Brattleboro Absentee Ballots for the Primary Election Available

by Not Signed In | Politics

Absentee ballots for the Primary Election to be held on Aug. 9 are now available in Vermont town clerks’ offices. Due to the ongoing pandemic, voters are encouraged to vote absentee. Absentee ballots for the State Primary Elections must be requested. Anyone wishing to vote early may do so until 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 8 in person. If requesting a ballot by mail, please allow for ample delivery time.

Absentee ballots may be sent by mail or picked up by the voter. Voters needing assistance, please call the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office to discuss options. All voted ballots must be received by the clerk before the polls close on Election Day to be counted. Ballots can be returned by mail, dropped off in advance of the election in the drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot or returned to the polls on Election Day.

State Police Press Release(s) on West Brattleboro Shooting

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont (Wednesday, July 20, 2022) — The Vermont State Police is continuing its investigation early Wednesday morning into the fatal police shooting of the person of interest in the disappearance and death of a missing Massachusetts woman, 23-year-old Mary Anderson.

Following notification of next of kin, the state police is able to release the preliminary identification of the deceased man: Matthew Davis, 34, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. His body will be transported to the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of his death.

The fatal shooting occurred in a wooded area between Bonnyvale Road and South Street southwest of Western Avenue in West Brattleboro.

Brattleboro Heat Advisory

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Town of Brattleboro urges everyone to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and stay out of the heat as much as possible during this current heat wave.

People who need some cool air can visit the Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street) or the Central Fire Station (103 Elliot Street).

Riverfest Weekend Kicks Off the 44th New England Paddlesports Championship; On-river and Off-river Activities; Riff Raft Regatta; ‘Lampey’ Competition

by LSBS | Recreation & Sports

BRATTLEBORO, VT—July 19, 2022—The Connecticut River Conservancy’s first-ever Riverfest Weekend kicks off Aug. 6 & 7 in Brattleboro and Hinsdale, highlighted by the 44th Annual New England Paddlesports Championship on Sunday. Riverfest promises family-friendly near-river and on-river activities bridging southwest New Hampshire with southeast Vermont. www/ctriver.org/nepc-riverfest

On Sunday (10-2p), The New England Paddlesports Championship (NEPC) will welcome racers from across the Northeast. Canoes, kayaks, surf skis, and stand-up paddleboards will have separate race classes. Although this marks the 44th year NEPC has been held on the Connecticut River between Southern Vermont and New Hampshire, this is only the second time competitors will paddle the waters in this stretch of river between Hinsdale, N.H. and Brattleboro-to-Vernon, Vt. The race, launching from Norm’s Marina, Racers can earn points that will count in the NECKRA Flatwater Point Series  www.neckra.org.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – We Need To Take Bold Action. Maybe. It Depends. Probably.

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard july 19 2022

The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed their own powers of resolution and whether they could do anything at all on the issue of abortion rights. They decided their lawyer-approved resolution needed more teeth, but also no chance of disruption to the State, and maybe funding, but not any special funding, and maybe something else as yet undetermined.  They’ll take up the urgent issue again at their next meeting.

There were grave concerns about data collection and not sharing any data with bounty hunters. A bit later, board members were impressed by the ambulance data being collected locally and asked for even more EMS data from the Fire Department.

It was a gloomy and restless mood amongst many members of the public. Many expressed feelings of impending doom. Two asked for a special session of Representative Town Meeting.

Next Stage’s Bandwagon Summer Series presents Slavic Soul Party! on Sunday, August 14 at 6pm at the Retreat Farm

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage’s Bandwagon Summer Series presents Slavic Soul Party! on Sunday, August 14 at 6pm at the Retreat Farm: “New York’s Official #1 Band for BalkanSoulGypsyFunk”

“Easily one of the most exciting artists we’re bringing this summer, Slavic Soul Party checks all the boxes,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “They’re masters of the Roma style of music that encapsulates dancing energy, old world sounds, and they make it so fresh and new that audiences from around the world have hailed them as one of the greatest contributors to the genre. This show is going to be fun!”

Linden Street Water Main Break

by Not Signed In | Town News

Utilities crews are on the scene of a water main break on Linden ST near the intersection with Upper Dummerston Road.  Staff is assessing the situation and will provide updates as soon as possible.  Water pressure throughout the system has been affected.  Linden ST/Route 30 is closed to all traffic between Cedar Street and Upper Dummerston Road.  Traffic should seek alternate routes.

