Your Vote Your Decision – Australian Ballot

by JohnKennedy | Op/Ed

Voting for Australian (Secret) Ballot on March 3rd is a vote for including all Brattleboro voters in All decision-making.

Many voters cannot attend a Town Meeting or Representative Town Meeting.

Healthcare workers, hospitality industry workers, first-responders at the fire stations, shut-in seniors, or myriad others working at jobs where taking time off is not an option.

But every voter can cast their vote in person or by mail in the comfort of their own home.  Yet they can’t vote on the most important issue on the ballot.  Why?  Because in Brattleboro the Budget can only be voted on by Representative Town Meeting.

Harris Hill Ski Jump Competition February 14-15, 2026

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

Harris Hill Ski Jump will take center stage February 14 and 15 as 50+ athletes from the U.S. and Europe converge for one of North America’s most storied ski jumping competitions. This year’s event, the 104th competition at Harris Hill, features a rare convergence of international rivalries and up and coming Olympic-level talent.

The Winged Ski Trophy Showdown
Slovenia’s Urh Rošar returns to Harris Hill seeking a historic third victory in the Fred Harris Memorial Tournament on Sunday, a win that would permanently retire the iconic Winged Ski Trophy under long-standing rules at Harris Hill. Standing in his way is teammate and close friend Ozbej “OB” Kotnik (SLO), the 2023 champion, who is determined to keep the trophy in circulation. With the trophy retirement rule changing after 2026, this weekend could mark the final opportunity ever to retire the Winged Ski Trophy.

Ben Stockman on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

BEN STOCKMAN has some great stories of his early years at NEYT, (New England Youth Theater); capturing the spirit and camaraderie that was the foundation which created his deep love of acting and directing. Now, as the Artistic Director at NEYT, Ben is continuing that tradition and creating inspired productions and new stories.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda and Notes February 5, 2026

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom.  The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Closed captioning will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town website by the end of the day.

SNAP & Healthcare Open Hours on Friday

by ESchwartz | Health

Are you confused about the new SNAP requirements?
Do you need help signing up for SNAP or Medicaid?
Have you been cut off SNAP or Medicaid or had benefits reduced?
Do you need help paying for Medicare premiums or co-pays?

The Vermont Workers’ Center is holding open hours at the Brooks Memorial Library Community Room on Feb. 6 from 2-4:30 PM to help people understand and navigate these programs. We’ll have information about Medicaid, Medicare, and the SNAP work requirements and exemptions, and can work with people on submitting applications and other paperwork.

“Holding Our Own” Showing and Community Discussion

by CenterforSolace | Media

Please join Center for Solace (formerly Brattleboro Area Hospice) at the Brooks Memorial Library on Wednesday, February 4 at 6 to 8 pm to view the film “Holding Our Own”.

Vermont filmmaker Camilla Rockwell, a longtime collaborator with Ken Burns, created “Holding Our Own”, a beautiful exploration of the power of art on end of life. It highlights the work of Hallowell & Deidre Scherer, as well as interviews with our staff and Dr. Ira Byock, an internationally known author and Hospice MD.

Join Me in Volunteering at Beloved Winter Shelter

by IsaacEF | Activism

Join me in volunteering at the Beloved Winter Shelter. If they don’t get enough night volunteers they’ll have to stay closed during some extreme temperatures.

The other day I was talking with Amanda Ellis-Thurber, a fellow selectboard member. She reminded me that she has been volunteering with the Beloved Community Winter Shelter up on Town Crier Drive, and encouraged me to do the same. So I reached out to shelter staff, and last weekend did my first shift there.

January 2026 Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

January has been a cold snowy month with 3.02 inches of precipitation measured compared to the NOAA normal of 3.39″. So far this water year, starting the first of October the moisture total is 13.72″ compared to the norm of 15.99″.  So the dryness of last year is continuing.

My snowfall total this month is 22.8″ compared to my average of 16.7″.  This goes back to the winter of 1993-94. The highest January snow total over that time is 37″ in 2011.   I also saw 6 mornings with temps below zero in January.  We did still manage to have a couple storms fall as rain or part rain.  My season snow total stands at 37.3″.

