On Elephants and Circuses

by cgrotke | Nature

Ringling Bros is going to end the era of elephants performing in their circuses in the near future.

I have mixed feelings about this, given where we are in history. Elephant population has dropped significantly, so much that they could become extinct within decades. Hundreds are killed each day for ivory, meat, and trophy.

I like elephants and would hope we don’t eliminate them from the planet. I don’t want to see them abused, either.

I worry that freeing them from circuses and zoos won’t be enough to protect them. That is, I worry we are trading some good feelings about ending abuse at a circus, when wealthy hunters may just kill them all anyway.

March For Meals

by KathrynT | Other

Brattleboro Senior Meals Celebrates March for Meals

Brattleboro Senior Meals joins with the Meals on Wheels Association of America to celebrate March for Meals with a kickoff luncheon March 13, 2015 with Congressman Peter Welch.  Congressman Welch is part of the House Hunger Caucus for the past eight years that engages in the House’s work on national and international hunger and food insecurity issues.  This will give us an opportunity to ask Congressman Welch questions about the functions of the House Hunger Caucus. He will also discuss SSA and Medicare. 

District 1 Q&A and WBA Meeting

by WBA | Town News

On Thursday, March 12th at 7:00 PM, in the Hayes Court Community Room on Garfield Drive, the West
Brattleboro Association is hosting a Q&A session with District 1 Town Meeting members.  All residents, most especially District 1 residents, are invited. The hour-plus meeting will be facilitated by Orion Barber.

Immediately preceding the Q&A, at 6 PM in the same community room, the WBA will be holding its regular monthly meeting. The primary topic will be the pursuit of both Vermont and federal non-profit-hood.  If time permits, there will also be discussion of safety issues related to Marlboro Road traffic and to recent break-ins..

Senate Sustains Tar Sands Pipeline Veto

by Not Signed In | Politics

WASHINGTON, March 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate energy and environment committees, issued the following statement today after the Senate voted to sustain President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill that would have allowed construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline:
“I applaud President Obama for vetoing the Keystone XL legislation and the Senate for sustaining that veto.

“The Senate and President Obama have sent an important message that the United States finally is listening to the scientific community and recognizing that global warming poses a real threat to our planet.

Guiding Good Choices Courses in Windham County

by BAPC | Family

Guiding Good Choices Course for Parents and Caregivers Throughout Windham County in March

Windham County- Guiding Good Choices is a free, interactive, five-session course for parents and caregivers of 4th to 9th grade children. The series provides the tools and strategies to meet the challenges of guiding your child through adolescence. The course covers setting clear guidelines with both positive and negative consequences, controlling and expressing anger constructively, promoting family bonds, and preparing kids with “refusal” skills for the time down the road when trouble may tempt them.

First Wednesday Program at Brooks Library: Photography as Fine Art: Alfred Steiglitz and Camera Work

by Brooks Memorial Library | Arts

Photographer, gallerist, and magazine editor Alfred Stieglitz was a seminal figure in the history of twentieth-century photography.

Middlebury College professor Kirsten Hoving examines Stieglitz’s work and his advocacy for photography as a fine art, with special attention to his quarterly journal Camera Work. Wednesday March 4th, 7 pm – 9 pm. 

On Exhibit at Brooks Library in March

by Brooks Memorial Library | Arts

Lots of art at the Library this month! Mezzanine Wall & Main Floor: Student Art Month. The Arts Council of Windham County is inviting the community to join them in recognizing and honoring the many young people in Windham County who are involved in a wide range of the arts.

So, for the 34th consecutive year, they have set aside March as Student Art Month, a time to spotlight, through shows and events, the terrific kinds of work coming from our young people and the teachers and school programs which help these young artists to blossom. 

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Changes In Property Taxes, Budgets, Planning, Zoning, Parks…

by cgrotke | Town News

The Selectboard has found a way, they think, to keep the municipal tax rate the same as last year. A new dog park is anticipated to join the skatepark at the top of Living Memorial Park. There’s a new financial and budget plan in the works for the town, and new zoning is also underway.

The press, however, abandoned this meeting when there were election results to chase, leaving the board to lament a total lack of reporting, other than BCTV, of important issues.

Read on for the full report of the over four hour meeting.

Town Meeting Day – Brattleboro Election Results 2015

by Lise | Town News

Once again, the voters of the Town of Brattleboro have weighed in.  Since all of the candidates were running unopposed, they all won. Turnout was not listed but it appears to be just under 1000 voters.

On the ballot questions, there were four, numbered 2 through 5.  All of the ballot questions failed, including and notably, the 1% sales tax.  John Allen suggested at tonight’s Selectboard meeting that with this vote (nearly 2-1 against), the Selectboard might want to give the 1% LOST tax a rest for a while.

