Deadline Nears for Sanders’ State of the Union Essay Contest

by Not Signed In | Politics

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 4 – The deadline for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) sixth annual State of the Union essay contest is noon on Friday. Sanders essay contest calls upon Vermont’s high school students to address what they view as the major issues facing the United States. President Barack Obama will deliver his final State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 12.

Sanders’ annual essay contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to articulate what issues they would prioritize if they were president. A panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays and select a winner. The 20 finalists will have their essays entered into the Congressional Record — the official archive of the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 1/4/2016

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch8 schedule for the week of 1/4/16

Monday, January 4, 2016

12:00 am Vermont Humanities Fall Conference 11/14/15

1:30 am Hunger Mtn Coop Workshop Series: Living Tiny Conversations with Lisa Rochelle

2:50 am 1st Wed: Face to Face with the Emotional Brain

4:00 am A Retrospective on Vermont Environmental History

5:20 am Rights & Democracy Summit: Building an Economy for People & the Planet

Downtown Brattleboro Snow Removal

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.

Snow and ice will be removed from the streets in the downtown area this evening.

Parked vehicles in the downtown district must be removed by 10:30pm or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.

How To End War

by Lise | Op/Ed

This year’s seasonal epiphany had a fitting theme – peace and how to attain it.  It was a two part revelation.  The first is very simple: stop starting new wars.  If there’s not already a war somewhere, don’t start one.  Period.  No matter how undemocratic you think the regime or how crappy their policies, bombing a country does not improve the lives of the people there.  On the contrary, it destroys lives in every sense.  

Where to Donate Clothes in Brattleboro?

by KAlden | Questions & Answers

My grandson has outgrown a lot of his clothes – they are all of good quality and in good shape. No stains or tears, etc. Looking for suggestions on where to donate them – maybe a shelter? In the past I’ve given lots of clothes to Experienced Goods but have found that they often don’t get put out in the approriate season. I think at times they’re just swamped with donations and things get put aside. We’d like them to be given to families for free. They are sizes ranging from probably 4 – 5 , some size 6.- a little bit of everything- shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, pjs.

Any thoughts? Or, if anyone knows of a a family who has a boy around 4 or 5 who are in need of warm clothes please message me with the info, if approriate. Thanks.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – January 5, 2016

by cgrotke | Town News

Welcome to a new year of Brattleboro Selectboard meetings.

On Tuesday, to kick off 2016, the Brattleboro Selectboard will contemplate whether moving the police station to Black Mountain Road, away from the center of town and out of the municipal center, is a good idea or not. If you have views, you may want to attend and share them.

The board will also take up remaining issues with the FY17 budget proposal and discuss potential use of the fund balance (our “reserve”). There will be ordinary business related to articles on the Representative Town Meeting agenda. Cemetery and Energy Committees will give annual reports, new committee appointments will be made, and more.

Watch on BCTV and read about it here after the meeting.

Petitions for March 2016 Brattleboro Elections, Election Schedule, Open Seats

by Not Signed In | Politics

Petitions for Brattleboro Town and Town School District Officers and Town Meeting Members are now available at the Town Clerk’s office. Town elections and the Presidential Primary will be Tuesday, March 1, and the Annual Representatives Town Meeting, Saturday, March 19.

Petitions for Town Officers must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters and be filed in the clerk’s office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 25 in order to have their name placed on the ballot.

Brattleboro Committee Meetings and Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Regional Economic Hub Study Group will meet on Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, January 8, 2016 at 10:00am at the Marlboro College Graduate Center in the VCIL conference room.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

1886: Largest Block of Dummerston Granite, Now Missing

by DanAxtell | History

An item in iBratt’s Today in Local History sent me on an Internet hunt on this lazy New Year’s Day.
Dummerston’s big block of granite landed just south of the Basketball Hall of Fame until 2008.

