CALL TO ORDER—6:00 p.m. – Anne Beekman, Chair
The chair announced that the previously scheduled presentation on Act 173 is postponed until the October meeting.
On a motion by Deborah Stanford the board approved the minutes of August 16, 2023.
While trying to gather names in support of keeping Rescue, Inc. ,at the Senior Center, I was informed that this was not allowed. This was not a partition for any political party, it was a partition involving the health and welfare of the people of Brattleboro.
Let us go back just a bit. Originally the Town Representatives voted for monies to go to Rescue, Inc. not to be put in the Town Budget as an axillary line item. So they hire a Town Manager, who we find out later that had ties with Golden Cross. When this happened why did this not alert our Selectboard to question these ties. Instead of admitting that they dropped the ball they continue to try to ram this down the throats of the Brattleboro residences, even with the multitude of responses that we want Rescue, Inc .
Last week, the Brattleboro Selectboard voted to reveal the major issues with Rescue that board members have known about but have not shared with the public. At the time, Chair Ian Goodnow said “It will be a meeting prior to our decision with ample time for public participation,” and “We’ll have a new schedule with plenty of notice for everyone.”
The public meeting to tell the full story from Brattleboro’s point of view took place in the middle of Tuesday’s EMS Public Forum, in comments made by HR Director Sally Nix.
Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.
Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am for the fall. The fall tours will take place Saturdays, September 16, October 14 & 28, and November 4.
The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus welcomes new members to sing with us in an Open Rehearsal tomorrow, September 14th. Come join in the singing in person on Thursday mornings or evenings, or virtually on Friday mornings (just for the month of October). This Open Rehearsal is for to new singers to come and check out the chorus to see if it is a good fit for them. Advance registration is required for all singers via our website.
The Chorus welcomes anyone ages 10 and up who identifies as female or non-binary, and whose vocal range comfortably includes the A in the middle of the treble staff. All abilities are welcome and no auditions are required.
Ever since the relationship between Rescue and Brattleboro was ruptured in 2022, the Town has been faced with the challenge of arranging for EMS services. While the explanations for the 2022 break have been vague and unconvincing, the plan is for the Selectboard to decide how to proceed at its 19 September meeting. There are three options. Details on the three are worked out in Town Manager Potter’s 1 September “Transition Update” memo and a 7 September “Supplemental” memo (hereafter first and second memos); both of them, and much more information, is posted at the dedicated Fire-EMS Transition section of the Town website. . It is important to note that Mr. Potter’s analysis of the three options are focused on the first year–FY25 impacts—on the General Fund. Longer-term financial impacts for a Town EMS are not estimated.
Although I have made a comment or two on ibrattleboro.com decrying the autocratic manner of selectboard members (we make the decisions, we don’t have to explain), I have been reluctant to speak out about the EMS controversy as I have not made a truly serious effort to become informed. After watching the September 12 EMS forum, I still do not feel capable of analysing which choice is better; but on a gut-feeling basis, I do not trust the Dog-And-Pony-Show put on by Town leadership. A “consensus” of 11 Town employees concerned with their jobs reciting matching opinions, is hardly a genuine consensus.
Still, I wondered what if they are right and EMS run by the fire department actually would be better?
I took notes for last night’s public… uh, lecture? …spanking?…justifications? ….gaslighting? It certainly didn’t seem much like a forum on EMS options.
For example, Town Manager John Potter introduced the evening by saying that one goal for the evening was to NOT go into detail of any of the EMS options. A goal.
This was followed by over an hour of Town staff, many who live on towns served by Rescue, explaining why each and every one of them think the BFD is great! A member of the public called BS on this pretty quickly, but was ignored.
Below are my notes (cut and pasted from the comments of another thread.):
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Board will meet at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 in the WRCC, Cusick Conference Room, and remotely via Zoom.
Awhile ago in a thread about disinformation, and disintegration of truth, Chris made a comment about the loss of ‘Real Educations’; and that got me thinking… one side effect of getting older is being forced to sort out how things have changed and are changing.
Maybe it’s fallout from social media, immersive screen technology, dwelling in virtual realms, shortened attention spans- all those have exacted a cost to the species in the loss of tactile, mechanical, sensual, kinesthetic knowledge. Many vital skills and ways are fading.
