Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln Wednesday March 6, 2013 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM

Douglass and Lincoln—one born a slave, the other born dirt poor—became respectively one of the nation’s greatest orators and one of its greatest presidents. Harvard professor and leading Civil War scholar John Stauffer examines their friendship, the striking similarities in their lives, and their legacies.

John Stauffer is a leading authority on antislavery, social protest movements and interracial friendship. He is a Harvard University professor of English and American Literature and African American Studies, and Chair of the History of American Civilization program at Harvard.

New Filmmaking MFA in Vermont

by cgrotke | Education

The Vermont College of Fine Arts has just announced a new two-year MFA filmmaking program. 

The program uses a “low-residency” format that brings students together for week-long on-campus residencies in Montpelier for workshops, presentations, screenings and chances for collaboration. The rest of the time, students work in their home communities with guidance from faculty.

What caught my eye was that animation is a featured focus of the curriculum.

Please Tune In! Kurn Hattin Homes Select Choir To Perform on 2013 Series Premiere of Public Television’s “Together In Song”

by KurnHattin | Music

The Kurn Hattin Homes for Children Select Choir, the first Vermont music ensemble to compete on the WGBY Public Television series “Together In Song”, will be featured on the season premiere of “Together in Song’s” third season on Saturday, March 23, at 8PM.

“Together in Song” is hosted by Springfield Symphony Orchestra Maestro, Kevin Rhodes, and the children from Kurn Hattin Homes will compete with 37 other non-professional childrens’ and adults’ choruses from Western New England in ten categories according to age and musical genre.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Compost Carts Coming, Sunday Parking Fee Idea Fizzles

by cgrotke | Town News

The Selectboard completed this week’s business in near record time for a regular Tuesday evening meeting, ending the meeting just over an hour after it began.

A streamlined FY14 Parking Budget was approved, despite a less than glowing characterization as “an absence of failure” by town staff. Curbside compost carts are being purchased, the library is getting a new videoconferencing system, and the Town is going to refinance the Honeywell Project to realize savings with new, lower interest rates.

Pleas for fees for Sunday parking went unanswered, and the logic of sidewalk repairs was explained. Read on for all the Election eve Selectboard meeting excitement.

 

Brattleboro March 2013 Election Results

by cgrotke | Politics

Below are the unofficial vote results for the March 2013 Election in Brattleboro. Final vote counts and voting by district will available soon and we’ll get it here for you to analyze.

Moderator

Douglas Cox  – 761

Lawrin Crispe – 779

Oh No! Something “New” for Marijuana Legalization Advocates to Worry About!

by crisericson | Op/Ed

March 5, 2013 Tuesday, Town Meeting Day in Vermont

Will President Barack Obama allow United Nations “peacekeeping” troops to kill Americans who are growing marijuana in violation of the United Nations  INCB treaty?

Isn’t it time to end “one world government” so that we can MAKE MARIJUANA LEGAL?

Isn’t it time to end all of these Treaties that the United States has signed onto so we can get back in control of our own country?

Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast – Home Energy Challenge – Invitation (RSVP)

by RobertOeser | Town News

Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast – Home Energy Challenge

The next “Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast” will take place on Friday, March 15, 2013 at the Gibson Aiken Center, downstairs, hosted by Senior Meals. Doors open at 7:30am.

Tad Montgomery will present on the Home Energy Challenge. For those that don’t know: The state of Vermont has set a goal of using 90% renewable energy by 2050, and a big part of the plan to achieve this involves conservation. The Home Energy Challenge is a new initiative this year to get homeowners to undertake substantial energy retrofits and cut their heating bills by 20-50% or even more.

Please do not hesitate to pass along this invitation to others who might be interested, but:

Wealth Inequality Worse Than We Thought

by Will Stomp | Economics

It’s not everyday that a video about wealth inequality goes viral on the internet.  Most people on iBrattleboro are probably familiar with the information here, but this video uses powerful infographics to make the case that not only is wealth distributed unevenly, but it is much, much worse than most of us have thought.

A couple of thoughts come to my mind while watching this video:

1)  The authors could have gone one step further and shown how these inequalities have been changing over time.

O’Connor, Allen, and Schoales Elected To Selectboard

by Lise | Town News

In what some might term a win for the Old Guard, Kate O’Connor, John Allen, and David Schoales were elected to the Brattleboro Selectboard today.  O’Connor easily defeated Spoon Agave for the 3 year seat by a vote of 985 to 664. Allen was the highest vote getter for the 1 year Selectboard seat with 710 votes.  Schoales garnered 580 points, narrowly defeating Ian Kiehle who had 564.  

