The Best Investment You Can Make 

AAUW Tag Sale

By Helen Wachtel 

Twenty years ago when my eldest daughter started college, the cost of tuition, fees and room and board at a non-profit private university was $31,590 per year, or $126,360 for four years. The cost of tuition and fees at a four-year public non-profit college was $5,020 per year or $20,080 if the student finished in four years. These sums seemed astronomical then, as they still do now. We worried about how we’d be able to afford this on our modest Vermont incomes since our youngest was to begin the following year as well. Both girls wanted to go to school in Boston and had been accepted to the colleges of their choice. This was a new experience for us, sending our children away to college. 


Monday June 10 – Dining for a Cause – Support Local Scholarships

The Brattleboro Rotary Club Gateway Foundation is hosting its “Dining for a Cause” fundraiser at the 99 Restaurant on Putney Road in Brattleboro.

The Brattleboro Rotary Club is an active community service club of about 70 members. Its members engage in community and human service projects locally and internationally. Since 1985, Gateway Foundation has awarded close to $500,000 in scholarships.


WSESD New Merged School District Warns $50,000,000 Combined Budget for Guilford, Brattleboro, Dummerston and Putney Schools

Residents of Putney, Brattleboro, Dummerston and Guilford are invited to join the new merged school board, Windham Southeast School District Board, for our 2019-2020 Budget Process.

The first annual meeting of the new merged board will be held on Tuesday, June 25th. Voters present at the WSESD annual meeting will vote on the new merged budget. This budget is a compilation of the five independent district budgets developed by the Guilford, Dummerston, Putney and Brattleboro Town School Boards and the BUHS District #6 School Board (Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro Area Middle School, Windham Regional Career Center).


Merged School Board Election – Helpful Information

Below is information that might be helpful to know for May 21stspecial elections.

Attached is a sample ballot for all four towns – Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Putney. All towns’ ballots are the same, and voters from each town can vote on all races. Absentee ballots are currently available at the Town Clerk’s Office and may be requested until 5:00 pm on Monday, May 20. Sample ballots can also be found on our website atwww.brattleboro.org under Elections.


Timeline for Windham Southeast School District Merger

Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) (Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney) Current Timeline for Merger (without legislative or court action)

Merged Board Elections

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Election for representatives to the WSESD School Board, by Australian ballot. Polls open in each Town 8am-7pm. Registered voters in each of the four towns will cast ballots to select school board members for all four towns. Each town will have two voting members on the merged board. Merged board members from the four towns will represent everyone in the merged district. Early voting begins May 1, 2019.


Free Foundation Fundraising Workshop

Join us at 1 pm on Thursday, April 25th, at Brooks Memorial Library, as Richard Wizansky of Bold Moves Consulting joins our own Jeanne Walsh for a FREE public program about foundation fundraising…


One Scholarship for Pottery Class Starting April 10

Wheelhouse Clay Center recently opened at 48 Harmony Place in downtown Brattleboro. It’s the vision of two local potters and former members of Brattleboro Clayworks, Shari Zabriskie and Teta Hilsdon.

Wheelhouse’s four basic offerings are rentals for potters, classes, special events, and a gallery. As classes begin to roll out, Teta Hilsdon is offering one scholarship to her Beginner Wheel Throwing class, an 8-week course covering the basics of wheel throwing technique, trimming, decorating, and glazing.


Brattleboro Town School Budget & Chair Resignation

To Brattleboro Town Meeting Reps & those who have expressed a special concern about education:

I write to officially inform you all that I am resigning my position on the board, effective immediately.

My primary concern is—as always—our students’ education.  I have grave concerns about the actions taken at last week’s attempt at the transitional board meeting.  I do not see how it is possible to serve our students, and to continue to be in full compliance with the law.


Update on Act 46 Process: Judge Issues Denial

Good evening.  Still sending out information from me personally, not as chair…  As of late today, Judge Mello issued a ruling; see link:

https://vtdigger.org/2019/03/04/judge-denies-request-delay-mergers-act-46-case/?is_wppwa=true&wpappninja_cache=friendly

As before, please feel free to contact me with any questions, and if I can find answers, I will.