1886:
The largest piece of granite ever quarried at Dummerston, and the largest one, probably, that ever passed through Brattleboro was brought down on Monday [likely Dec. 28, 1885]. It was 12 feet long by 9 feet 6 inches wide, and 6 feet thick. It went to Springfield, Mass., where it will form the top step of the new jail entrance.

Brattleboro Senior Meals January 2016 Breakfast Menu

by KathrynT | Food

January 5th- Whole Wheat Pancakes, Syrup Choice, Sausage, Home Fries, Fruit, Yogurt, Juice, Coffee.

January 8th- Greens, Eggs and Ham, Home Fries, Fruit Juice, Yogurt, Coffee.

January 12th -Cheese Omelets with Tomato, Onions and Peppers, Home Fries, Fruit, Yogurt, Juice, Coffee.

Yoga for Golfers in 2016!

by Kelly Salasin | Recreation & Sports

Hits the Spot Yoga at Solar Hill in West Brattleboro announces a new course for 2016: Yoga for Golfers.

Yoga Center Director/Founder Scott Willis created this 12-session course as a way for golfers to improve their game during the off season while enjoying the company of other folks who love golf. “Particularly as we age, we benefit greatly from practicing golf-specific yoga techniques for optimal flexibility, strength, and focus,” says Scott.

2015 In Review – A Cavalcade of Crises

by Lise | Op/Ed

So many things happened in 2015, it’s hard to catalog in one year-end summation. To a large extent, It was a year defined by crises, including financial distress in Greece and China as well as the Syrian refugee crisis and the rise of ISIL. But before we plunge into the disaster zone, it was also a political year. What better place to start than the US presidential campaigns, now well underway.

Here in Vermont, many were heartened by Bernie Sanders’ strong start and people-powered campaign. It was nice to see someone take on Hillary, even as he gave her a pass on her various scandals (emailgate, Benghazi). There was also the rise of Donald Trump as the Republican frontrunner who can say almost anything and still gain in the polls. Despite the theatrics, politics this year provided a patter of response to the events of 2015, as the real world intruded into the carefully crafted platforms of the various candidates. They were forced to take positions on gun control, foreign affairs, Black Lives Matter, and the global economy, articulated in a string of debates held by both parties. Voters who are paying attention got the chance to hone their own positions against those who would be our leaders over the next several years.

Error Code 200 – Flagging New York City

by cgrotke | Business

I tried to order a final gift online on Monday and my BS&L card was rejected by the web site. The site told me to re-enter my info, so I did, and it gave me the same error.

I had been doing this quite easily for the last few weeks, with items of similar prices, so I knew it wasn’t my card. I assumed the web site had errors.

So, while I liked the price and location of the original store in New York, I went to a different site in a different location and it worked. I ordered my item without a problem from a different place in Tennessee.

Unfortunately, after ordering, that store owner called me to tell me he was out of stock and didn’t expect a replacement until September.

Resolved! Rev. King’s Outcry Re Illegal Wars for Predatory Investments Will Trigger Prosecution

by jay janson | Op/Ed

DESCRIPTION:
Will 2016 be the year in which a prominent voice quotes King’s condemnations of US wars. Good people everywhere should resolve this new year to follow Ramsey Clark in his efforts toward hearing the truthful and liberating words of King as a catalyst toward achieving justice and adjudicated compensations that will end profitable genocide

TEXT:
Will it happen in 2016, during the weekend holiday in the United States dedicated to Martin Luther King’s birth date. that of the dozens of nations presently under attack, whether by US NATO UN military or economic warfare, one will field a celebrity status leader reading to the public from King’s long suppressed sermon Beyond Vietnam – a Time to Break Silence?

Brattleboro Union High School Board Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Education

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

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The BUHS #6 Finance Committee will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 14 in the James E. Kane Conference Room, 53 Green Street.

NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING

The BUHS #6 Board of Directors will hold a Public Information Meeting on the Proposed FY ‘17 Budget at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 4, 2016 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room. The regular Board meeting will follow at approximately 7:00 p.m.