Brattleboro Fire Captain Howard Promoted to Assistant Chief

by BrattFireDept | Police & Fire

The Brattleboro Fire Department announces the promotion of Captain Leonard Howard to the position of Assistant Fire Chief. Captain Howard is a 29 year veteran of the department. He joined the Call Staff in 1987 and was hired to the Career Staff in 1997. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 2001 and then to shift captain in 2007.

Throughout his career, Captain Howard has been a very strong advocate of training and he holds many certifications, including Fire Officer II, National Registered Emergency Medical Technician, and Fire Service Instructor. Captain Howard also is an NFPA certified Fire Inspector, has extensive training in fire origin/cause and arson investigations, and has taken numerous hours of supervisory and management training through the Vermont Fire Academy and the National Fire Academy.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Pedestrian Projects and Municipal Improvements

by cgrotke | Town News

Central Fire Station plans have been approved. The Brattleboro Selectboard took a look at a series of architectural and mechanical drawings provided by the project team, had no objections, and gave the architect a green light to continue.

The board announced decisions in three matters they have been considering regarding three streets in town, Brattleboro has a new Assistant Fire Chief, many municipal projects are underway, the Library will soon be renovated, DeGray ‘s request for immediate blinky lights was slowed somewhat, the Stone Church gets semi-belated approval for a liquor license, and more.

Throughout the meeting were small victories for pedestrians, from preserved access to possibilites of new funds for safer crossings.

Rt. 30 Closures in Brattleboro

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

The following dates Route 30, under I-91 Brattleboro will be closed from approximately 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. to ensure the safety of the traveling public while work occurs on the new bridge.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Bacon & Eggs – Festival Promotion Underwhelms

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

Kevin Bacon.

Why, oh why, does the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce persist in its effort to entice this actor to come to Brattleboro for a bacon festival? What demographic is this supposed to draw?

Quite possibly, dear reader, you are completely unaware of this marketing effort. That would be forgivable, given that the target of the marketing effort is one potential tourist — Kevin Bacon.

Rather than direct mail, or cold calling, the Chamber seems to be banking on a stealthier approach: social media nagging.

BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 8/15/2016

by BCTVProg | Media

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

Monday, August 15, 2016

12:00 am AgroForestry Forum in Brattleboro 7/16/15

2:15 am Dan and Jeff Play for Dancing

2:30 am Rosie’s Mom – The Forgotten Workers of WW1

3:27 am WWAC: Dr. John Hagen – Violent Extremism in Niger 5/13/16

VFW Becomes One-Time Polling Site November General Election

by Scam Buster | Town News

The 2016 General Election polling place will be moving to a different location.  Voting on Election Day, November 8th, will take place at VFW Carl Dessaint Post 1034 on Black Mountain Road.  The Brattleboro Board of Civil Authority, which has jurisdiction over polling places reluctantly made this decision earlier this year.  “We considered a number of factors including accessibility, traffic congestion, cost, and parking before selecting the VFW for our polling place, “ according to Elliott Greenblott, Chairman of the Board of Civil Authority.

The Presidential Election voting was held at Brattleboro Union High School but a combination of factors including the rental fee charged by the school, limited parking, traffic congestion, and the fact that school is in session combined to make the location less attractive.  “BUHS is a fine site in itself,” said Greenblott, “but it has been challenging in recent elections.  The heavy volume of traffic, limited parking, school activity, and cost are big concerns. Many have asked me why we have to pay to use ‘our’ high school.  The reality is that BUHS is a separate political unit owned by the member towns of the high school district, not Brattleboro alone.”

NOLABratts Make Debut at Samirah Evans’s Leo Party, August 21

by ChrisLenois | Entertainment

Staying true to the spirit of her astrological sign, jazz and blues vocalist Samirah Evans has hosted a party that is partconcert, part jam session nearly every year for the past two decades in celebration of her own birthday and that of fellow Leo’s. The 2016 Leo Party takes place at 4:00pm on Sunday, August 21, at the 118 Elliot performance space in downtown Brattleboro. 

This year’s celebration will also serve as the concert debut of her choir, the NOLABratts. Evans says she had been approached many times about directing a local choir over the years, and this summer she recruited a small group of participants with varying levels of experience to perform vocal arrangements of classic New Orleans R&B tunes. 

Weekend Creativity Series: Hat Juggling

by cgrotke | Creative

was going to treat you to plate spinning this week, but plate spinning requires the use of special plates made for the act, and it is unlikely you have them around the house. But you do probably have a hat nearby, and with it you can begin to learn some cool moves to impress your hat-admiring friends.

This guy has many videos to help jugglers get started (you can watch hom teach you to spin plates, too!). Here he walks through a handful of hat tricks.

Want To Buy The Chelsea Royal Diner?

by cgrotke | Business

The Reformer is reporting that Brattleboro’s classic Chelsea Royal Diner is up for sale. The owenrs simply want to retire after decades of running a restaurant. Can anyone blame them?

Business is reported to be good there, so some enterprising diner chef to-be could pick up and keep things going. If you have $850,000, it could be yours.

The restaurant, among other things, has been featured in Zippy cartoons.

