Act 46 Study Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes

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 Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at the Putney Central School.

AGENDA

I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Alice Laughlin, Committee Chair

II. REVIEW, PRIORITIZE AND ESTABLISH DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR MEETING BY CHAIRPERSON.


I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of January 16th

I-91

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.

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Monday, January 16th (MLK Day) from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (I-91 will remain open). Traffic conditions on both I-91 and through the town will be monitored closely throughout the day. Should traffic congestion become an issue, the ramps may be re-opened until traffic conditions improve. This will be managed actively throughout the day until peak traffic volumes have passed.

For your planning purposes, ramp closures are also scheduled 1/22/17 and 1/29/17 in January.


Paths of the Gods: Hiking the Sorrento Peninsula at Brooks Library

Save the date! Join former Library Director Jerry Carbone and his touring companions, Arthur and Carol Westing (Putney, Vt.), on January 28, at 3 PM, in the Library’s meeting room, for a talk on a recent hiking trip to Italy’s famed Sorrento peninsula. The group hiked and toured the area for two weeks in November. The slide presentation will include views and topography from the ancient trails and mule paths that line the limestone Latarri Mountain range and Tyrrhenian Sea.


Brattleboro History – The Hollows

There are murder mysteries and strange names associated with a few small hollows in our region… here are a couple of stories…

Produced by Joe Rivers and his students at the Brattleboro Area Middle School.
Released January 12, 2017


The Snaz Plays Saxtons River

SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – Local indie rock band The Snaz will hit the stage at
Main Street Arts Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. for an energetic live performance of their quirky brand of throbbing rhythm.

   Billed as “coming from the depths of Brattleboro,” the group is made up of four local kids who came together four years ago as young teens and have grown and improved since, finding a favored spot in Windham County’s competitive music scene and expanding farther afield across New England.


Woman’s Educational and Industrial Union

From Today in History 1894:

Many people will learn with regret that the women in charge of the “Woman’s
Educational and Industrial union” have decided to give up the work and close the room in Ryther building February 1. The union has been very useful in helping women to help themselves.

Looks like the parent organization existed until quite recently in Boston.

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/weiu.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_Educational_and_Industrial_Union


Holiday lights at the 5/9/91 Roundabout?

Just thought of this as I was driving around the Roundabout this morning.  One day in December when I was driving by, there were a few people in the center of the roundabout setting up what looked like big stars full of lights.  But then they weren’t there the next time I drove by.  Does anyone know about this?  Did some people set it up without permission or encounter a lack of electricity?

For perspective, I was involved in the past in the Putney Road Business Association, which became the North End Business Association, which has now been pretty much inactive due to lack of leadership and shortage of volunteers.  We used to do the luminaria around the intersection in the 90s, and for a year or two we put lights on the (at the time very small) trees in the middle of the roundabout.  We had an arrangement with either the town or the state for electricity.


Selectboard Special Meeting – FY18, Solar at the Landfill, DeGray Not Running Again

Dick DeGray will be joining David Gartenstein at the proverbial Selectboard retirement center, announcing his intentions not to run at Tuesday’s special meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

The meeting had two focal points and one interesting diversion. The FY18 budget and tax rate is very close to being finalized, a new era of solar net-meter credits has dawned, and a citizen wonders how to get attention for a dangerous stretch of road.


BMH Expansion: Could It Tap Into BUHS Heat Plant?

It looks like BMH is growing again to meet the needs of changing technology and a greying population. Part of this expansion is the multi-million dollar replacement of the oil boilers with new ones that use a slightly cheaper form of oil. A question I would like to pose is what is the possibility of extending lines from the wood chip plant at BUHS to meet the needs of BMH.

I am sure there are A LOT of considerations (cost, ability to serve both, etc etc) but I just wanted to pose the idea and get people’s thoughts… I just want to see them move off of oil….

Thanks


Cutting the Cord

My years of cable TV are coming to an end. The combination of rising cable service prices and completely lackluster programming options led me to make the move.

It’s not that hard to do. I called up Comcast and asked to be disconnected. My rep said, sure, then went through the script to try to prevent me from leaving.

Why do you want to end the service? Um.. ever-increasing rates, too many PBS stations, way too many shopping and religious channels, Comcast is a cruddy company, and so on.

Maybe you need more channels, how about an upgrade to 40 channels? Uh, no thanks. It costs more and doesn’t solve the problem.


BCTV Schedules For Week of 1/9/17

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 1/9/17

Monday, January 9, 2017

12:00 am At Landmark: Professor Lyrical, ‘Rapping with the Professor’ 2/8/16

1:30 am Northern Roots 2016

3:30 am Sean Gaskell’s Kora Concert

5:00 am GMMT: Friday News Show

5:30 am New England Cooks: Chef Todd Cassell


Bubble Party

From today in history, 1885:

The Ceres club will give a “bubble party” next Thursday at Miss Minnie Pettee’s.

Apparently it was quite the fad in the 1870s-80s, among adults more than children!


Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, January 9, 2017 at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.


Brattleboro Food Co-op Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Brattleboro Food Co-op Staff and Board of Directors are pleased to announce they will be honoring Martin Luther King, Jr on Monday, January 16th with numerous social justice and activist organizations featured in the store throughout the day. There will also be a free screening of the movie “13th” in the evening, a bit of music, and, of course, food! The idea for the event grew out of the Co-op Board of Directors’ newly formed “Engagement Committee,” as well as feedback from staff. As Ruth Garbus, employee and Board Member, says, “We gotta get together!


Run for Office in Guilford

GUILFORD TOWN & SCHOOL BOARD OFFICES UP FOR ELECTION

Petitions are now available for those interested in seeking public office to be voted by Australian ballot at Guilford’s March 7th Town Meeting.  The filing deadline is Monday, January 30, at 5 pm, at the Guilford Town Office, where petition forms are now available. The office is open Monday through Thursday, closed Friday.


Brattleboro January Senior Meals Breakfast Menu

JANUARY  BREAKFAST MENUS

January 3rd – Stuffed Egg w/Sausage Gravy, Scone, Potato Pancake, Fruit, Yogurt, Juice, Coffee.

January 6th – Whole Wheat Pancakes, Syrup, Sausage, Fruit, Juice & Coffee

January 10th – Greens, Eggs & Ham, Home Fries,  Fruit, Yogurt, Juice, Coffee