Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – March 15, 2016

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will incorporate the decision of Town Meeting Representatives into their annual budget suggestion at their next meeting on Tuesday at the Municipal Center, adjusting levels of anticipated debt service payments for facility projects depending on the outcome of the vote.

The police will get police cars, the substation at Cotton Mill Hill may be upgraded, and Bradley House might be expanded and improved. They’ll also revise the town’s health insurance program for employees. You can participate in person or watch on TV, and you are free to bring up other items that aren’t on the agenda during Public Participation.

350Vermont Launches Mother Up! Parents Exchange for Change

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Family

A message from one of our time trade members:

For many parents, our days are filled with putting food on the table, wrestling limbs into snow gear and checking in on school work. Often our busy lives prevent us from taking a leading role on the larger issues at play in the world in which we are raising our children – racism, climate change, gross economic inequality.  

Many parents share a profound sense of despair in the face of climate change and other big issues, yet feel powerless to act. Time Trader Abby Mnookin is working from Brattleboro with 350Vermont as part of a new team project: “Mother Up! Parents Exchange for Change.” This team believes parents are powerful voices in fighting for the health and safety of our children’s future!

Brattleboro Committee Meetings and Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at 8:00am in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, March 17, 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

It’s DeGray

by MarkTwain© | Town News

Richard DeGray will once again bring his special grace to the Brattleboro Selectboard. The Brattleboro Reformer reports a hand count of ballots has flipped the election results, giving DeGray one additional vote and diminishing Avery Schwenk’s count by 8. http://www.reformer.com/ci_29622449/brattleboro-recount-select-board-flips-results

Previously it was reported that Schwenk had won by a single vote: 1,505 to 1,504. The new count is 1,505 for DeGray to 1,497 for Schenk: A virtual landside for the popular former Selectboard Chair.

Select Board Recount

by Iris | Town News

I just read on the Reformer Facebook page that Dick Degray won the election. He won an additional vote and Avery Schwenk lost 8 votes. It will be interesting to hear more about the process.

I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of March 13

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

I-91

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, March 13, 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.

Rip Currents

by spinoza | Nature

In a recent comment I used the metaphor that we Americans were headed for a Rip unless we woke up, and it got me wondering if this was accurate. My exact line was “…the election is a vast nasty leading to a larger and far more dangerous rip tide.” Rips are naturally occurring, and while often deadly, they are avoidable, and deal-able, if panic doesn’t prevail. Most fatalities happen because people freak out and try to swim against the current, directly into shore, and drown from exhaustion or fright. Even strong swimmers can’t contend with the force of outgoing surge.

It’s worth keeping in mind, Rips don’t have vertical pull, they won’t suck you under. Mostly they channel water back out, built up from incoming waves.  Some Rips, according to recent science, a great many, are large surface level conveyer whirlpools, streams that will eventually return you to shore if you go with the flow.  You can’t always be sure that will happen though, so riding it out may not be practical, even if viable. In any case the current will only carry someone out a few hundred yards beyond where the waves break as a result of shallower seabed, or sand bars. 

Devastating Victories and Optimistic Losses

by cgrotke | Politics

Sanders can’t win in the south! Clinton can’t win in the north! Cruz is considered a sane alternative to Trump! Kasich just needs Ohio! Rubio will win if he comes in 5th better next time! They’re all nuts!

Our strange election year continues, with polls being terribly inaccurate at times, traditional efforts to stop opponents backfiring, and major media following rather shaping results.

Up is the new down. And quite a few states have yet to weigh in.

A new thread to talk politics through the next big round of primaries.

Pop-Up @77 Flat Begins in May – Donations Welcomed

by Not Signed In | Entertainment

Brattleboro Area Hospice is excited to announce a new retail and auction experience in Brattleboro: Pop-Up @77 Flat! On Gallery Walk Fridays beginning in May, and each month to follow through December, a new pop-up auction window will be unveiled at Experienced Goods, the Brattleboro Area Hospice Thrift Shop at 77 Flat Street. Each window will be unique and different and will feature a creatively themed assortment of distinctive riches and other curios. The items in the window will be available for online bidding from midnight of that evening throughout the following month. This is a new spin on its annual Cherished Goods Auction that has traditionally taken place annually in the fall. All proceeds will benefit Brattleboro Area Hospice programs and services.

Pop-up retail, also known as pop-up store (pop-up shop in the UK, Australia and Ireland) or flash retailing, is a trend of opening short-term sales spaces in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Pop-Up @77 Flat is a new exciting way to prominently feature the most unique and special items for a limited duration of time. We hope people will become engaged and interested and will subscribe to the online auction site and bid monthly throughout the year on those items they fancy.