Civil War II?

by RDavis | Activism

Protests in this country are escalating, yet the illegal violence against citizens continues. The Trump sandbox mentality of having the big guns makes him feel that no laws apply to him, so he continues to trample on the rights of Americans as well as some people in other parts of the world.

Most of us are feeling helpless, but the question in my mind is whether or not people will move their protests closer to the level of a civil war. We are losing the democracy that many of us have believed in, and we are being mentally and physically tormented on a regular basis just for trying to stand up for the rights that have been guaranteed in the documents that are supposed to guide the people who run this country.

Brattleboro Selectboard Candidates

by cgrotke | Politics

The latest slate of candidates for Brattleboro Selectboard has been finalized.

For the 3 year seat, Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Ken Fay, and current Chair Elizabeth “Liz” McLoughlin are hoping they will get your vote for the single available seat.

Tarot, Divination & Intuitive Arts as Insight, Guidance and Inspiration by Patti Newton

by SilverMoon | Spiritual

In Mainstream media Tarot or Tools for divination are often depicted as creepy fortune Tellers, Ancient prophetic Seers or eccentric women looking into crystal balls. They are usually regarded as the bearers of ill fortune, futures that are clouded by scary predictions and ill-fated omens. It’s no wonder that same mindset that has presented this negative image has also persecuted those in real life who have been the herbalists, the healers, the midwives, and those who brought comfort to those who were struggling; the Wise ones, the Shamans, and the Sensitives.

Every culture down through the ages have utilized divination arts. This is because it was recognized that humans have a natural intuitive/intelligence that is akin to animals renowned for their own high intelligence and intuition including chimpanzees, elephants, and octopuses, which display advanced problem-solving, tool use, and self-awareness. Other notable, highly intelligent creatures include crows, which understand cause-and-effect, and dolphins, which possess complex emotional processing and self-recognition.

Deliberation – A Virtue of Town Meeting

by RobertOeser | Op/Ed

Recently, I stumbled upon some inadvertent endorsements for a Town Meeting style of governance I thought I would share. These are excerpts from several podcasts: The first is entitled “I Drove To The Worst Place In Vermont. This Is What I Saw” (Spoiler alert: it’s not that bad) https://bit.ly/4nzDwEn

In this clip, a question is raised about the values unique to Vermont. While acknowledging the rise in polarization in the country generally, the podcaster zeroes in on “old school Vermont,” where everyone at Town Meeting argues with each other, but then has lunch and talks about what unites them.

NXT Gallery Presents Home Land: New Paintings by Finn Campman

by hahrenholz | Arts

Next Stage Arts’ NXT Gallery will open a new exhibition, Home Land: Paintings by Finn Campman, with a public reception on Sunday, February 15, from 3–5 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney. The exhibition will remain on view through May 10.

In Home Land, Finn Campman explores painting as an act of orientation—both personal and geographic. His work reflects a deep attentiveness to place, memory, and presence, using the painted surface as a way to mark time and affirm connection. “My process is about the act of reaching out to make sure I know where I am,” Campman writes. “To check my coordinates, to mark a signpost for my memories—as if to say, ‘This is where I am now.’” The resulting paintings feel grounded and contemplative, tethered to the land and to the lived experience of being part of it.

Brattleboro Overnight Snow Removal Scheduled for Jan. 27

by Not Signed In | Town News

Snow and ice will be removed from streets and uncovered parking lots in Brattleboro tonight, Jan. 27, 2026, starting at 11 p.m.

The affected streets include: Main Street, Flat Street, Elm Street, Elliot Street, High Street, Grove Street, Harris Place, Walnut Street, Chapin Street, Oak Street, Church Street, School Street, Park Place, Canal Street, Western Avenue, Green Street, and South Main Street.

Central Street Sewer Repairs

by Not Signed In | Town News

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Central Street will be closed between Washington Street and Highland Street while the Utilities Division makes repairs to a sewer service.  The work will take place in the area of 81 Central Street between 7:00am and 3:00pm.  Residents will have access to their homes from either side of this closure. 

Motorists should plan alternative routes during this time.