Kate O’Connor is daughter of former Selectperson Martha O’Connor who left the Selectboard in 2011.  John Allen served with Martha O’Connor during his time on the Selectboard but lost to Daryl Pillsbury and Jesse Corum in 2010.  

Bowl for Kids’ Sake Seeks Teams

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

Teams sought for BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE benefit April 6

Brattleboro, VT–Families, friends and teams from work are invited to celebrate the 32nd Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake to benefit Youth Services’ Big Brothers Big Sisters program on Saturday, April 6. The fundraising event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with teams signing up for a one-hour time slot at Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road.

The 4-5 p.m. time is reserved for teams of teens and will have a special “Cosmic Bowling” atmosphere. The financial goal of the event is to raise $50,000 in pledge money to help cover the cost of running the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Pizza Lovers, Take Heart….

by monteverde | Food

I just ran into Frankie on Main Street and he assured me that, despite rumors to the contrary that have been floating around, he has not retired, but is actively looking for a new place in town to set up shop again. He had no firm date or location yet, but all is not lost ! Keep hope alive!

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules – Week of 3/4/13

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 Schedule for the week of 3/4/13

                          Monday March 4       

12:00 am        From the BCTV Archives: The BCTV Jazz Cruise 1996

1:40 am          Sufi Wisdom Series: The Chick Pea

2:00 am          FSTV Overnight

4:00 am          Resources for Hearing Loss – Subtitled Version

4:30 am          Ethan Allen Homestead Enrichment Program: John Stark – Enigmatic Revolutionary

6:00 am          For the Animals: Adam Steinberg Cooking Show

Please Write-In “George Anthes” for Town Meeting Rep – District 3

by Not Signed In | Politics

I live off Cedar Street, between Crowell Lot and the Harris Hill Ski Jump. Brattleboro’s a special place, and it will require thoughtful representation by its Representative Town Meeting to help the town strike the right balances as we try to keep our economy healthy and vibrant; educate, retain and attract young people; and live up to our values.

Among my priorities for Brattleboro town governance:

Write in Paula Melton for District 1 Town Meeting Member, 3-year seat

by Not Signed In | Politics

After noting that there are only TEN candidates to fill 16 seats for District 1 three-year Town Meeting Members, I have decided to declare myself a write-in candidate.

If elected, I will represent West Brattleboro residents and interests to the best of my knowledge and ability.

My personal hopes and interests for West Brattleboro’s future include:

Call for Singers: A Cappella à la Carte on June 8

by fomag | Music

Brattleboro, Vt. – Friends of Music at Guilford is beginning rehearsals next week for its “A Cappella à la Carte” concert season finale on Saturday, June 8, which follows its brief annual membership meeting and a community potluck dinner at Guilford Community Church in the Algiers village of Guilford.

The Guilford Chamber Singers will be led again by Tom Baehr, who conducted a group of nearly twenty singers for the organization’s Christmas at Christ Church program in December. Entitled “Melodies Steal Into My Heart,” the proposed spring program begins with madrigals, travels through 19th Century English Part Songs, and also includes some 20th Century tunes, a couple of 21st Century works, and even some Hoagy Carmichael.

Datura Trio with Silk Road’s Shane Shanahan

by fomag | Music

DATURA TRIO & SILK ROAD’S SHANAHAN PERFORM ON MARCH 8

Brattleboro, Vt. – On Friday, March 8, at 7:00 p.m., Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG) presents a concert by the Datura Trio with guest percussionist Shane Shanahan, a founding member of Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Proceeds from the concert and a pre-concert supper, both set at the Vermont Jazz Center on Cotton Mill Hill, will benefit FOMAG’s Music Enrichment Program at Guilford Central School, where the Datura Trio is in residence on March 6-8. Student participants in rhythm and vocal workshops may also make an appearance at the evening concert.

Please Write In “Holland Mills” for Town Meeting Representative in District 3

by Holland Mills | Politics

When I went to vote early on Friday, I was disturbed that, for the fifteen 3-year seats for District 3 there were only 10-11 printed candidates. I wrote myself in, and am now appealing to the community to write me in (don’t forget to fill in the oval to the right of the write-in slot).

I’ve lived on Elliot Street right above Harmony Lot since September 2007, and have experienced many disturbing scenarios (2008-2009 was especially bad; it’s better but there are continuing challenges). District 3 is the smallest in town, but it covers downtown and cannot afford to be underrepresented.

 

Neighborhood Potluck Frost, Elm, Elliot

by Rabiah | Town Plan

Neighborhood Potluck – Free

What does this neighborhood mean to you?

Sunday, March 10, 5:00-7:00 pm at Elliot St Café, corner Elm and Elliot, 134 Elliot St.

Join your neighbors for a potluck and discussion to create a vision for this neighborhood.