Jackie Abrams and Karen Kamenetzky at Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts

by Mitchell • Giddings FIne Arts | Arts

Mitchell • Giddings Fine Arts is pleased to introduce Elemental Vessels, an exhibition of recent mixed-media vessels by basket-weaver and fiber artist Jackie Abrams, and Hidden Agenda, new fiber wall hangings by textile artist Karen Kamenetzky, with an artist reception and opening Thursday, August 18, 5-7 pm. The two solo exhibits continue through September 18, with an Artist Talk scheduled for Saturday, September 17, 5pm.

Abrams’ unique pieces showcase  40 years of  basket making experience; new, non-traditional materials reflect the artist’s movement toward more intuitive, abstract sculptural forms.

Brattleboro Arts Committee Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center. NOTE THE CHANGE IN THE REGULAR MEETING DAY FOR THIS MONTH ONLY.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – August 16, 2016

by cgrotke | Town News

Central Fire Station’s plans will be presented and reviewed at the next Brattleboro Selectboard meeeting at the Municipal Center on Main Street.

The Stone Church is applying for a liquor permit, road re-classifications (if any) will be announced for three sites in town, there will be a discussion of push button crosswalk lights, ordinances will begin the amendment process, and other projects will get underway.

You can bring up other matters not on the agenda during public participation.

3 Record Drive Mobile Home Fire Press Release

by BrattFireDept | Police & Fire

At 11:46pm on August 8, 2016 the Brattleboro Fire Department responded to 3 Record Drive for a mobile home fire with occupants trapped. Two of the four occupants in the home at the time of the fire perished. Glen Euber, age 42 and Michelle Blake, age 52 were both found upstairs on the main living level after firefighters extinguished the fire that destroyed their mobile home. Neither was able to escape the fire and were dead at the scene.

The other two occupants, Carroll Page, age 68 and Sean Stoltz, age 27, both lived in the lower level of the home and were able to escape safely. Stoltz received a second degree burn to the back of his neck and was transported to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital by Rescue Inc for treatment.

Brattleboro Area Hospice to hold Hospice Care Volunteer Training and Seeks Participants

by Not Signed In | Education

Beginning on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 Brattleboro Area Hospice will offer its hospice care volunteer training in Brattleboro, VT. This 33 hour volunteer training will run on Tuesday mornings from September 20 – November 29 from 9 am – 12 pm.

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

Rutland Herald Sold

by cgrotke | Media

The Rutland Herald and the Times-Argus newspapers are being sold, ending years of local ownership. Here is their announcement:

…..

The Mitchell family announced late Wednesday night they have entered into an agreement to sell the The Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, as well as affiliated print and online publications, to a company headed by Maine-based publishing entrepreneur Reade Brower and printing and marketing executive Chip Harris.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

With Joking Russian TV the Best Source of Electronic News and Information Available – Woe Is Us!

by jay janson | Op/Ed

DESCRIPTION:

In 1950, Einstein explained why our civilization continues to be “like an axe in the had of the pathological criminal,”: “Under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control the main sources of information (press, radio, education). Mysteriously, our best independent journalists, top intellectuals and historians, are of no help. Even on RT’s ten more serious shows there is no urging of prosecution for international crimes

InnerWell Integrative Counseling Services Welcomes Body-Mind Psychotherapist from Boulder

by innerwell | Health

InnerWell is delighted to welcome Heather Kuhn, MA, RSMT, R-DMT, to join InnerWell Integrative Counseling Services in Brattleboro. A warm and skillful body-mind psychotherapist, Heather holds a Master of Arts in Somatic Counseling Psychology from Naropa University. She is relocating here from Boulder, Colorado, and begins seeing clients at InnerWell this month. Specialties include anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions and relationship issues. With the addition of Heather, InnerWell is again welcoming new clients for adult individual psychotherapy and counseling.

Ben Pratt To Perform Magic at Main Street Arts

by NewsWriter | Entertainment

SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – Heads will be scratching in wonder as Ben Pratt brings his magic to Main Street Arts in a show Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Breath-taking sleight of hand, birds and humans materializing out of nowhere and Ben himself walking through a solid glass mirror are some of the seemingly impossible happenings that will leave the audience wondering, “How did he do that?”

Pedestrian Flags for Western Avenue Crosswalk

by kathleenwhite | News & Information

In collaboration with the Holton Home and Brattleboro Department of Public Works, the Safe Streets Project recently launched a pilot program to improve pedestrian visibility.  It is located at the crosswalk between Holton Home and Trinity Lutheran Church on Western Ave. Two fluorescent orange and yellow flags sit on the yield signs on each side of the crosswalk,  with instructions to “carry a flag when crossing the street and place it in the container on the other side”. 

Summer Cinema Slam Returns!

by Iris | Arts

Summer Cinema Slam returns on August 27th at New England Youth Theater, 100 Flat Street, Brattleboro. The doors will open at 5:30pm. Come join us for evening of films made by Vermont filmmakers and meet the directors as well. We are welcoming some amazing Vermont filmmakers to this year’s event. Check out our event page at Brattleboro Film Festival facebook page. http://www.brattleborofilmfestival.org/2016-special-events/

 The event will include live music during the intermission, free ice-cream. and food trucks, food, beer and wine will be available for purchase.