Brattleboro Town Meeting Petition

by George Carvill | Politics

I am circulating a petition to get a positive question on the Brattleboro Town Meeting Warning for a March vote. In short, it provides a chance for Brattleboro to say we have our standards and values and we will live up to them regardless of what happens in Washington.

Please use the link below to download a copy of the petition, sign it (and maybe get a couple of signatures from folks in your household) and return in to the Brattleboro Town Clerk by Thursday, Jan. 19. Or you can stop in at Everyone’s Books on Elliot Street and sign the copy on their counter.

The End of Ringling Bros. Circus

by cgrotke | Obituaries

The Ringling Bros. circus is shutting down this May after 146 years. This circus would come to Brattleboro back in the day.

Owners says it is a combination of the times (we are easily distracted by other things), the cost of hauling an enormous show from town to town, and a lack of elephants. Elephants had been a part of the show until last year and there was a major drop-off in attendance after they left.

Final shows will be in Providence, RI, and Uniondale, NY later this spring. 500 employees will be looking for work.

(Note to former-circus folk, do consider coming up to Brattleboro. Our circus schoool is being built as I type and we could use more!)

I Am Running For Selectboard

by BrandieStarr | Town News

Hello! I wanted to take a moment to announce my run for Selectboard. I am excited to embark on this run and welcome any questions you might have. Feel free to email me: . I have started a Facebook page and will post questions and answers there as well. 

Cyber Threats. How Real Are They?

by EuropaIT_Luke | Sci-Tech

Working in the IT field I often see a common occurrence with businesses and consumers alike. Everyone hears about large companies being hacked or their neighbors computer catching a virus, but often times people do not put as much priority on their computers security as they should. We all hope that it never happens to us, and many people think they are too small to be a target for hackers. The truth is, smaller targets are often easier to attack so instead of spending months trying to penetrate a large corporation or financial institution, hackers will spend far less time attacking many small businesses at once.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – January 17, 2017

by cgrotke | Town News

After many a meeting to discuss the details, the FY18 Municipal Budget will likely be approved for presentation to Representative Town Meeting at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

An $80,000 IT plan will be presented. The board also will hear about financial audits, work out an easement arrangement with Commonwealth Dairy, loan some money to Hermit Thrush Brewery, and more.

The End of Free VY Calendars

by cgrotke | History

Everyone who moved to southern Vermont in the last few decades was treated to a free calendar. It was sent out each year by Vermont Yankee (and later Entergy) and featured old photos from historical societies in the area.

These calendars contained the required safety information for the nuclear plant about emergency notifications, iodine tablets, special alert radios, evacuating the area, shelters, what to do with pets, siren testing, and a message about how radiation is natural and accidents unlikely.

The final calendar (unless one shows up soon) was sent out in 2016. Sure, it contains mini-calendar in the back for 2017 and 2018, but it was the final full calendar sent.

Brattleboro Martin Luther King Jr. Day Closings

by Not Signed In | Town News

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2017, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Monday, January 16. All other violations will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 16.

Act 46 Study Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

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 Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at the Putney Central School.

AGENDA

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

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

I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of January 16th

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

I-91

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.

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Monday, January 16th (MLK Day) from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (I-91 will remain open). Traffic conditions on both I-91 and through the town will be monitored closely throughout the day. Should traffic congestion become an issue, the ramps may be re-opened until traffic conditions improve. This will be managed actively throughout the day until peak traffic volumes have passed.

For your planning purposes, ramp closures are also scheduled 1/22/17 and 1/29/17 in January.

Paths of the Gods: Hiking the Sorrento Peninsula at Brooks Library

by Brooks Memorial Library | Arts

Save the date! Join former Library Director Jerry Carbone and his touring companions, Arthur and Carol Westing (Putney, Vt.), on January 28, at 3 PM, in the Library’s meeting room, for a talk on a recent hiking trip to Italy’s famed Sorrento peninsula. The group hiked and toured the area for two weeks in November. The slide presentation will include views and topography from the ancient trails and mule paths that line the limestone Latarri Mountain range and Tyrrhenian Sea.