“Global Warming” As A Political Issue Fails To Take Into Account That Some Hot Days Are Caused By The Sun!

by CrisEricson2016 | Op/Ed

How much of what people call “global warming” is NOT man made? It’s just another hot day brought to us by our Sun!

Dr. Tamitha Skove, a space weather physicist, posted on twitter that a filament of a solar storm on the Sun would arrive on Earth early July 19th.

Well, we can look at the weather forecast and see it will be warm tomorrow.

BCTV Schedules – Week of July 18, 2022

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 1075 schedule for the week of 7/18/22

Monday, July 18, 2022

4:45 am Manchester Community Library – An Evening of Violin Duos
5:55 am Lil Balzac 2 – Lil’ Balzac 2 – Official Trailer
6:00 am Couch Potatoe Productions – The Atowi Project at the Ebenezer Hinsdale House 6/3/22
7:25 am I Am Vermont Too – Steffen Gillom
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast

Vernon Street Closing Wednesday

by Not Signed In | Town News

Green Mountain Power will be working on Vernon Street around the intersection of Vernon Street and Bridge Street on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 7:00am to 5:00pm. During that time Vernon Street will be closed from main Street to Royal Road. During the remainder of the week there may be alternate traffic. Please seek alternate routes if possible.

Shakers n’ Bakers Celebrate Mother Ann’s Day in Southern VT Aug 6: Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Little (i) Music Festival

by hahrenholz | Music

The iconic Christian Rock/Free Jazz band “Shakers n’ Bakers” will be spending the most sacred day on the Shaker calendar in the Brattleboro/Putney area Aug 6. “Mother Ann’s Day” is the date which recognizes the arrival of Mother Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker community, to the United States in 1774. The Shakers were a utopian community with progressive social and artistic values that thrived during the mid-1800’s. This celibate Christian group lifted up the values of humility, simplicity and an ecstatic sense of spirituality through their music, visual arts, architecture, and vision of “Heaven on Earth” in many Shaker communities throughout New England and the Midwest.

“Ecstatic Shaker music infused with jazz, soul, and funk doesn’t happen every day. Shakers-N-Bakers is something truly original and unique,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The lineup of the group is jaw dropping, pulling from masters in numerous genres. The show is going to be something memorable.”

GennaRose Nethercott on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

With the publication of her new book, “Thistlefoot”, we revisit our 2020 show with GennaRose Nethercott.  “GennaRose Nethercott is a literary trickster god, “Thistlefoot shimmers with magic and mayhem,” says best-selling author Libba Bray. Check out the show to hear about GennaRose’s writing adventures and explorations on the road to winning the National Poetry Series Award.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – July 19, 2022

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet Tuesday, for the most part, to finish what wasn’t completed at their previous meeting. The consent agenda has been updated, but just about everything else is the same.

Of note this week is the change to the item “Resolution on a Woman’s Right to Choose” which is now presented as “Resolution on a Pregnant Persons Access to Abortion,” and that an EMS Update by the Assistant Fire Chief has been added.  You can choose to bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes Due

by Not Signed In | Town News

Notice to Taxpayers

The taxpayers of the Town of Brattleboro are hereby notified and warned that Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes assessed upon the Grand List of 2022 are now due and payable to the Town Treasurer at the Treasurer’s Office in the Brattleboro Municipal Center, 230 Main Street, Suite 111, Brattleboro, Vermont, in four equal installments as follows:

Minute By Minute – Brattleboro Boards Having Trouble Abiding By Open Meeting Law

by cgrotke | Town News

Brattleboro has had two recent minute-related incidents that were slightly out of the ordinary. In one case, a school board member requested that something not discussed at a previous meeting be added to the official minutes to clarify something. In the other, a selectboard member held back approval of minutes until they could be edited for stylistic changes. The selectboard has also struggled to meet required deadlines for posting of minutes.

Let’s look at the school board. According to the minutes for the June 21 WSESD board:

WSESD Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

I. CALL TO ORDER

Chair KY called the meeting to order at 6:03pm.

MG asked to amend the agenda to include Board development workshops.

DST asked to amend the agenda to put on-hold the entire “Administrative Report” agenda item because the reports were sent to Board members so close to the meeting. She said this does not give her enough time to review the documents.