Balla Kouyaté and Mike Block Band to Play on the Bandwagon Summer Stage

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Balla Kouyaté & Mike Block Band on Saturday, September 9 at 5:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney, Vermont.

Balla Kouyaté and Mike Block have been collaborating for over a decade, bonding over their shared interest in music from across the world, and their commitment to innovating on their instruments. Balla Kouyate, a balafon player and singer coming out of the Djeli tradition of Mali, was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA. Mike Block is an American cellist/singer/composer, and a Grammy Award-winning musician with the Silkroad Ensemble originally trained in Western Classical music. They have teamed up with friends from America and West Africa to create an exciting fusion of musical styles in a 6-piece band that features Sekou Dembele (djembe/vocals), Idrissa Kone (talking drum/calabash/percussion/vocals), Luke Okerlund (electric guitar) and Mike Rivard (bass/sintir).


WSESD Social Justice Committee Meeting Minutes

Summary:
● The committee heard a presentation from Human Resources Director Michael Kelliher on plans to increase staff diversity.
● The committee voted to recommend that the three diversity-related questions developed in 2022 be included on all applications for licensed teacher or administrator
positions, if possible on Schoolspring.
● The committee made a recommendation that every hiring committee include at least one person representing a diverse viewpoint with a preference for lived experience.


WSESD Communications Council Meeting Minutes

II. Brattleboro board seat outreach: discuss plans for “meet ups” to encourage board candidacy in Brattleboro (bring suggestions to 8/8/23 board meeting).

The committee reviewed outreach suggestions:
● a radio ad
● outreach by superintendent to former teachers
● request for principals to send a message to currently enrolled families


BCTV Schedules – Week of August 7, 2023

BCTV Channel 1078 Weekly Listing for 8/7/23

Monday, August 7, 2023

4:00 am Collegiate A Cappella Concert – 19th Annual A Cappella Concert 4/15/23

6:00 am Around Town with Maria – Swords to Plowshares 4/29/23

7:45 am Juno Orchestra – Heavens Border – Suite for String Orchestra

8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast


Lisa McCormick on “Here We Are”

“Let music change your life!” LISA McCORMICK captures the power and beauty of music – with her voice, her playing, and her generosity in sharing with everyone. As she says, “Music is Art made of Sound”…..Listen in!


Author Kat Vellos to Discuss Friendship in Adulthood at Next Stage Arts

Join Next Stage Arts on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00pm for an interactive fireside with author Kat Vellos all about friendship in adulthood. What are the biggest challenges of adult friendship and how can we overcome them? How do we “make new friends and keep the old”? What is social wellness and how does it factor into our overall health and wellbeing? And how can we create more meaningful connections with coworkers, who are often the primary source of new friends in adulthood? We’ll dig into all this and more. The fireside chat will be followed by a Q&A so come with your questions too. The discussion will take place at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney.

“Cultivating meaningful relationships can be a challenge, and as we look to the future of creating a region that is welcoming and inviting to all people, expanding our toolbox can only be a positive thing,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Kat Vellos’ work focuses on creating meaningful platonic relationships and fostering a stronger community dynamic. This evening with Vellos is something we could all use to live in a more civil, connected community.”


Brattleboro’s Charter Revision Commission to Meet

Brattleboro, VT – Brattleboro’s Charter Revision Commission will meet on Thursday, August 10 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room in the Municipal Center, 230 Main Street.

The meeting agenda includes an overview of the 2011 charter changes and the history of Representative Town Meeting. The commission will also set the meeting schedule for the remainder of 2023


Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – Aug 3, 2023

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES: The house located within the project limits at 85 Vernon Street has been demolished.

Testing was completed on the waterline installation under the VT 142 corridor this past week. The installation of underdrain and closed drainage work will continue to progress. The embankment elevation will also continue to be brought closer to final grade.


Brattleboro Committee Meeting Warnings

The Brattleboro Trustees of Public Funds will meet on Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 at 4:30pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.

The Brattleboro Charter Review Commission will meet on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.


America At A Crossroad

The American legal and political systems are under siege by a large group of people who have created their own world in which lies are accepted as truth. These people have lost any semblance of moral and ethical justice and are acting as would a gang of four year olds in a sandbox battle.

The leader of the sandbox brigade is Donald Trump and his followers, as far as I can tell, have lost the ability to think for themselves and have let a deranged megalomaniac control their lives. I try every day to understand how these people can be considered members of the human community and I am unable to come to any conclusions about what makes them believe that Trump’s lies are the truth.

Then there are the Republicans in Washington who publicly state that Trump did nothing wrong and that all of the indictments are nothing more than a political witch hunt. Many of these people are lawyers and fairly smart individuals but they have abandoned the truth in order to embrace and utilize the power of the Trump base.


Cedar Street Closure

At this time Brattleboro Emergency Services will have Cedar Street closed between the intersection with Sycamore Street and Linden ST (Route 30).  Motorists should plan alternate routes for the remainder of the day.  


Elm Street and Lynde Place Closure

On Tuesday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 2, Green Mountain Power will be working at the intersection of Elm Street and Lynde Place.  Elm Street and Lynde Place will be closed at that time.  The work is scheduled between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00pm. Motorists should seek alternate routes.


WSESD Board Meeting Minutes July 25, 2023

Summary:
● The administration provided updates about District summer camps, use of school buildings as emergency shelters, PCB abatement and window replacement project at Oak Grove School, and the BUHS mascot rebranding process, and a presentation about the school climate surveys conducted in the spring.
● WSESD Head Start classrooms at the Canal Street School will move to Birge Street in the fall and the administrators and Special Education team is developing plans for utilizing space at Canal Street to provide services for more pre-K students with special educational needs.
● The board adopted the following updated policies: E17 Fire and Emergency Preparedness Drills, H8 Access Control and Visitor Management, and F42 Dress Code, which will replace all previous dress codes in WSESD schools, including LSP1, the former BUHS dress code.


August 16, 2023 Brattleboro Development Review Board Agenda

AGENDA

Training for Board members
Hearing Call to Order
Review and Approve Minutes of previous meeting.
Review of Cases/Public Hearings to be reviewed under the Brattleboro Land Use Regulations as warned on October 12, 2015.
 2023-84                G & L Enterprise, LLC; Residential Neighborhood District; request for Subdivision Approval to create a new 1.5 acre parcel off of Marlboro Road; Tax Map Parcel #200003.000


BCTV Schedules Week of July 31

BCTV Channel 1078 Weekly Listing for 7/31/23

Monday, July 31, 2023

4:00 am Collegiate A Cappella Concert – 19th Annual A Cappella Concert 4/15/23

6:00 am Around Town with Maria – Swords to Plowshares 4/29/23

7:45 am Juno Orchestra – Heavens Border – Suite for String Orchestra

8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast