SeVWA’s E. coli Monitoring of Local River Sites is Finished for 2013

by sevwa.wqmp | Nature

August 28th was the last river sampling day of Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance’s (SeVWA’s) 2013 river monitoring program. In 2013 there were 24 river and stream sites that SeVWA monitored. Those sites were in the West River and Williams River watersheds and along the Saxtons River and Whetstone Brook. This summer the river monitoring program began on Wednesday, June 19th and this past Wednesday, August 28th was SeVWA’s sixth and final monitoring day of the 2013 season!

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – September 3, 2013

by cgrotke | Town News

Two departmental reports are scheduled for the first September meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. Planning Services’s Rod Francis and Brooks Memorial Library’s Jerry Carbone will update the board and the public about their respective departments and answer the question of what they would do with a 5% increase or decrease in their budgets.

ASL interpreters will begin translating each meeting beginning Tuesaday evening. This will allow even more members of the public to find out about repairs to Williams Street and the Cooke Road Bridge, preliminary budget discussions, the communications tower on Wantastiquet, the Town Manager search, and more.

You can attend in person at the Municipal Center or watch on BCTV via cable or stream, or read about it here the next day. Feel free to bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.

Community Meeting on Revitalizing Brattleboro’s Downtown

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

The public is invited to take part in a town hall meeting on revitalizing Brattleboro’s downtown. The meeting will take place on Monday, September 9th at 5 p.m. at the Latchis Theater.

Because of the hardships downtown Brattleboro suffered as a result of Tropical Storm Irene, the State of Vermont has chosen Brattleboro, along with six other towns, to receive consulting assistance through a federal Disaster Relief Grant. As the designated downtown organization, Building a Better Brattleboro has been asked to help implement the project.

Yankee, What Next?

by tomaidh | Sci-Tech

When Yankee powers down, it will have to be “decommissioned”. However, that process only applies to those structures and appurtenances that were actually involved in nuclear production or otherwise affected. There are numerous other buildings that can remain. They should be put to useful service.

The spent fuel, of course, must be dealt with in an urgent manner. In reality, nothing useful can be developed there while the fuel remains.

One of the biggest assets at the site is the 345,000 volt transmission line network extending North, South and East. Although not owned by Yankee, it is located there and has been significantly upgraded recently. Any new development needs to take this into consideration.

Senator Leahy Welcomes Long-Awaited DOJ Guidelines For Enforcement Of Federal Marijuana Laws

by Not Signed In | Politics

WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday welcomed the Justice Department’s release of guidelines for enforcement of federal marijuana laws in light of action at the state level.

Leahy has pressed the administration for such guidance since last year, when he wrote to the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) after two states voted to legalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Leahy also announced earlier this week that the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next month titled “Conflicts between State and Federal Marijuana Laws.” Deputy Attorney General James Cole, who released DOJ’s guidelines on Thursday, will testify at the hearing.

West Brattleboro Power Outage?

by cgrotke | Other

People have been calling to see what’s going on in West Brattleboro. Power went out a while ago.

Green Mountain Power’s outage center says Brattleboro has 3 separate problems, affecting 3252 customers. Not much other information to share.

Windham Regional Commission Statement on Announcement by Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee That the Plant Will Close in 2014

by Not Signed In | State News

The Windham Regional Commission has always maintained a neutral position as to whether or not the Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee power station located in Vernon should continue operation. We have taken this position so we could facilitate discussions among those on all sides of the issue. The Commission has, however, been very involved in Vermont Public Service Board dockets since 2007, arguing not for whether or not the plant should continue operation, but rather for what is in the best interest of the region when the plant does eventually cease operation, whenever and for whatever reason that occurs.

BMH Receives National Breast Cancer Foundation Grant

by BMH | Health

Will fund nurse navigation services for third straight year

Officials at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced today that the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has awarded a grant in the amount of $22,560 to help continue providing nurse navigation services as part of the hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Care program.

The NBCF awarded similar one-year grants to BMH in 2011 and 2012. The amount reflects both the need for nurse navigation services and the benefits it provides for patients with breast cancer.

Windham Regional Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WRVOAD)

by Not Signed In | The Region

The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) is pleased to announce that it is forming a local VOAD to serve the Windham region. For the past two years, the Southeastern Vermont Irene Long Term Recovery Committee (SEVT LTRC) has been working steadily to help Windham County residents who were left with unmet needs after Tropical Storm Irene. Although most of those who fell victim to the floods received help from FEMA Individual Assistance, there remained almost 1500 cases in our region with unmet needs. Disaster relief donations of over $300,000 (with United Way of Windham County as fiscal agent) have been judiciously distributed by the LTRC, along with state funds and hundreds of hours of volunteer labor. With the resources expended, the LTRC will be “going dormant” on August 31, 2013.

