The Refugee Crisis: How Can I Help?

by ESchwartz | Activism

The Brattleboro Area Interfaith Initiative is hosting an event to raise awareness of the plight of refugees around the world. This free public gathering will take place on April 2 at 7:00 PM at the Centre Congregational
Church, 193 Main Street, Brattleboro.

Sami Abdallah and Jennifer Silverstone from Eyes On Refugees will speak about their recent volunteer experience at refugee camps in France. They will be joined by Inga Paluch, who will give an overview of the work of Carry Me Home, a disaster relief organization based at the Centre Congregational Church. This initiative is run entirely by volunteers who collect children’s clothing, baby carriers, and small toys and ship them to refugees along the Balkan route.

Sandglass Theater’s New Vision Series Presents: Shoshana Bass ‘When I Put On Your Glove’

by Not Signed In | Arts

Sandglass Theater’s New Visions Series presents When I Put On Your Glove
Join Sandglass in a process of transformation.

On April 1st -3rd Shoshana Bass will be performing her first work-in-progress showing of When I Put On Your Glove, which navigates the landscape of generational, artistic inheritance through puppetry, dance and spoken word. The piece explores Shoshana’s relationship to her father’s Autumn Portraits vignettes, and investigates past and present through the memories living within the puppets. Through engaging with the puppets, the piece addresses universal questions of belonging, childhood, fear of loss, and death. This piece will be presented as part of Sandglass Theater’s New Visions Series, which serves as a laboratory for new works by artists in the field of puppetry and movement-based theater.

Hire Putney School Students on April 16th – Support the VT Refugee Resettlement Program

by Not Signed In | Activism

The Putney School’s annual Charitable Work Day will take place on Saturday, April 16th. If you live within 30 minutes of Putney, you can hire high school students to do yard work or house work for you, and all of the money raised this year will go to the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program.

Did you know that when refugees arrive in the US for resettlement, the government only provides them with about $925 each to get them started in their new home? Imagine trying to settle into a new country, find a job, and earn enough money for your next month’s rent before that initial stipend runs out.

Sanders and Clinton and Trump, Oh My!

by Lise | Politics

I’ve been hearing a lot of scary news among the pundits whose screeds populate my news feed in the morning.  Usually they pertain to what horrible things will happen if this or that person (usually Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders) is elected.  This got me thinking about what would happen if any of them were actually to win – as one of them is almost certain to do.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Two-Thirds Sworn In, Black Mountain Road Purchase Goes Forward

by cgrotke | Town News

Town Clerk Annette Cappy presided over the swearing in of two out of three newly-elected Brattleboro Selectboard candidates – David Gartenstein and Kate O’Connor.

The newly sworn-in board members, along with John Allen, chose officers for the coming year. They are the same as last year: David Gartenstein will Chair, Kate O’Connor will be Vice Chair, and David Schoales will be Clerk.

David Schoales was not in attendance. Neither was Dick DeGray. There was no explanation for anyone’s absence.

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, April 7 in the James E. Kane Conference Room, 53 Green Street.

NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING

The BUHS #6 Board of Directors will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 4 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room.

Youth Services’ Summer Camp Fair During April Gallery Walk

by Not Signed In | Family

Youth Services will host their Annual Summer Camp Fair on Friday, April 1, on Gallery Walk Night from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro.

Many summer camp providers will supply activities and entertainment for the children. The public is encouraged to take advantage of this great opportunity to arrange a fun-filled summer while being entertained. To entice the public to stop in, Youth Services is holding a free drawing for $100 credit toward a camp of the winner’s choice and giving out free balloons.

Upper Dummerston Road Work Postponed

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

The Upper Dummerston Road closure scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed to next week, because the project team needs consistent warm weather for concrete deck placement work.

Cindy Cook
Principal, Adamant Accord, Inc.
Past Vice President, Association for Conflict Resolution

Citizen Scientists: Making a World of Difference

by Not Signed In | Sci-Tech

Discover how you can observe and monitor the environment in your own backyard!

Almost anyone can be a scientist and help protect our planet – even in their own backyards. Whether someone’s passion is watching hawks, catching butterflies, chasing bugs, or even taking photographs, a workshop Saturday, April 9, in Brattleboro will offer individuals a chance to become a citizen scientist and make a difference in protecting the environment.

