Living

Living story sections

Brattleboro Dog and Wolf-Hybrid Licenses Are Due

by Not Signed In | Pets

Brattleboro dog and wolf-hybrid licenses are due on or before April 1 (because April 1 falls on a Saturday, this is extended through April 3, 2023) for animals 6 months of age and older.  For dogs not previously licensed in Brattleboro, a new dog license application form is available on thewww.brattleboro.org website; go to Departments; Town Clerk; on the right-hand side bar is a section on Dogs.  From that page on the right side bar look at Licensing a New Dog.   Licenses being renewed may be processed in the Town Clerk’s office (in-person or by using the drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot), through the mail or paid online at www.brattleboro.org.  

Forum for District 3 Residents on Town Issues Prior to Representative Town Meeting

by fidel | Activism

In an effort to help Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting members better represent their constituents in District 3, there will be a public forum for District 3 residents at 3 pm on Sunday March 19 in the Parlor of the Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main Street. This citizens’ forum is intended to allow people who live in District 3 to express their concerns and to ask questions about Town issues in advance of the RTM meeting on March 25. RTM members from District 3 are being encouraged to attend to hear from their neighbors.

The warning for RTM which lists the articles on which RTM members will vote starts are page 8 of the Town Report which is located on the right side of the brattleboro.org website. Just below that is a link to the Finance Committee’s report on the FY 2024 budget (and in the third paragraph of that report there is a link to the Committee’s guide for understanding how the Town budgets).

Beautiful Jonas Fricke

by Namaya | Obituaries

Beautiful dean Jonas we are all blessed by your love, creativity, friendship, joy of life. We send our love to his family and all. As we celebrate this beautiful noble spirit.

Learn About Native Bees

by JillStahlTyler | Home & Garden

On Monday, March 13, at 7 PM at Brooks Memorial Library, the Brattleboro Garden Club will host a free presentation given by Aliza Fassler, a graduate researcher at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, on native bees.

Come to learn about where do bees go in winter; how to distinguish a bee from a wasp or a native bee from a honey bee and which native bee species might be in your yard.  In North America there are approximately 4,000 species of wild bees that are critical for pollinating plants in our forests, gardens and fields. Learn about the diversity of bee species in New England and how to help them in your yards and gardens.

Another Drug Company Hustle

by RDavis | Health

On the surface it looks like an amazing step forward. Eli Lilly, one of the major producers of insulin, (among the three companies that control 90% of the insulin market)1 announced that it is lowering the cost of some of its older insulin products by 70%. It was a shrewd and coldly calculated move to make the company look good in the public eye and fend off the inevitable mandates that the U.S. government is working to implement.

Recently, legislation was passed to cap the price of insulin at $35 a month for people enrolled in the Medicare D program. Democrats tried to get the bill to apply to all Americans but their efforts were stymied by the pharmaceutical lobby that owns more politicians than most other businesses.

Eli Lilly knows that it is just a matter of time before new laws are enacted to lower insulin prices across the board so they made a pre-emptive strike in the insulin wars. According to the New York Times, “Lilly trumpeted its decision as a victory for patients. In reality, though, Lilly’s moves are more limited than they initially appear. Lilly’s existing $35 cap on out-of-pocket payments will be easier for privately insured patients to take advantage of.

Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – March 2023

by cgrotke | Health

Here’s the March 2023 dashboard summary. We continue semi-regular COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro, as long as they continue providing them.  Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

VT, NH, and MA all seem to be doing weekly updates now, near the end of the week.

Author Matt Whalan Presenting On Homelessness

by Norsehorse | Activism

For those who were not already aware of it, Brattleboro resident and author Matt Whalan will be among two speakers at an event on homelessness held at Kellogg Hubbard Library in Montpelier this evening at 6:30 PM and aired live by ORCA Media (via YouTube):

COVID Vigilance Needed for Those Over 65

by RDavis | Health

The hypervigilance phase of the COVID pandemic is over but the disease will, most likely, never go away. That’s not earth shattering news but many of us, especially people over 65, should be mindful of the disease and protect ourselves as much as we can. New variants pop up and each one seems to be more communicable than the next.

The fact that a significant number of people have had COVID and have been vaccinated makes casual transmission less likely, but the threat will always be there. Consider these statistics from the CDC.

Every week over 260,000 people contract COVID, over 2000 people die from COVID in the U.S. every week and 3500 people a day are in the hospital because of COVID.

Harris Hill Ski Jump Sunday Results

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

Good afternoon, the Harris Hill Ski Jump 101st addition has wrapped up, to much success. Today’s Fred Harris memorial tournament results are attached, the winner of the event was Slovenia’s Ozbej Kotnik.

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Harris Hill Ski Jump.

Harris Hill Ski Jump Saturday Results

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

Hello!

RESULTS are attached from today’s Pepsi Challenge at Harris Hill Ski Jump, February 18, 2023.

Highlights:
Vermont Governor Phil Scott attended today’s jump and gave welcome remarks to fans and athletes.
The final Target Jump at the end of the day (which is a fun competition) had a three way tie with jumps at 93M each. In the end, Slovenia’s Vid Vrhovnik took home the win.

Medicaid & Health Resource Drop-In Hours

by ESchwartz | Health

In Dec. 2022, Congress voted to eliminate the extra federal funding and requirement that states keep people on Medicaid. Vermont will be starting Medicaid redeterminations on April 1. According to the Urban Institute’s projections, up to 29,000 Vermont Medicaid recipients could be affected.

The Vermont Workers’ Center is hosting an informational session in the Meeting Room at the Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on Feb. 22 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. All are welcome to stop in to find out whether they will be affected, what their rights are in this process, and how to be sure that they aren’t cut off for bureaucratic reasons. People who are not on Medicaid and have questions about health care access are also welcome, as there will be other health care resources available. For more information, email windham@workerscenter.org.

Can The Beast Of Health Care Reform Be Revived?

by RDavis | Activism

It would be inspiring if Vermont was once again a national leader in health care reform efforts. When Peter Shumlin was Governor in the 2010’s reform activism was at a high point and the possibility of Vermont becoming the first state to implement a single payer system seemed real. When his administration ran the numbers, after costly studies were done, Shumlin decided that it was not politically feasible to move ahead and health care reform died in Vermont.

There is a bill now in the Vermont legislature that aims to revive some of those reform efforts. H.156 states, “The purpose of this act is to initiate the incremental implementation of Green Mountain Care by starting to provide comprehensive, affordable, high quality, publicly financed health care for all Vermonters in accordance with the principles established in 2011 Acts and Resolves No. 48. The act gradually expands the benefits available through Green Mountain Care over 10 years, beginning with publicly financed primary care in the first year, adding preventive dental and vision care in the second year, and adding the remaining health care services according to a schedule recommended by the Green Mountain Care Board’s Universal Health Care Advisory Group.”

New Director of Youth Programs Hired at Youth Services

by Nanci Leitch | Family

Brattleboro, VT — Megan Grove is the new Director of Youth Programs at Youth Services which has offices in Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, Vermont. This position provides department oversight regarding an array of programs that relate to supporting youth and young adults in Windham County beyond Youth Services’ clinical and restorative justice offerings.

Grove supervises staff responsible for services related to therapeutic case management; youth experiencing homelessness, couch surfing, in shelter housing, or transitional living; and youth transitioning from foster care. In addition, Grove’s team implements life skills and health education and a youth-led business.

Grove will also maintain ongoing communications with community partners and collaborative partnerships with local schools, Department of Children & Families, and other community entities to accomplish the goals of Youth Services programs.