Vernon School Board Minutes Draft, Re: Act 46

by cgrotke | Vernon

Here are draft minutes for the Vernon School Board meeting on Monday in which they voted to withdraw from the Act 46 district and become an advisable district. – c.

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Vernon Town School Board
Minutes of Regular Meeting—April 25, 2016

Directors present: Mike Hebert, Deb Hebert, Gina Dyer, Walter Breau.
Directors absent: None.
Also present: Sally Brassor, Dana Gordon-Macey, Paul Smith. The members of the Vernon Select Board, Christiane Howe (chair), Sandra Harris, Josh Unruh, Emily Vergobbe, Stephen Skibnowsky, joined the meeting at 6:04 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER REGULAR MEETING—5:30 p.m. – Mike Hebert, Chair

Vermont Humanities Council’s Summer Humanities Camps Awards to Twelve Middle Schools Statewide

by Not Signed In | Books

Camps in Brattleboro, Burlington, East Corinth, Fair Haven, Irasburg, Northfield, Richford, Springfield, St. Albans, Stowe, Williamstown, Windsor

Montpelier ~ The Vermont Humanities Council is pleased to announce that it has awarded grants for its popular Humanities Camp summer program to bring learning and fun to youth statewide. This year the thematic, week-long day camps for students aged 11-14 will run in twelve schools in nine Vermont counties.

Schools awarded this year’s camps are Brattleboro Area Middle School; Edmunds Middle School (Burlington); Fair Haven Grade School; Irasburg Village School; Northfield Jr./Sr. High School; Richford Jr.-Sr. High School (with Berkshire Elementary School); St. Albans City School; Stowe Middle School; Waits River Valley School (East Corinth); Williamstown Middle School; and Windsor Schools.

Zero Energy Now Informational Session

by Not Signed In | Sci-Tech

Learn how you can cut energy costs in your home or business by 50% to 100% while taking advantage of up to $7,500 in incentives.

Zero Energy Now is a new, comprehensive energy improvement program, providing efficiency upgrades to your building along with renewable heating (such as heat pumps and biomass), and solar photovoltaics. You can move your home or business toward using zero energy at little or no monthly cost, with energy savings paying for financing. By doing so, you will increase your comfort, cut your carbon emissions, and eventually have virtually no energy costs at all! As an added bonus, up to $7,500 in incentives are available to program participants located in former Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) territory.

Brattleboro: Safer Streets Forum

by acharkes | Town Plan

Are you interested in the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on Brattleboro’s roads?

Are you interested in road projects in Brattleboro that relate to bicyclists and pedestrians?

If so, please plan to come to Brattleboro: Safer Streets Forum on Thursday, May 5th at the River Garden between 5-7:30. 

The goals of the forum are three-fold:

Brattleboro Time Trade Listings – Week of April 24

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Other

Brattleboro Time Trade:  Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time. See below for more exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade can do for you!

How Time Trade Works: You do something for someone and earn time credits for your “bank,” which you can then put towards someone else doing something for you! It’s that simple – and amazing!

This week’s fabulous listings, brought to you from the circus limbo:

Now anyone can see a listing of all our Offers and Requests: https://brattleboro.timebanks.org/ads?type=1

OFFERS (i.e. things people could do for you):

Home Energy and Weatherization Advice
Brattleboro Food Coop Member Hours
Spanish Tutoring or Conversation

Main Street Arts Coffeehaus Features 2×2 Folk Quartet

by NewsWriter | Music

Saxtons River – The Main Street Arts Coffeehaus Concert Series presents the folk quartet 2×2 Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m.  Quartet members Valerie Kosednar, Mark Grieco and Betsy and Lee Rybeck Lynd will perform in a concert of a cappella and accompanied music distinguished by its broad range of styles, including traditional and contemporary folks songs from around the world.   Tickets are $10 in advance or $20 at the door. Info at (802) 869-2960 or online at mainstreetarts.org.   MSA is now fully handicapped accessible.

Acela Primary and The West Coast

by cgrotke | Politics

Continuing our election year discussion series, we come to what major media have taken to calling the Acela Primary. It’s named for the Amtrak train line that makes its way through Delaware up the coast and over to Rhode Island.

The latest headlines show us that Trump and Clinton both use Delaware corporations as perfectly legitimate and legal mechanisms for handling millions of dollars of business income. Others use them, of course, to shuffle income around and avoid paying taxes, but not the candidates. No way!

Kasich and Cruz are making some sort of pact to work together to take down Trump. Trump has promised that he’s been putting on an act thus far, and will behave like a good Republican now that he’s heading for the nomination.

AIDS Project Invites Public to Walk for Life May 14

by Not Signed In | Activism

BRATTLEBORO — The AIDS Project of Southern Vermont is inviting the public to help raise money and awareness May 14 at its 29th annual Walk for Life.

The event, set for 10 a.m. to noon at the River Garden on Main Street, will spotlight community efforts not only to support local people living with HIV/AIDS but also to reduce the risk of transmission to others.