The US Environmental Protection Agency and more than a dozen community organizations –governmental and non-profit – will hold a 3-hour workshop showcasing opportunities to get involved with nature and the environment beginning at 9:30 am at the River Garden, 157 Main Street, Brattleboro.

Academy School and Esteyville First to Switch to Modern Wood Heat

by Not Signed In | Town News

Two school buildings stay warm with local, renewable heat from wood

BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT: The Academy and Esteyville school buildings in Brattleboro are the first public buildings to participate in the Windham Wood Heat Initiative by switching from fossil fuels to locally sourced wood pellets to heat their buildings. Academy School’s switch will reduce the school’s oil use by 15,000 gallons and generate $50,000 a year in positive economic impact for southern Vermont’s economy. Esteyville will cut oil consumption by 1,100 gallons and contribute $3,700 a year to the economy.

“We’ve got a quiet system providing an even heat and it’s been keeping our building warm,” said Andy Paciulli, principal of the 355-student elementary school.  “A bonus is that many of our students are learning about the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and decreasing our use of non-renewable resources. Heating with wood pellets has helped to deliver that lesson to our young learners. I expect we’ll realize the cost savings which should be significant for us and the taxpayer.”

Just So Pediatrics Announces Extended Office Hours

by BMH | Health

Just So Pediatrics (JSP), a member of the BMH Medical Group, is now offering extended hours in order to accommodate patients who request evening and occasionally, weekend appointments. In addition to its regular hours of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, JSP has extended their office hours from 8 AM until 8 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with additional appointments available on some Saturdays.

“Extended hours benefit working parents who cannot come during 8:30am to 5pm hours,” says Cynthia Howes, RN, a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with JSP. “They also increase health care access to school aged children and decrease school absences.” Research from the University of Michigan shows children who have access to extended pediatric primary care appointments have half as many Emergency Department visits as those who do not.

Grand Gift Concert and Ball – An April 1875 Advertisement

by cgrotke | History

Below you will find an advertisement from April 1875 for a Grand Gift Concert and Ball to be held at the Town Hall in Brattleboro on April 27. You’ll want to get a ticket to this, because the prizes are amazing.

There is a concert from 7 to 9 p.m., followed by a ball from 9 until 2 a.m. A special orchestra is coming in from Lowell, Mass.. for the event.

The $2 ticket gives you a chance to win big. How big? How about first prize, a house and lot on Canal Street?

Trans Canada Hopes To Sell Dams on Connecticut River

by cgrotke | State News

Valley News is reporting that Trans Canada is planning on selling dams along the Connecticut River:

“West Lebanon — As part of its effort to finance a new Houston-based natural gas acquisition, Trans Canada Hydro Northeast is looking to sell its New England power generation business, including its hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River.

At stake are not only some of the most lucrative assets on the river, but control of a critical natural resource in the Twin States. The Wilder, Bellows Falls and Vernon, Vt. dams are among the assets Trans Canada plans to sell.”

. Seems like they see a future in pipelines instead.

The Happy Birthday Animation Project

by cgrotke | Creative

I just finished a winter assignment and thought I’d share a bit about “the making of” this new animation.

This project really started a few years ago, when I was given the FAX jr. animation stand used at the Animation Lab at Capital Children’s Museum. (I used to run the program at the museum, and the animation stand is an old friend.) I invested in a new camera and software to shoot single frame animation, and did some tests to make sure it was all working.

The stand really pulled me away from computer animation and back into physical media of drawings and objects. I decided to give myself an assignment of completing a fully drawn animated project. But what to do?

Paid Oppostion or Just Plain Ignorant

by ChrisPratt | Op/Ed

My name is Chris Pratt. I have no problem disclosing who I am because I have nothing to hide.  Same goes for my website . I challenge the reader to show me one fact (hundreds of thousands are listed here) that is not well referenced and/or supported by an original video and/or a published article.

We are up against billions of dollars and thousands of faceless people paid to discredit and conduct character assassinations on people who are brave enough to question, to doubt or to demand further investigations or evidence. We are outnumbered and out spent at levels that are unimaginable. It truly is a David and Goliath quest for truth and openness vs deception and secrecy.

Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of March 27

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.

Route 30

The speed limit on Route 30 near the work zone has been reduced to 40 mph. Project-related truck activity on Route 30 will continue. Route 30 may be reduced to a single lane intermittently, with flaggers regulating traffic within the work zone.