Outside the snow is falling and Brattleboro snow plows are plowing.  Just another night in the town that spring forgot…on Town Meeting Day 2015. Read on for links to full results and ballots.

Brattleboro Time Trade Spring Forward Extravaganza

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Entertainment

Come join in the fun! Gallery Walk Friday, March 6th is the First Annual Spring Forward Extravaganza hosted by the Brattleboro Time Trade!

Featuring:

MUSIC by The Snaz, Jesse Lepkoff and Luz Elena Morey • Silent Auction • Spring Gardening Show
• Dessert Bar and Cafe  • Raffles, games, free give-aways!

Brattleboro Time Trade members trade time (and not money), thereby building community & friendships, helping people share skills, meet needs and have fun!

Gallery Walk Friday, March 6 from 4:30 – 8:30 pm at the River Garden

More information available on our

Support Richard Evers

by spoon | Op/Ed

Richard Evers is a write-in candidate for a District 3 Town Meeting Member seat.  I have been well acquainted with Richard for twenty years and have always known him to be interested in and aware of town issues.  He is thoughtful and uses good judgement.  I recommend writing in his name for a District 3 Town Meeting Member seat.

Thank you.

Brattleboro Time Trade – Week of March 1

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Other

Brattleboro Time Trade:

Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time.

BTT’s First Annual Spring Forward Extravaganza THIS FRIDAY!

Friday, March 6 from 4:30-8:30 pm at the River Garden (during Gallery Walk):
• Spring Gardening Show • Music
• Silent Auction & Raffle • Dessert Bar & Cafe!

See below for more exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade is all about!

Season’s First Sugar Supper this Saturday in Guilford

by DonInGuilford | Guilford

Broad Brook Grange’s annual Sugar on Snow Supper will be held Saturday, March 7, at the Grange hall in Guilford Center. Always the first sugar supper of the season in Windham County, the meal features ham, baked beans, deviled eggs, cole slaw, potato salad, rolls, pickles, homemade donuts, and Guilford maple sugar on Guilford snow.

There will be three seatings: at 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 pm.  At each seating, a half-gallon of Guilford maple syrup will be raffled.

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 3/2/15

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 schedule for the week of 3/2/15

Monday, March 2, 2015

12:00 am Ethan Allen Homestead: Reflecting on the Past

1:06 am The Last Pipe Keeper

1:30 am Valley Homegrown: Bay Rd 2/10/14

2:30 am VT Council on Rural Development: Climate Change Summit 2/18/15 Pt 1

4:00 am Road to Recovery: Join the Voices for Recovery

Setting The Record Straight Re: Amendments

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

Because the media are not perfect, there are three misconceptions that persist about the amendments and I would like to clear them up in these last days before the election.

First, the charter clearly shows how the representative town meeting (RTM) restricted the rights to call for votes.  Anyone can check this our on the town web site:  See brattleboro.org, click “Charter, ordinances” > “charter”. 

The RTM did uselessly lower a signature requirement but at the same time authorized
themselves to vote first and block the petitioned article from the ballot.  Their revision (charter article III 2 B)
says: 

Living Whist

by cgrotke | History

Those who follow This Day In History on a regular basis might recall a couple of mentions of members of the community rehearsing to perform as cards for an upcoming entertaining exhibition of “Living Whist.” Well, you will be pleased to know that the event was a success.

Below you’ll find the almost complete account of the event as told in the Phoenix on March 3, 1895. (The scanned newspaper was torn in one place, so I copied as much as was available.)

If we have any whist players, perhaps the game could be explained a bit?

“What You Been Smoking?”

by Vidda | Opinion

Speaking rhetorically about legalizing marijuana, I hear the repeating theme that VT needs to do it right, especially every time CO and WA is brought up.

But I have wondered of late, how it is that we can do it wrong?

The unbiased reports from CO especially, and WA all report the upshot results of marijuana legalization are very favorable by every indicator. Yet, except for the deranged Patrick ‘Druggy’ Kennedy’s so-called Smart group it’s not clear exactly what can go wrong.

5:45: 2/27/15

by BrattleboroTV | Media

The Fairpoint workers strike is finally resolved on a Friday edition of 5:45 Live that includes more from the NRC with Thursday’s NDCAP meeting, lots of town meeting prep and much more. .

Weekend Comedy Series: Sinbad – Afros and Bellbottoms

by cgrotke | Entertainment

A member of marching band and the math club. A basketball player. A member of the Air Force. Sinbad has been all of these things, but he is best known for comedy.

His style is very clean. I can almost avoid giving the warning for bad language with his show, in which he often comes across as a big kid, or maybe a nutty uncle. He seems like he would be fun to invite to a party.