Here’s the start of a list …a few of what I think are essential learnings, vanishing due to our fast paced, google eyed way of life. Skills that may have once seemed timeless, or at least somehow central to the persistence and pleasure of human existence. I hope others will add to the collection
Sept 11 Beef Stew over Biscuit
Yellow Squash
Green Beans w/Onion & Peppers
Pineapple
AGENDA
I. Call to Order / Introductions / Recognition of Visitors
II. Coffee Talk with the School Board
III. Adjourn
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series and Twilight Music present an evening of brass-fueled, swinging music of New Orleans by the Soggy Po Boys, on Sunday, October 8 at 3:00 pm at West River Park in Brattleboro, VT. The jazz septet brings The Big Easy to street corners, clubs, festivals, and concert halls, celebrating the sounds and stories of New Orleans.
The Soggy Po’ Boys have spread the good news of New Orleans music across the northeast and beyond since 2012. Stu Dias (vocals, guitar), Eric Klaxton (clarinet, soprano sax), Josh Gagnon (trombone), Nick Mainella (tenor sax), Mike Effenberger (piano), Brian Waterhouse (drums), and Scott Kiefner (bass) explore the vast musical traditions of New Orleans, looking beyond NOLA jazz to include traditional Caribbean tunes, Meters funk, soul, and brass band/street beat music. Next Stage Production Director and Twilight Music’s Barry Stockwell notes “the Soggy Po Boys lit up a full house at Next Stage on a cold, December, Saturday night with the uplifting sounds and spirit of New Orleans – we’re thrilled to bring the party outdoors as part of the Bandwagon Summer Series.”
Monday, September 11, 2023
6:00 am Couch Potatoe Productions – Twilight on the Tavern Lawn presents The Woodpeckers 8/6/23
7:50 am Juno Orchestra – Heaven’s Border – Organum Light
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast
9:00 am Energy Week with George Harvey – Energy Week #538 – 8/31/2023
Thursday’s delayed Brattleboro Selectboard meeting almost seemed like a last-minute confessional. In the movie version it would have gone like this:
Board: “Forgive us, voting public, for we have committed the sin of omission. When we said it was about the one letter from Rescue, it wasn’t the full story…” (Cue ominous music)
…..
I’m not sure if it was the late hour, or a lack of air conditioning on a hot evening, or an impending sense of guilt, but moments before the the meeting was to wrap up, (with the next steps being a public information session then a board vote on EMS services,) board members revealed that they had other, important information that they have been keeping from the public.
Early this evening a thunder storm came through Brattleboro, with heavy rains, lighting and wind. The storm affected the Western Ave corridor and Maple Street corridor. The damage consists of trees and power lines down, and minor road damage. The Green Mountain Power South Substation is currrently down. This affects power to residents on Canal Street, Fairview Street, Maple Street to Western Ave and West Brattleboro, this is affecting 2600 residents. Green Mountain Power has crews working on the issue along with replacing a broken utility pole on Maple Street.
III. Updates
Mikaela Simms announced that October 6 will be a Working Towards Justice celebration at BUHS. They are seeking organizations to present workshops 8:45-1:20. Juniper Creative Arts, an organization that collaborates with youth to create murals, will be a part of the celebration, and Ms. Simms has applied for grant funding to finance JCA doing a several week project to create an exterior mural at BUHS that will include all students.
The Brattleboro RTM Human Services Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center.
The VT 142 paving operation is complete, with 5″ of pavement being placed. Final pavement will be held until the entire project is closer to completion next year. Placement of guard rail, bridge rail and fencing along the northern part of the project was completed this week. Temporary barrier has been placed along the southern portion of the project. Temporary pavement markings have been placed. Fine grading the shoulders, ditch lines and other critical areas, and backing up the pavement edges with crushed stone to eliminate drop-off are also being completed this week.
Well, well, well. The Brattleboro Selectboard has decided at the last moment that it would be good for them to explain to the public all the secret EMS BFD Rescue relationship information they have known about, information the public has asked them about for over a year and half and the board has remained steadily tight-lipped about. Until now.
Former Chair Liz McLoughlin cracked and said she wouldn’t let Rescue, Inc. control the narrative anymore, and that she wanted a meeting to reveal everything the board knows that the public has been kept in the dark about by her and her fellow board members. Chair Ian Goodnow warned the board that the town attorney told them they should not discuss these secrets with the public, but they voted to hold a special meeting anyway. The plan is to let the public know all the reasons that Rescue and BFD don’t get along.
This throws the public forum and decision-making meeting dates into question.