Help with Final School Project

by David Cadran | Questions & Answers

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for helping me with my survey for my last school project. We just started our final project (can’t believe it’s almost over) and would love it if any of you could help by taking this survey. It will take approximately five minutes and your help is greatly appreciated. Feel free to share it with your friends as well.

Thank you!

-David Cadran

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Malfunction Junction Is Here To Stay

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard received a detailed report on why our downtown traffic system is just about the best it can possibly be, as is. In discussing the lack of major opportunities for improvements, the name Malfunction Junction returned as shorthand for the intersection causing problems up and down Main Street.

The board also learned about the best path forward toward addressing issues related to being a hub town in Vermont, which is to form a coalition with other hub towns, such as Bennington, St. Johnsbury, and Springfield, to put pressure on the state to create new sources of revenue.

A trailer was bought, committees have new members, and the town now offers larger loans to help businesses.

Brattleboro Town Meetings: Get Involved! March 2016

by BrattleboroTV | Town News

Town Manager’s Office teammates Peter Ewell, Patrick Moreland and Jan Anderson take a few moments to discuss the different ways area residents can get involved with Town Meeting–whether it’s participating in the annual town meeting, attending this year’s special Town Meeting on the Police-Fire Upgrade, prepping yourself with the pre-town meeting info sessions, attending the regular selectboard meetings throughout the year, or watching all of it on BCTV. .

Job Hunt Helper at Brooks Memorial Library

by JMW | Education

During the months of March and April, visitors to the Brooks Memorial Library can consult will CCV student intern Ben Howe for help using computer technology for job and career-related tasks. Ben will meet individually with citizens to help them explore careers and online education, prepare resumes, search for jobs, and complete online job applications. Ben’s services are provided through a partnership between the Community College of Vermont and the Vermont Department of Libraries, which will place “Job Hunt Helpers” in town libraries in six Vermont communities. These services are made possible by funding from the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation and federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Thumb Drives Need Labels

by cgrotke | Sci-Tech

Thumb drives and USB sticks are very common. Almost none of them have a space available to write on. 

Thought for the morning: Want to invent something and make some money? Develop a USB drive that has a space for a label, so we can write a note about what’s on it. Make it so we can change labels, too, if the contents of the drive change.

Can a Walmart Employee in Kenya Influence Walmart’s Political Contributions to Candidates in the USA?

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

Why does the U.S. Marijuana Party care what George Oloo thinks?

George Oloo works for Walmart in the Country of KENYA, where President Barack Obama claims his father is from.

Studying the opinions of George Oloo, gives us an idea of what ethics and moral values may have been taught to President Obama by his father.

Walmart has employees around the world, and may have regard for their opinions, depending on the particular employees position, status and work record.

Brattleboro Town Meeting Informational Forum and District Caucuses – Public Invited

by Not Signed In | Politics

Brattleboro Town Selectboard will hold a pre-town meeting information forum on Wednesday, March 9 at Academy School beginning at 7:00 PM. At 6:30 p.m., town meeting members of each district will be available to meet with constituents to offer residents an opportunity to share their views and discuss articles to be voted on at the annual meeting.

Also, at that time, district 2 will be accepting nominations to fill a town meeting member vacancy for 1 year. Any District 2 resident interested in being considered for this position should be present at Wednesday’s 6:30PM caucus. Classroom locations at Academy School for each caucus will be posted in the school lobby that evening. The public is invited to attend their district’s caucus and stay for the information meeting.

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 Thursday, March 10, 2016 at the Academy 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.

Brattleboro OB/GYN Offers a New Model of Group Care

by BMH | Health

Brattleboro OB/GYN & Four Seasons Midwifery, a department of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce their CenteringPregnancy® site approval. CenteringPregnancy is a holistic childbirth program committed to the empowerment of pregnant women. “This is an exciting time for our practice as we offer CenteringPregnancy, a nationally recognized model of care,” said Cynthia Pearson, Director of Maternal and Child Health.

In CenteringPregnancy, pregnant women with similar due dates join together in a group with their healthcare provider. They receive all the components of prenatal care, including health assessment, education and support. There is a facilitated discussion of pregnancy, birth and newborn care as well as overall health, stress management, etc. Studies in sample populations show Centering care increases breastfeeding rates and duration of breastfeeding. Patient and provider satisfaction are higher than traditional care.

BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 3/7/2016

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 3/7/16

Monday, March 7, 2016

12:00 am WWAC: Paul Morgan – Paris Climate Agreement 2/19/16

1:30 am Hunger Mtn Coop Workshop Series – Creative Ideas

3:10 am TED Talks: Shonda Rhimes: My Year of Saying Yes to Everything

3:30 am 13th Annual A Cappella Concert 2/6/16

5:45 am The Opiate Effect – Film and Discussion