Consider Brattleboro Police & Fire Projects Separately?

by JohnWilmerding | Questions & Answers

In our meeting last evening, members of the Brattleboro Town Finance Committee introduced, and then tabled until a subsequent meeting, a motion to recommend to the Town administration and the Representative Town Meeting that the Police & Fire Department renovations, modifications, and additions be considered separately on their merits.

Members of the Finance Committee would appreciate public feedback and ideas. We noted that several public informational sessions are scheduled. We hope that clarity on the issue will emerge over the next few weeks.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – November 17, 2015

by cgrotke | Town News

The awaited Option Agreement to lock-in a chance to purchase a property at 62 Black Mountain Road has materialized and will be signed (if there is no objection) at the Brattleboro Selectboard’s next meeting. No property is bought, but some money is spent.

Brattleboro Land Use regulations may or may not be adopted, and may or may not be sent back to the Planning Commission for further work. It all depends on if the board is satisfied that any changes to the current draft are minor edits. One of the changes requested, though, isn’t minor. We’ll see how this gets resolved.

Also on the agenda, tax stabilization agreements for local farms, a report on town energy consumption, and more. Attend in person or watch on BCTV, and read about it here after the meeting.

Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Committee Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 6:30pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room. It is anticipated that the Committee will enter into executive session at 6:30pm to discuss records exempt from access to public records.

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

VTC Nursing Program Open House: Tues. Nov. 17

by Not Signed In | Health

VTC’s Nursing Program in Brattlelboro WELCOMES ALL TO THEIR OPEN HOUSE on TUES. Nov. 17

BRATTLEBORO—Vermont Technical College’s Nursing Campus, SE Region, is holding an OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday, November 17 from 4-6 PM at their campus on the second floor of the Brooks House. There will be blood pressure reading and hand-washing demonstrations. VTC Admissions counselors, nursing instructors, nurses and student nurses will be on hand to talk about nursing and the VTC program. Community College of Vermont academic advisors will also be available to talk about pre-requisite nursing courses and a program for high school students allowing them to take college-level classes for free.

VTC’s nursing program in Brattleboro, one of the nation’s first-ever practical schools of nursing, was started shortly after the Civil War and has been in continuous existence since 1907 when funds from Thomas Thompson’s estate made it possible. It has been part of Vermont Technical College since 1994.

Ricardo Nava: Collagraphs for Sculpture – Exhibition Opening Reception and Book Launch

by ACCVT | Arts

Collagraphs for Sculpture

After his recent sculpture shows at Brattleboro Museum and Helen Day Art Center (VT) and Governor’s Island (NY), Rodrigo Nava debuts at C.X. Silver Gallery his series of collagraph prints, a book accompanying this exhibition, and selected sculpture in new installations inside and out front of the gallery.  

Inspired by textures and shapes of vessels and other objects of his home and studio, Nava sees these collagraphs “as much a part of my oeuvre as the sculptures themselves” and values both their relic-like qualities of uncertainty and imperfection as remnants of his processes and experiences and the sculptural qualities of way the collagraph plate is prepared.

Diwali New Year Festival of India Downtown at 118 Elliot, Sun. Nov 15 1-3pm

by ACCVT | Arts

Asian Cultural Center of Vermont (ACCVT) presents Diwali New Year Festival of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka downtown at 118 Elliott Art Space, Brattleboro, VT (across from the Fire Station). All ages welcome.

Ras Garbha community dance to join in, learn (no prior experience needed), or watch. Trying on a sari. Henna decoration. Making paper Diwali lanterns. Community art: making a rangoli, an auspicious circular design usually done in sand but also (and in this case) done with flowers, pine cones, leaves, and dry beans and lentils (find some of these to bring to the festival – for flowers, bring ones that have a lot of petals like chrysanthemums – traditional flower petal colors are white, red and yellow.)

Brattleboro Area Hospice to present Advance Care Planning: Digging into the Details

by Not Signed In | Health

On Monday Nov. 16th from 6-8 pm, Brattleboro Area Hospice and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will co-sponsor a free public workshop on Advance Care Planning as part of the Wellness in Windham educational series. It will be held in the Brew Barry conference room at BMH.

Many of us know we need to complete our advance directives, but we keep putting it off. If a serious illness or accident leaves you unable to communicate, an advance directive becomes your voice. It tells those you love and your healthcare providers what you would want them to do for you. An advance directive is a gift to your loved ones—preventing them from the heart-rending burden of having to second-guess your wishes.

In this workshop you will:

Police-Fire Facilities Project Public Sessions

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

The Brattleboro Town Manager’s office announces that the Selectboard is holding 3 special meetings to present information and hear public comment about the proposed alternatives for this project. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend at least one of these meetings:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, AT 9:00 AM, AT THE GREEN STREET SCHOOL GYM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, AT 6:00 PM, AT THE ACADEMY SCHOOL GYM (ASL interpreters will attend this meeting and BCTV will record it for later broadcast)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, AT 6:00 PM, AT THE BRATTLEBORO AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM

Modern Wood Heat: An Economic Engine for Windham County

by Not Signed In | Economics

Windham County is poised to lead a modern wood heat revolution in Vermont—and there are several reasons we should be leading the charge.

Modern wood heat—I’ll explain just what that is in a minute—will deliver economic, ecological and community benefits to our county. It will create jobs in forest-based businesses and foster energy independence, both of which Vermonters value.

