Why is Brattleboro Subsidizing Millionaires investors at the Brooks House?

by joegreen | Opinion

Why
is Brattleboro giving tax breaks to a group of millionaires who bought the
Brooks House and want to put in luxury apartments?  What if the project fails?  If the
project goes belly up, what is the financial guarantee to the town? Will the
town contiue to pay rent to Brooks house for the Harmony lot? Will the town
recoup the thousands of dollars it has already put into the Brooks house?

I encourage  taxpayers
to write to the Selectboard and oppose the subsidie for millionaires.

joe green

An Intriguing Way to Encourage Local Spending – Property Tax Credit for Dollars Spent Locally by Residents

by Amanda | Business

With recent discussion here about how to keep local dollars in Brattleboro, I’m hoping someone here in Brattleboro might read about this exciting option and run with it!  Apparently this program incents residents to shop locally at participating businesses who provide % credit for purchases (via a card), which is then applied to the purchaser’s property tax bill (renters receive a yearly rebate check instead.)  The program is a win-win — local businesses get increased patronage, residents are rewarded for shopping locally, and as I understand it, the decrease in town revenue from the property tax credit is directly offset by the increase in taxes paid by healthy, thriving local businesses.

Weekend Concert: the Pretenders at Enmore Theater in Sydney, Australia, 2010

by paulgardner | Music

Last week’s band, the Buzzcocks barely made it out of the Punk explosion alive.

This week’s band got a late start (1979, when the punk movement was turning into the more polished New Wave), but hit the ground running with a smash single (Brass in Pocket) and hugely successful eponymous first album.

That album was produced by Chris Thomas and Bill Price who gave the Sex Pistol’s one studio effort its great sound and the duo gives the Pretenders a wonderful aggressive vibe here too.

Snow Allows Brattleboro Ski Lift To Remain Open

by LMPSS | Recreation & Sports

The ski/snowboard lift at Living Memorial Park here in Brattleboro still has plenty of snow. The lift will run today 3-9, Saturday 10-4, and Sunday 12-4.

Always only $5 for all day lift ticket! Kids 5 and under always free!

The non profit, all volunteer Living Memorial Park Snow Sports web site can be found at www.vtsnowsports.org

Vandals, History, and Old Newspapers Death and Poetry

by Rolf | History

Recently I was walking down the sidewalk along South Main Street, and as I passed the cemetery, I noticed that a gravestone had toppled over. I presume that it did not topple on its own, but rather was toppled by vandals. Somethow this made me want to read the stone.

It recorded the death of of two boys, both wth the last name of Steers. They both died on July 18, 1884, and the stone said they shared one common grave.

After a Satori

by spinoza | Education

A kick to the eye. The sudden illumination, awakening. Then what? We’re faced with a choice- act boldly, or obsequiously fall in line.

It’s often said, we are social creatures. But what does that mean? Our genome evolved over millions of years (over a hundred thousand for our exact species). We were formed and given form through hunter/gather/foraging methods. Small bands of people acting cooperatively, non-hierarchal power structures, harmonious interaction with the land and its lifeforms.

Then, yesterday, or a few thousand years ago, through agriculture and pastoral living- we became sedentary, fenced in by boundaries and ideologies, controlled. Our population mushroomed, territories were annexed. Horsemen were elevated to warriors, shamans and chiefs told us what was what, the conquering hero was set loose upon the world. While the amount of labor- and dull labor at that- increased exponentially.

Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Articles

by cgrotke | Town News

Below you’ll find a handy guide to the Town’s half of the Town Meeting Articles (the Schools half I couldn’t find; if you have it add it in the comments).

Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting is Saturday at the high school on Fairground Road. BCTV will be there covering the events of the day, and we’ll be streaming their signal here so you can observe and make comments from the proverbial peanut gallery.

Songwriter’s Roundtable w/ Lisa McCormick & John Sheldon, March 29

by Ruthie | Music

The Arts Block in downtown Greenfield, MA, announces a new musical series, the “Songwriter’s Roundtable.” 

The first show in the series takes place on Friday, March 29, at 8pm, and features guest stars Lisa McCormick and John Sheldon. 

The music will be presented in a “song circle” format where the artists trade songs during the sets. There will also be time for questions and open discussions about the songs and the process of songwriting and performing. 

Rockingham Library Leads Trip to Boston’s Isabell Stewart Gardener Museum–Saturday, April 13

by Not Signed In | Travel

The Rockingham Free Public Library is planning an excursion to Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for Saturday, April 13. A chartered bus will depart Bellows Falls at 7AM, returning at 7PM. The cost is $95 per person and includes round trip transportation and a museum tour. There will be time for shopping and lunch in addition to the tour.

NEYT Jazzes up its Spring Fundraising

by Not Signed In | Arts

Friday April 19th, at 6:00pm New England Youth Theatre will be rolling out the red carpet for a special gala fundraising event!

Join us for delicious French cuisine from local chefs, an assortment of fine wine, and live music performed by Deniz Cordell at 6pm.

Then enjoy a NEYT senior company performance of Scapin, written by France’s king of comedy – Moliere. NEYT uses the rave review off-Broadway adaptation created by America’s most famous clowns, Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell, who starred in the original Broadway production. It is literally laugh-a-second mayhem!

Another Loss for Brattleboro – Adivasi

by KAlden | Business

I was saddened to hear that ADIVASI will be closing it’s beautiful store on Flat Street. It hs always been a favorite place of mine to pick up an unusual gift or a beautiful tablecloth while supporting independent artisans. This is a huge loss for our town. I wish the family well.

One of the Best Little Towns!

by KAlden | Town News

Brattleboro has been named one of the 10 best towns in the US by Fodor’s magazine! Despite all our problems and all the complaining it’s still a pretty good place to live. Also included in the top 10 was Provincetown, Massachusetts- one of my favorite places to spend time.

www.fodors.com

Book Series: Two Hundred Years of Pride and Prejudice: A Look at Jane Austen’s Endurance

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Two Hundred Years of Pride and Prejudice: A Look at Jane Austen’s Endurance: A Two Book Reading Series

The reading/discussion series: Jane Austen Endures will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice and explore Austen’s publishing staying power. The two-book series sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council will also examine Austen’s universal appeal, her talent for capturing the time she lived in, and her comic, satiric tone, among other aspects of her writing.

Thursday April 4, 2013 1:30 PM until 3:00 PM
Richard Wizansky will lead a discussion on April 4, 2013, beginning at 1:30 PM in the Library’s meeting room on Pride and Prejudice.