Brattleboro Parking Rates Increase, No Free Parking On Sundays

The Town of Brattleboro will be transitioning to a new parking system beginning November 21, 2024, marking a significant shift in how parking is managed. Key features include:

–  A Pay by Plate system, eliminating the former Pay and Display method
– The removal of all on-street parking meters
– The installation of parking kiosks throughout the downtown area
– A Pay by Text option, in addition to the existing mobile app
– New signage throughout town that will display instructions, including how to use the app and text service


Melchen Road Closure

On Monday November 18th, Green Mountain Power will be relocating an overhead power line to be buried under Melchen Road. Crews will start at the top of Melchen Road and work their way down towards Hinesburg Road. A full closure is expected within their working area from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday the 18th through Friday the 22nd. Residents should plan accordingly and seek alternate routes. Emergency services are aware of this closure and will implement a plan to continue to provide any services needed beyond this closure.


Brattleboro Brush Fire on Kelly Road Contained

Crews were dispatched to 671 Kelly Road in Brattleboro at 07:37 on Nov. 13, 2024, for a reported brush fire. On arrival, crews reported approximately 5 acres burning.

The fire has since been contained, and crews will be on the scene for an extended period of time to extinguish the blaze. Fire Department crews from Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, Newbrook, along with the Brattleboro Department of Public Works, are on the scene. Keene is providing coverage for the Brattleboro Central Station.


Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge Opening Information – December 5th, 2024

The new bridge for New Hampshire/Vermont Route 119 is scheduled to be open to motor vehicle traffic by December 5th, 2024.

A new traffic pattern is scheduled to be in place in Brattleboro by the end of the day Thursday, December 5th. Barricades will be set up on Bridge Street to encourage local traffic only. Eastbound travelers to VT/NH 119 will need to turn onto Vermont Route 142 (Vernon Street) and access the new bridge at the new signalized intersection. Westbound traffic on VT/NH 119 will need to turn onto VT 142 north to proceed to U.S. Route 5 (Canal Street).

Pedestrian traffic should continue to utilize the existing accommodations on the truss bridges. The new bridge will remain closed to pedestrians until the Spring of 2025 due to continued contractor operations within the work zone.


Brattleboro Road Closure Notice for Canal Street on November 12, 2024

Brattleboro, VT — The southbound lane of Canal Street will be closed from South Main Street to Elm Street on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 09:30 to 12:30. The closure will facilitate ongoing debris removal following the recent fire at 45 Canal Street. Demolition crews will be on-site throughout the day to safely clear the affected area which could create traffic delays in the area.

Southbound traffic on Canal Street will be detoured via Flat & Elm Streets or South Main & Washington Streets. The northbound lane will remain open, but drivers should anticipate periodic delays to accommodate trucks and equipment entering and exiting the site.


Brush Fire Contained, State’s Burn Ban Extended to Nov. 18

On Friday, November 8, Station Two was dispatched at 14:34 hours to the area of 357 Melchen Road for a reported power line down. Engine 1 arrived in the area to report a power line down in the woods with a brush fire. Crews reported 1-2 acres burning and requested to upgrade to a first alarm. The fire spread quickly due to high winds, and the incident was upgraded to three alarms.

The response involved all Brattleboro Fire units and staff, as well as personnel, brush trucks, all-terrain vehicles, and tankers from neighboring departments, including from Guilford, Dummerston, Putney, Westminster, Halifax, Newbrook, Townshend, Wilmington, Keene, Spofford, Walpole, Chesterfield, Westmoreland, North Walpole, Swanzey, and Greenfield. Chesterfield, Walpole, Westminster, and Cheshire EMS provided coverage for the Brattleboro stations.


Acres of Dead

I wrote today’s date in my date book and suddenly it clicked — 11/11, Veterans Day. I knew that it was Veteran’s Day, but somehow I didn’t know it. I had forgotten what it meant. So I opened a book and then I remembered — “acres of dead.” That kind of put things in perspective for me.


How To Survive The Next Four Years

Now, more than ever, is a time for those of us who are experiencing difficult emotions to move on. It is not that easy, but if we let immoral, unethical and brain-dead people climb into our consciousness then we will lose whatever sanity we have. It is a new world and we have to find ways to protect ourselves from things that should not be.

I am finding a great deal of comfort in being around people who are feeling the same things as I. We do not have to speak directly about what has happened to our psyches and we can indulge in activities that create distractions for us. It is almost the same as someone who has experienced a traumatic event and who finds comfort in being around those who have experienced the same thing.


Antje Duvekot and Goodnight Moonshine at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of contemporary folk music with Antje Duvekot and Goodnight Moonshine (Molly Venter and Eben Pariser) on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage.

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.


Brattleboro Road Closure Notice for Canal Street on November 11, 2024

Brattleboro, VT — The southbound lane of Canal Street will be closed from South Main Street to Elm Street on Monday, November 11, 2024, due to ongoing debris removal following the recent fire at 45 Canal Street. Demolition crews will be on-site throughout most of the day to safely clear the affected area.

Southbound traffic on Canal Street will be detoured via Flat & Elm Streets or South Main & Washington Streets. The northbound lane will remain open, but drivers should anticipate periodic delays to accommodate trucks and equipment entering and exiting the site.


Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda and Notes – November 12, 2024

As the budget process gets going, Town staff will ask the Brattleboro Selectboard to approve a $700,000 police substation at a special meeting on November 12.  The board will also be asked to put the Esteyville Gazebo project out to bid, and will tinker with the Parking Ordinance.

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Brattleboro Road Closure Notice for Canal Street on November 8, 2024

Brattleboro, VT —Canal Street will be closed from South Main Street to Elm Street on Friday, November 8, 2024, due to ongoing emergency services operations and debris removal following the recent fire at 45 Canal Street. Demolition crews will be on-site throughout most of the day to safely clear the affected area.

Southbound traffic on Canal Street will be detoured via Flat & Elm Streets or South Main & Washington Streets. The northbound lane will be detoured down Elm St and onto Flat St, but drivers should anticipate periodic delays to accommodate trucks and equipment entering and exiting the site.