Brattleboro’s March 2016 Candidates

Here’s the complete list of people registered with the Town Clerk in Brattleboro that will be on the ballot this March.

Dick DeGray, Avery Schwenk and David Gartenstein each hope to be elected to the two available one-year seats for Selectboard, indicating that we have an actual competitive race this year.

Kate O’Connor will run unopposed for a 3 year seat.


Tim (Johnson) Arsenault Running for Vernon Town Clerk

Vernon native and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim ( Johnson ) Arsenault, will seek the office of Vernon Town Clerk in the March first town wide election. The 59 year old Arsenault has served as the Town Moderator for the past 17 years, Brattleboro Union High School district Moderator for the past 16 years, Justice of the peace for 13 years, and Board of Civil Authority Chair for the past 7. He was named to the Vermont Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2014, and was the 2014 Brattleboro area Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year. Tim is a 1968 graduate of Vernon Elementary School, and a 1974 Brattleboro Union High school graduate.


Act 46 Study Committee Agenda and Minutes

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 Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at the Vernon Elementary School, Vernon.

AGENDA

I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Alice Laughlin, Committee Chair

II. REVIEW, PRIORITIZE AND ESTABLISH DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR MEETING BY CHAIRPERSON.


BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 1/25/2016

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 1/25/16

Monday, January 25, 2016

12:00 am Grafton Woodlands – A Discussion of Vermont’s Current and Future Energy Plan

2:10 am TED Talks: Shai Agassi’s Bold Plan for Electric Cars

2:30 am Donald Trump’s Presidential Rally in Burlington 1/7/16

3:45 am Rally for Love and Unity – Burlington, VT 1/7/16

4:00 am Historically Speaking – Jud Hartmann Gallery


Crafting for the Homeless – Help Make a Difference!

Crafting for the Homeless is in its second year of meeting on the first Sunday of the month from 1-3:00 pm at Brattleboro Area Jewish Community, Congregation Shir Heharim. 

 Some people come to learn to knit or crochet, others arrive with projects already underway.  Some are members of BAJC; some are not.  All are welcome! So far, we have donated 14 scarves, 20 hats, mittens, and 16 fleece blankets to Groundworks Collaborative, and we also are making knitted or crocheted squares to be stitched into afghans that we will sell to generate funds to purchase supplies. We also have completed one rug to sell.


Peanuts in Sesame Noodles May No Longer Be Organic

Several years ago, after a few reminders, I was happy that the coop finally switched to using organic peanut butter in the sesame noodle sauce available in bulk and in take-out sesame noodles. Although I rarely purchase this myself, I was concerned because this sauce is popular with children, and peanuts are one of the most heavily sprayed crops. Today, while spooning tahini into a jar, I couldn’t help but notice the ingredient list on the nearby bucket of peanut sauce, and the lack of the word “organic” preceding the peanuts. If you care about this, please let the folks at the coop know.


I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of January 24

I-91

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, January 24 and Sunday, January 31, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open.

Weekend closures of the Exit 3 on ramps will continue each weekend through the end of February. The closures will be on Sunday afternoons; except that on three-day weekends, they will be on Monday.

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.


5:45 Live: 1/22/16

Get all the details on this weeks Senate Judiciary Hearing in Brattleboro on legalizing marijuana, survey results and new action plans for the Police/Fire upgrade in town, new details (and drone footage) on the I-91 Bridge construction including a completion date, and much much more on this edition of 5:45 Live.


Weekend Creativity Series: Constructed Languages

This weekend we look at creativity with words. Have you ever thought about inventing your own language? Sometimes children do it, but what about adults?

Here’s a look at three grown-ups who have jobs constructing languages for movies, and how they approach their work. From thinking about who the characters are and where they are from, through grammatical systems and sounds, these folks help elves and Klingons communicate.


January 2016 is Rotary Awareness Month

Rotary International, along with its various clubs throughout the world, has established January as Rotary Awareness Month. 



Greg Worden, Brattleboro Rotary Club president, said, “A lot of people don’t know what Rotary International does. We want to get the word out.”