UNH Professor Discusses Hip-hop as Tool for Social Change at Landmark College, March 5

The Spring 2019 Landmark College Academic Speaker Series continues with a talk by Marcos Del Hierro, entitled “The Use of Hip-hop Rhetoric to Combat the Criminalization of Black, Brown, and Red Youth” on Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. in the Brooks M. O’Brien Auditorium, located in the East Academic Building.

During the talk, Del Hierro will provide insights into how hip-hoppers produce sustainable models for recycling knowledge and technology to produce art, criticism, and pleasure, allowing these artists to respond to social discourses that represent young people of color as inferior and deviant.


Update on Brattleboro Town School Board Budget, Act 46, Concerns About Delays

Greetings, Brattleboro! My name is Jill Stahl Tyler, and while I am the chair of the Brattleboro Town School Board, I send this information out personally.  It’s a broad update on the status of our budget/Act 46/delays in moving forward.

Our Brattleboro Town School Board has always tried to “prepare for every eventuality” while going through almost four years of Act 46 discussion.  In the hopes that you will feel more informed about the process, I have gathered this information.  Feel free to share widely!


Why the Town School Board Election on March 5 is NOT a Referendum on Act 46

I am taking the time to clarify one thing about the choice voters face for the three-year seat on the Brattleboro Town School Board on Tuesday, March 5.

This vote is NOT a referendum on Act 46. The group that I have worked with – in Brattleboro,
across our county and the state – has consistently fought for provisions in the Act 46 law itself
known as “Section 9: Alternative Governance.” This section was put in the law because of
concerns in the legislature that there would be some form of off-ramp for communities that would
not be well served by the so-called “preferred merger” with a mega-board.


On Education II

After taking my seat on the Brattleboro Town School Board for the first time I took up as an early task the reading of the responsibilities of a school board member. Not surprisingly number one was to see to the education of the children. That suggested that I learn something about education. I remembered my father writing a paper on John Dewey in the 50’s when, after two and a half decades, he had the motivation to finish his Masters in education. So I read a teeny bit about Dewey, and a smattering of Piaget, Montessori, Bruner, Skinner and a few others.


Why Andy Davis Is Running for the Brattleboro Town School Board

I have taught in Brattleboro public schools for over 25 years. Our two children went to Brattleboro schools, BAMS and BUHS. Even though I retired from teaching in June of 2018 I continue to contribute to area schools and to speak out for quality public education. I am committed to promoting equal access to a quality education for children of all abilities. I have lived in this town for over 30 years and believe I have a sense of our community values… diversity, creativity, compassion, sustainability.


Introducing Jill Stahl Tyler for Brattleboro School Board Three-year Term Slot

Happy February! As a member of the Brattleboro Town School Board since 2011, I’ve seen first-hand the extraordinary work done by dedicated professionals.  I’m running to continue to ensure that excellence, particularly as we move towards a merged entity under the state-mandated Act 46.

To comply with Act 46, I have led our board through reviewing all options, including the alternative governance plan.  I could not support the alternative governance option because legal and financial experts had serious concerns of its legalities, particularly regarding sharing of staff.


“Stories” By The Numbers

There are many ways of finding out the “Gematria” of a word,name or phrase. These different ways are called “ciphers”. They are all inter related. I will use the four base ciphers and the “S” exception. The English Ordinal is the alphabetic order. A=1 B=2 C=3..Z=26. Simply add the numbers together to find the Gematria of a word. The word “Fox” for example. F is the 6th letter, O is the 15th and X is the 24th. Added up it equals 45.


Get Started on Your Marketing Plan: Free Workshop

Join local author Barbara Morisson on Saturday, September 15th, from 11 am-1 pm for a FREE workshop, designed to help you learn how to strategize develop a marketing plan for your business! She will guide you through the questions necessary to solidify  a basic plan, and discuss the pros and cons of the most effective marketing tools available today.


Brattleboro Union High School Board Meeting Agenda

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING

The BUHS #6 Teacher Curriculum Committeewill meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, July 16in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room.

The BUHS #6 Planning and Policy Committeewill meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 16in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room.


Brattleboro Union High School Board Meeting Agenda

NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING

The BUHS #6 Teacher Curriculum Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 4 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room.

The BUHS #6 Planning and Policy Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 4 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room.