Brattleboro History – The Hollows

by reginaldwam3 | History

There are murder mysteries and strange names associated with a few small hollows in our region… here are a couple of stories…

Produced by Joe Rivers and his students at the Brattleboro Area Middle School.
Released January 12, 2017

The Snaz Plays Saxtons River

by NewsWriter | Music

SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – Local indie rock band The Snaz will hit the stage at
Main Street Arts Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. for an energetic live performance of their quirky brand of throbbing rhythm.

   Billed as “coming from the depths of Brattleboro,” the group is made up of four local kids who came together four years ago as young teens and have grown and improved since, finding a favored spot in Windham County’s competitive music scene and expanding farther afield across New England.

Woman’s Educational and Industrial Union

by BusyMom | History

From Today in History 1894:

Many people will learn with regret that the women in charge of the “Woman’s
Educational and Industrial union” have decided to give up the work and close the room in Ryther building February 1. The union has been very useful in helping women to help themselves.

Looks like the parent organization existed until quite recently in Boston.

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/weiu.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_Educational_and_Industrial_Union

Holiday lights at the 5/9/91 Roundabout?

by BusyMom | Questions & Answers

Just thought of this as I was driving around the Roundabout this morning.  One day in December when I was driving by, there were a few people in the center of the roundabout setting up what looked like big stars full of lights.  But then they weren’t there the next time I drove by.  Does anyone know about this?  Did some people set it up without permission or encounter a lack of electricity?

For perspective, I was involved in the past in the Putney Road Business Association, which became the North End Business Association, which has now been pretty much inactive due to lack of leadership and shortage of volunteers.  We used to do the luminaria around the intersection in the 90s, and for a year or two we put lights on the (at the time very small) trees in the middle of the roundabout.  We had an arrangement with either the town or the state for electricity.

Selectboard Special Meeting – FY18, Solar at the Landfill, DeGray Not Running Again

by cgrotke | Town News

Dick DeGray will be joining David Gartenstein at the proverbial Selectboard retirement center, announcing his intentions not to run at Tuesday’s special meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

The meeting had two focal points and one interesting diversion. The FY18 budget and tax rate is very close to being finalized, a new era of solar net-meter credits has dawned, and a citizen wonders how to get attention for a dangerous stretch of road.

BMH Expansion: Could It Tap Into BUHS Heat Plant?

by David Cadran | Town Plan

It looks like BMH is growing again to meet the needs of changing technology and a greying population. Part of this expansion is the multi-million dollar replacement of the oil boilers with new ones that use a slightly cheaper form of oil. A question I would like to pose is what is the possibility of extending lines from the wood chip plant at BUHS to meet the needs of BMH.

I am sure there are A LOT of considerations (cost, ability to serve both, etc etc) but I just wanted to pose the idea and get people’s thoughts… I just want to see them move off of oil….

Thanks

Cutting the Cord

by cgrotke | Media

My years of cable TV are coming to an end. The combination of rising cable service prices and completely lackluster programming options led me to make the move.

It’s not that hard to do. I called up Comcast and asked to be disconnected. My rep said, sure, then went through the script to try to prevent me from leaving.

Why do you want to end the service? Um.. ever-increasing rates, too many PBS stations, way too many shopping and religious channels, Comcast is a cruddy company, and so on.

Maybe you need more channels, how about an upgrade to 40 channels? Uh, no thanks. It costs more and doesn’t solve the problem.

BCTV Schedules For Week of 1/9/17

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 1/9/17

Monday, January 9, 2017

12:00 am At Landmark: Professor Lyrical, ‘Rapping with the Professor’ 2/8/16

1:30 am Northern Roots 2016

3:30 am Sean Gaskell’s Kora Concert

5:00 am GMMT: Friday News Show

5:30 am New England Cooks: Chef Todd Cassell