Back in my childhood, paper towels were regarded as an expensive commodity, to be used rarely, if at all, and only on the most spectacular of spills. For a spill to be worthy of a paper towel, a Paper Towel Emergency had to be declared unanimously by all present. Otherwise, we were supposed to use the kitchen sponge or a dish cloth to wipe up the offending area.
Rabbi Weiss Was Not Billy Graham
The Rabbi was our synagogue’s spiritual leader for a decade or more. Since it was my childhood, it seemed like forever. Then he got fired. My parents were not happy. The governing board soon replaced Rabbi Weiss with a younger guy, who wore a United States Air Force uniform at his very first public appearance at the Jewish Community Center of Bayside Hills.
Approaching 75
It is time to write my novel,
But there is not enough time…
I will settle for a poem.
Montpelier, Vermont – In the seven days since the Vermont AFL-CIO put forth a list of demands to State government on behalf of ALL working class Vermonters, we have seen meaningful progress. The following steps have either already been taken, or are in the process of being implemented:
· Our Labor and Health: An overwhelming number of Unionized employees of Towns & Cities continue to receive full pay and benefits even if ordered home (and in many communities older or health compromised workers have been afforded the right to go home with said pay, even when their job responsibilities are important to base line operations);
“Scientists at… Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security modeled a hypothetical pandemic on a computer as part of research last October- three months before the deadly outbreak in China. The exercise was not intended as a prediction – but rather served to highlight how governments and industry would respond in the case of a very severe pandemic.”
Town of Brattleboro Planning Services
March 20, 2020
All Planning Commission, Conservation Commission, and Development Review Board Meetings will be canceled until further notice.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
A special Selectboard meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, at 5:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Selectboard will appoint Ian Goodnow to the seat that became vacant upon Dave Schoales’ resignation and will elect Selectboard officers. Please note that the Municipal Building will be open to the public on March 23 from 5:15pm until 15 minutes after the special Selectboard meeting is adjourned.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, March 23, 2020, at 5:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. An ASL interpreter will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The building will be open to the public at 5:15pm on that day.
There’s something very unifying about a global crisis — a great inescapable event that affects us all at the same time. Such crises seem rare but in modern times, they happen often. We have world economic crises, a global climate crisis, and a crisis of faith in our leaders that’s led to widespread social uprisings around the world. These sorts of crises affect everyone to some extent, but the effects are hard to gauge. Some people are affected disproportionately, others not at all.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Selectboard member Dave Schoales has resigned so that Selectboard member-elect Ian Goodnow can be appointed. This will allow the composition of the Selectboard to change in the manner decided by the voters at the same time when that transition normally would take place. The Town’s Charter states that “newly elected Selectboard members’ terms shall begin on the first Monday following the final adjournment of the annual Representative Town Meeting.” Due to the postponement of this year’s Representative Town Meeting, the commencement of Ian Goodnow’s service would have been delayed indefinitely. Instead, a special Selectboard meeting will be held soon so that the continuing 4 Selectboard members can appoint Ian Goodnow to fill the vacancy created by Dave Schoales’ resignation.
“WHAT IS NEW TODAY • Selectboard member Dave Schoales has resigned so that Selectboard member-elect Ian Goodnow can be appointed. This will allow the composition of the Selectboard to change in the manner decided by the voters at the same time when that transition normally would take place. The Town’s Charter states that “newly elected Selectboard members’ terms shall begin on the first Monday following the final adjournment of the annual Representative Town Meeting.” Due to the postponement of this year’s Representative Town Meeting, the commencement of Ian Goodnow’s service would have been delayed indefinitely. Instead, a special Selectboard meeting will be held soon so that the continuing 4 Selectboard members can appoint Ian Goodnow to fill the vacancy created by Dave Schoales’ resignation.”
Some of you may be new to working at home. Lise and I have been running our web design business like this for over 20 years, and it took some getting used to. Here are a few tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years:
Have a dedicated work area
If you can keep your work and play separate, it helps. Try to find a bit of space that can be for “work” so that you can get away from it later on.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
Due to the Governor’s order prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) scheduled for March 21 has been canceled. It will be re-warned when it becomes legal and prudent to do so. The current plan is to re-warn RTM on April 7 and to hold RTM on May 9.
• The Selectboard voted last night to allow businesses who are repaying loans to the Town’s Small Business Assistance Program to defer their monthly payments until further notice.
• The Selectboard also voted last night that until further notice the Town will not shut-off water service to any customer as a result of that customer becoming delinquent on payment of water+sewer fees.
Dear Business owners and employers,
We understand that news is coming in fast as the circumstances around COVID-19 change. In order to make sure the region’s businesses have access to vital information necessary to navigate a turbulent economy, BDCC is making the most up-to-date information available on our website
The Town of Brattleboro has some excellent resources being compiled. Here are the links to the Town’s pages:
Town Updates
Resources for Businesses
Resources for Individuals and Families
Due to the COVID-19 health concerns, and the guidance from Governor Scott to limit gatherings to 50 people, the Brattleboro Selectboard decided at the March 17 Selectboard meeting to cancel the March 21, 2020 Representative Town Meeting. The goal is to reschedule this meeting when it is safe to do so. The public will be informed when a new date is set.
If you are a Vermont voter or if you know a Vermont voter, would you please share my 2 political candidate petitions
to qualify for the official election ballot in November as an independent candidate for Representative to U.S. Congress & for Governor of Vermont?
Thank you so much!
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their regular meeting, but it was anything but “regular” Tuesday. Board members were absent. Those attending sat apart from one another (not quite 6 feet…). COVID-19 was influencing almost every article on the agenda. And Brattleboro’s Skatepark was approved to begin construction.
The COVID-19 update and discussion was the main item. Groundworks got an additional grant to begin construction on their new building, the town finance report looks good up until last week but may show deficits before the fiscal year is over, and Representative Town Meeting is postponed.
Following advice and common sense, Mitchell-Giddings has made the difficult decision to temporarily close our doors until further notice even as we remain open online for purchases and gallery activities (or at 802-251-8290).
We gladly welcome scheduled gallery visits by appointment.
I recently had the honor of hosting BCTV Open Studio with Lenny Derby, Vermont Chapter president of Vietnam Veterans of America. Lenny is spearheading an effort to bring the Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall to Brattleboro in September. This is a very important undertaking and deserves the support of the community. Please watch the show and find a way to support this worthy endeavor. Thank you.