The Walk for Life will feature speakers, songs by the student cast of the recent Brattleboro Union High School musical “Rent,” a brief period of remembrance and a light lunch.

BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 4/25/2016

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 4/25/16

Monday, April 25, 2016

12:00 am DCC: Kenneth Cox – Fish of Dummerston 4/5/16

1:40 am The Refugee Crisis: Learn How You Can Help

3:00 am Cooking with Zandria: A Chef’s Outlook on Homecooking

4:00 am That Was the Week that Was: Actor / Educator Susan Haefner

4:45 am Interview hour with Pamela Ryder

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus 20th Annual Spring Concert

by bwchorus | Music

As part of the ongoing celebrations of their twentieth anniversary year, the Brattleboro Women’s Chorus will present a concert of music composed entirely by founder/conductor, Becky Graber. Performances will be May 7 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts in Putney and May 8 at 4:00 pm at Centre Congregational Church, Main Street, Brattleboro.

A few of the compositions are from past years, but most are new, composed especially for this concert. Several of the pieces are Graber’s original words. Others are poetry she has set to music, including “Sit By an Apple Tree” by Louise Erdrich, “Winter’s Harvest” by Jane Elsdon, “Trust” by Pierre Teilhard du Chardin, “Light Beams” by Antonio Machado, and “Clearing” by Martha Postlethwaite. And two of the poems are the words of chorus members, “Our Whole Lives Long” by Lynette Sievert and Graber, and “When I Saw the Hawk” by Sue Owings.  

Butt Naked – Why Humans Lost Most of Their Body Hair

by Vidda | Nature

Compared to our sisters and brothers in the animal kingdom, humans are gloriously naked, when they are naked. The drastic reduction of hair on our bodies is nothing less than remarkable. It is unprecedented in our family of hominids, which include orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and humans. Nevertheless, humans still have approximately the same density of hair follicles as chimps and gorillas.

So why have we lost most of our body hair? Today’s evolutionary scientists speculate, but do not offer one definitive reason.

 

 

 

Interfaith Service for Holocaust Remembrance Day

by BAJC Shir HeHarim | Spiritual

An interfaith service for Holocaust Remembrance Day will take place on Wednesday May 4th at 7 pm, at the First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro.  BAJC (Brattleboro Area Jewish Community) and BAICA (the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Clergy Association) will offer a service in commemoration of the six million Jews and five million homosexuals, political protestors, Catholics, handicapped, and others who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis.

2nd Annual Antiques and Collectibles Appraisal Day at BAJC

by BAJC Shir HeHarim | Entertainment

Find out what your keepsakes are worth! Brattleboro Area Jewish Community’s own mini-version of “The Antiques Roadshow” will be live at our synagogue on Sunday afternoon, May 22nd from 1:00 to 5:00. Four experienced appraisers will be present to evaluate and assess antiques and collectibles, including books, sterling silver, silverplate, glass and art glass, china and pottery, fine art and signed prints, musical instruments, records and entertainment memorabilia, jewelry, paper, stamps, postcards, documents, furniture, toys & dolls, metalware, clocks, barometers & watches, rugs, tchotchkes (nick-nacks), and much more – but no weaponry or ammunition and no large rugs or bulky furniture.

Crafting for the Homeless – Last Session for the Season!

by BAJC Shir HeHarim | Activism

Crafting for the Homeless- come make a difference!

Come join us on Sunday afternoon, May 1st, from 1:00-3:00 pm, to craft items for the homeless population in the area. Using traditional crafts, we will make hats, scarves, blankets and sleeping mats from yarn and fleece fabric.

Crafting for the Homeless is completing its second year of meeting on the first Sunday of the month at Brattleboro Area Jewish Community, Congregation Shir Heharim. This will be our last session until next fall.

Some people come to learn to knit or crochet, others arrive with projects already underway. Some are members of BAJC; some are not. All are welcome! We donate our projects to Groundworks Collaborative. 

Women in Music Benefit Features Music by The Sisters Boulanger

by fomag | Music

Now in its 50th season, Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG) presents its 7th Women in Music Celebration, an annual house-concert gala, beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 24.

“This fundraiser for our concert season includes three important elements,” explains administrator Joy Wallens-Penford. “A bounty of good food, some delightful music, and a special Silent Auction with a few gift certificates to restaurants and merchants as well as a wide range of 2-for-1 tickets to arts events around the region. We help to promote other organizations’ events and garner vital support for the many free and affordable programs we present in the community.”

Brattleboro Committee Meetings and Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 5:30pm at Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.

The Brattleboro Police-Fire Facilities Building Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

Chance To Ask a Question in the Florida Debates

by DWard | Activism

Dear ibratt readers, here’s something fun to get into – an opportunity to ask a question to Congressman David Jolly (R-FL) and Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) about the issues that are most important to you. You can watch the Florida Open Debate for U.S. Senate on Monday, April 25, at 7:00 pm EDT. All questions will be chosen from among those that receive the most votes online.