One of the biggest focuses of the organization is working to eliminate polio. The club has worked closely with World Health Organization (WHO) and the Gates Foundation in this effort. 



“We pretty much have polio eliminated except for two or three countries,” Worden said. 




The Brattleboro Historical Society Presents: This Week in Brattleboro History Podcast – Wearing Toilets?

It was one 120 years ago this week that a fancy dinner party at the Brooks House was attended by 125 of the most prominent citizens in Brattleboro, and a local paper reported to each attendee wore extremely rich and handsome toilets.

Eh, toilets?

BHS trustee, Joe Rivers, and his history students at the Brattleboro Area Middle School answer this riddle with a story of history and etymology, on this week’s edition of This Week in Brattleboro History.


Brattleboro Rotary Club Bestows 4th Annual “Norm Kuebler Four-Way Test” on The Works Bakery Cafe

The Brattleboro Rotary Club bestowed the fourth annual “Norm Kuebler Four-Way Test Award” upon The Works Bakery Cafe at the club’s weekly meeting on January 14, 2015.

The award honors the late Norm Kuebler, who was a past president of the club, a local businessman, and a longtime community volunteer. Kuebler died unexpectedly at the age of 63 in April 2010.

Kuebler was a strong proponent of Rotary International’s code of ethics, called the “Four-Way Test,” which asks, “Of the things we think, say, or do: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

In this spirit, the Brattleboro Rotary Club each year recognizes a local business that best exemplifies these values.


Token Economy

On social media we have personas we prop up, be they wild pseudonymic selves, or some semblance of our verifiable ID’s. On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, et. al., there’s the ever-present component of a post being liked or faved, or recycled.  Many posters curry favor, pander, intimidate, or otherwise stoke the flames of approval-by-click. Many online personalities have cultivated followings of several hundreds or thousands of people.

A pattern occurs which supposes that every submission will get at least some percentage of affirmation. Meaning many tokens of approval and affection. I’m wondering what happens to general human relations when this newly dominant form of sharing comes with expectation of a cluster of facile responses- from mostly strangers, or ‘friends’ through association?


Brattleboro Union High School Board Meeting Agenda

BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL BOARD
53 Green Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
www.wssu.k12.vt.us

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The BAMS Committee will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 25 in the Middle School Conference Room.

The BUHS #6 Teacher Curriculum Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 25 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room.


Lunar New Year of China, Korea and Vietnam

Asian Cultural Center of Vermont (ACCVT) presents Lunar New Year of China, Korea and Vietnam. Sunday, February 7, 1-3 at 118 Elliot Street, downtown Brattleboro (across from the fire station). It’s the 14th annual celebration of its kind in southeastern Vermont.

It’s a potluck.  Dance with the Dragon, do group calligraphy, join in a Korean tug-of-war, make a paper lantern or some origami, and sing a New Year’s song from East Asia. You don’t have to be Asian or know anything about Asia to participate!  We usher in the year of the Red Fire Monkey, a year of change and innovation where risk taking will be rewarded. 


Countdown to Primaries – Turn It Up To Eleven

The volume of presidential campaigns is currently set at maximum, as campaigns scramble to shore up support prior to the nation’s first primaries and the slow descent into summer conventions. Things remain lively for those who like this show:

– Trump says Sarah Palin can have a position in his administration, if elected.

 – Sanders is now besting Clinton in NH by 27 points according to a CNN/WMUR poll.

– NBC is reporting that some of Clinton emails on her private server were designated Top Secret/Special Access.


Selectboard Meeting Notes: Onward To Black Mountain Road

The Brattleboro Selectboard made the decision to recommend the Black Mountain Road police station option to Representative Town Meeting, and the Town Attorney said Town Meeting Representatives could only vote on the police station portion of the facilities projects, as it was the only project with a change of location.

Several items were placed on the warning for Representative Town Meeting, the PAYT committee was dissolved, a Special Represntative Town Meeting has been scheduled, SeVEDS and child care centers both were warned not to burden Brattleboro’s taxpayers, and the FY17 budget has been approved for Representative Town meeting debate.

All this and more, in a meeting that stretched past ten o’clock.