Modern wood heating systems use high-efficiency boilers to heat whole buildings ranging in size from a modest one-story home to apartment buildings to large commercial buildings. Instead of oil, these systems feed on wood pellets or wood chips that are delivered in bulk and stored on-site. When you push up the thermometer, the heat kicks in just as it would with fossil fuel, but you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are heating with a renewable local fuel and that your heating budget is supporting our economy.

Valgar Street Fire Deemed Suspicious

by BrattFireDept | Police & Fire

For Immediate Release – November 11, 2015

The investigation into the fire that caused extensive damage to four apartments at 16 – 38 Valgar St. has been determined to be suspicious in nature. In a joint effort, Investigators from the Brattleboro Fire Department, Brattleboro Police Department and the VT State Police have been working continuously since the morning of the fire to determine an origin and cause, and conducting interviews to gather information.

At this time the investigation is ongoing and the agencies are asking for anyone who may have seen anything unusual before the time of the fire or may have any information about the fire to call the Brattleboro Police Department at 802-257-7946 or the Brattleboro Police Tips Hotline at 802-251-8188. There is also up to a $5000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction by calling 1-800-32-ARSON (1-800-322-7766).

Shoppell’s House Plans

by BusyMom | History

1887:

S.H. Sherman’s new house on High street is making rapid advancement, and when completed will be one of the finest residences in town. The plan is Shoppell’s No. 300. It will be the first building in town to be warmed by the Gurney hot water system.

https://www.mitchellspublications.com/rep/arch/shoppell/toc/

Reviews mention that these books of Victorian-era house plans are quite popular among restorers.

Distinguishing Between Fact, Opinion, Belief, and Prejudice

by ChrisPratt | Op/Ed

From Colarado State University’s Writing Center

A fact is verifiable. We can determine whether it is true by researching the evidence. This may involve numbers, dates, testimony, etc. (Ex.: “World War II ended in 1945.”) The truth of the fact is beyond argument if one can assume that measuring devices or records or memories are correct. Facts provide crucial support for the assertion of an argument. However, facts by themselves are worthless unless we put them in context, draw conclusions, and, thus, give them meaning.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – Land Use Regs Stall, FY17 Budget Preview

by cgrotke | Town News

One of the more spirited and specific discussions of the proposed Land Use Regulations occurred Tuesday evening, the result being a board unable to approve the regulations until further consideration.  Remaining issues include clarity of wording regarding signs and whether a new district boundary should be in the middle of the road or not.

The board also received an overview of the proposed budget for next year, where they learned that the starting point for discussions is a budget that increases 4.7%, which translates to an increase to property owners of $43.21 for each $100,000 of property value.  This, of course, before adding in any costs for funding Police and Fire facilities, if approved.

It’s early in the process and there are areas ripe for discussion before final rates are set, but there isn’t much proverbial wiggle room.

Qigong for Healing and Living Fully – Healing Sounds

by Not Signed In | Health

You are your best healer! Come learn how each and everyone of us is born with the innate gift to heal ourselves. In this half-day intensive, you will experience simple and profound ways to awaken your body’s innate healing ability while deepening your capacity to relax and enjoy your life more completely.

Qigong is an ancient form of meditative movement that is over 5,000 years old. In China, qigong is one of the secrets to living a long and healthy life. The simple movements and breathing practices help relax the physical body, calm the mind and raise the spirit. It is an excellent form of preventative healthcare, and also used in treating major illnesses and minor ailments.

Antje Duvekot and The Stockwell Brothers at The Windham Ballroom on Saturday, November 14

by Not Signed In | Music

Next Stage Arts Project, in collaboration with Twilight Music, Popolo and WOOL91.5, presents contemporary folk singer/songwriter Antje Duvekot and newgrass quartet The Stockwell Brothers at The Windham Ballroom in Bellows Falls, VT on Saturday, November 14 at 8:00 pm.

Antje Duvekot is a German-born, American-raised singer/songwriter whose songs have been critically praised for their hard-won wisdom, dark-eyed realism and street-smart romanticism. Her bicultural upbringing and relative newness to English have helped shape her unique way with a song, giving her a startlingly original poetic palette. They are the keys to the powerful, even revolutionary, empathy that informs everything she writes. She has won some of the top songwriting awards including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the Kerrville Folk Festival Best New Folk Award and the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Act.

Untimely Death on Old Ferry Road is Suspicious

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

State Police Updates and Press Release:

“UPDATE #2:

The Brattleboro Police Department and the Vermont State Police continue to investigate the untimely death of Sultan Rashed. Investigation has revealed that this death is not a suicide and in fact a death with suspicious circumstances. Investigation suggests this is not a random act and does not suggest any threats to the public in general. An autopsy is scheduled for today at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and will focus on the cause and manner of death. 
 
Anyone who had contact with Sultan Rashed from 11/8/15 – 11/9/15 is asked to contact the Vermont State Police or the Brattleboro Police Department.

Brooks Memorial Library Director Selected – Starr LaTronica

by Brooks Memorial Library | Town News

We at BML are very excited and proud to have Starr LaTronica as our new Library Director beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016. LaTronica was recruited through an extensive search process by a committee that included the Brattleboro Town Manager and representatives of the public, the library Board of Trustees, and the staff. She will succeed the retiring current Library Director, Jerry Carbone.

LaTronica, youth services/outreach manager, Four County Library System, Binghamton, N.Y., is the president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). LaTronica received her MLS in 1980 from University of California, Berkeley, and has been an ALSC member for more than 27 years.