Reading music is optional since music is taught by rote and by ear with part recordings available. While many singers enjoy performing, some prefer to sing weekly and not participate in the concerts at the end of the session (Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 & 8).

Library Closing at 7pm

by JMW | Town News

Due to the weather, the Brooks Memorial Library will close at 7:00 this evening, Tuesday, Feb. 16th. The Audubon Society meeting at the library has been cancelled.

Need to Talk Politics?

by cgrotke | Politics

Let’s see. We’re approaching Super Tuesday. Vermont can weigh in on the primaries in March.

A Supreme Court Justice has died, leaving a puzzle of sorts. Republicans appear willing to gamble that they’d get a better appointement under President Sanders, it seems.

Trump continues to do a Don Rickles impersonation, trying to become more popular with each insult. Rubio is sweaty! The amazing thing isn’t so much his insults, as the inability for those insulted to respond.

Brattleboro Area Hospice Spring Volunteer Training To Take Place in Westminster, Vermont

by Not Signed In | Health

With the goal of increasing the pool of volunteers available in the Greater Falls area, Brattleboro Area Hospice will offer its Spring Volunteer Training at the Westminster Institute on Route 5 in Westminster beginning on March 16 and ending on May 25. Sessions will be held from 3 – 6 PM on Wednesdays. Application deadline is March 4, 2016.

Throughout Windham County hospice volunteers aid neighbors and their families who are living with life-threatening illnesses. Help may range from errands to gardening to emotional and physical support. Our volunteers report the work is challenging and very rewarding. Training topics include hospice philosophy, nuts and bolts of volunteering, ethical issues, personal attitudes toward death and dying, and grief issues among others. Presenters include professionals from the community as well as Hospice staff and volunteers.

David Blume, Author of “Alcohol Can Be A Gas,” on WVEW

by pockets | Entertainment

David Blume will be on DJ Pockets’ “buttahmilk”tonight. Tune in 6-8pm on 107.7fm or www.wvew.org

David Blume started his ecological training young. He and his father Jerry grew almost all the food their family ate, organically on a city lot in San Francisco in the mid-’60s!

Dave taught his first ecology class in 1970. After majoring in Ecological Biology and Biosystematics at San Francisco State University, he worked on experimental projects, first for NASA, and then as a member of the Mother Earth News Eco Village alternative building and alternative energy teams.

The Annual Homelessness Marathon on WVEW-lp Wednesday Night

by WVEW-lpfm | Media

This Wednesday (February 17th, 2016) starting at 7pm and continuing until 9am Thursday morning, WVEW-lp (Brattleboro’s all volunteer Community Radio station) will once again forgo its usual programming to air the annual Homelessness Marathon. It is not a fundraiser. It is the only national broadcast which addresses homelessness in our country, and is carried mostly on independent and Community Radio stations. This year the broadcast originates from the streets of Washington, D.C. The Marathon is sponsoring a petition to H.U.D. (the Department of Housing and Urban Development) for better treatment of people who are Homeless. You can sign the petition at their website:
http://news.homelessnessmarathon.org/

We hope you’ll listen in.

WVEW-lp 107.7fm, or wvew.org

BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 2/15/2016

by cgrotke | Media

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 2/15/16 

Monday, February 15, 2016

12:00 am Generator Big Maker: Paolo Pedercini – The Art of Games

1:30 am Bill McKibben: People of Faith and Climate Change

2:25 am Green Mtn. Academy Lectures: The Race for the Presidency

3:30 am A Tour of the Brattleboro Police Station – Jan 2016

4:15 am 1st Wed: Vincent Van Gogh