Brattleboro Labor Day Closings

by Not Signed In | Town News

In observance of Labor Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2013, with the exception of emergency services.

The Brattleboro Treasurer’s office will also be closed for renovations on Tuesday, September 3. Anyone wanting to make a payment will be asked to see the Finance Director in Suite 208 on the second floor of the Municipal Center.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday and Monday, September 1 and 2, 2013. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday and Monday, September 1 and 2, 2013.

Trash, recycling and composting WILL NOT be picked up on Monday, September 2, 2013. All pick-ups will be delayed by one day all week.

Gov. Peter Shumlin’s Announcement On Entergy’s Planned Closing Vermont Yankee

by Not Signed In | Politics

“This is the right decision for Vermont as we move to a greener energy future.

Entergy’s announcement today confirms what we have known for some time.  Operating and maintaining this aging nuclear facility is too expensive in today’s world.  Vermont utilities no longer have contracts with Vermont Yankee, and our regional grid is not reliant upon it for stability.  Vermont has made clear its desire to move toward more sustainable, renewable sources of electricity, and many of our surrounding states are doing likewise. 

Vermont Yankee was built with an expectation that it would operate for a limited period of years.  While it is no secret that Vermont and Entergy have disagreed on how long that should be, it is now clear that Vermont Yankee is a part of the energy past, and will not be a part of our energy future. 

Statement of Deb Katz, VCAN on Entergy’s Decision to Close Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant

by Not Signed In | Activism

“We applaud Entergy’s decision to shut down an aging nuclear power plant, rather than to push it past its limits. We appreciate their commitment for planning for a safe and orderly shutdown. We will remain vigilant to ensure that the decommissioning is done responsibly and in the safest way possible. Today, we celebrate this milestone in our work to end nuclear power generation in the Northeast and to foster a renewable energy future. This is a win for the people. Their relentless work has made the closure of Vermont Yankee possible. We thank all who have worked to make this day happen, especially the state of Vermont for its perseverance on this issue.”

VT Yankee to Close: BCTV Full Coverage

by BrattleboroTV | Media

With Entergy Nuclear announcing their plans to close Vermont Yankee
effective quarter four 2014, BCTV has taken to the edit room to round up
all the info–including the 5:45 Live special [] which includes
clips from Entergy’s official press conference, as well as interviews
with local legislators, the Governor, and many others.

The Great American Songbook: A Night of Jazz and Dancing with Chris Bakriges and Guests

by Brooks Memorial Library | Music

Friends of Brooks Memorial Library present: The Great American Songbook: A Night of Jazz and Dancing with Chris Bakriges and guests.

Saturday, September 21, 7-9 PM
The American Legion Hall, 32 Linden St., Brattleboro, VT

The Friends of Brooks Memorial Library is sponsoring a concert to fund the public access computing and lifelong learning programs of the library. 

Chris Bakriges, an internationally recognized jazz pianist living in Southern Vermont, is volunteering his talents again to create a special evening of  instrumental pieces from the Great American Songbook–the most popular and enduring popular songs from the 1920’s to 1950’s–on September 21, starting at 7 PM, in the American Legion Hall in Brattleboro. 

1791 Bullock House in Guilford Open to Visitors Sept. 7

by Not Signed In | History

1791 House Restored and Open to Tour in Guilford, Saturday Sept. 7, 1-3 pm

About five years ago the 1791 Bullock-Ashworth House on Ashworth Road was purchased by Sara Coffey and her husband David Snyder for the purpose of housing visiting artists who are working at the recording studios of Guilford Sound and Vermont Performance Lab (VPL). The public is invited to tour the house on Sept. 7 from 1 to 3 pm to see what has been accomplished.

VT Yankee to Close: 5:45 Live Special – 8/27/13

by BrattleboroTV | Media

With Entergy Nuclear announcing this morning their plans to close Vermont Yankee effective quarter four 2014, 5:45 Live has taken to the edit room to round up all the info–including clips from Entergy’s official press conference, as well as interviews with local legislators, the Governor, and many others.

Congressman Welch Stresses Jobs and Safety Following Decision to Close Vermont Yankee

by Not Signed In | Politics

Burlington, VT. (August 27th, 2013)- Rep. Peter Welch made the following statement regarding Entergy Corporation’s plan to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant:

“My thoughts are with the employees of Vermont Yankee. This dedicated workforce has always been steadfast in their professionalism and commitment to the operation of the plant,” Welch said.

Statement from NH Governor Hassan on Closure of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

by Not Signed In | Politics

CONCORD – Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement today on Entergy Corporation’s decision to close and decommission the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station:

“While today’s announcement is significant, the issues related to the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station have been closely monitored for years by officials in New Hampshire and across the region, and I am confident that, given the advanced notice, all parties are prepared to effectively respond and ensure public safety throughout the closure process.”