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What Good Did/Does Decriminalization Do?

by Vidda | Activism

When Daryl Pillsbury and I met in March 2010 for the first time the meeting came about after I had seen a photo of him in the Reformer holding a “Legalize Marijuana” sign outside of the polling area during the March town elections. That year I was chafing from the awareness that, while Vermont was surely a significant marijuana consumer state, it was clear that a high percentage of Vermonters were caught up in the criminal justice web.The actual statistics didn’t matter to me. Two consenting Vermont adults being arrested for personal use and possession of marijuana were two too many.

If there was any noteworthy marijuana activism in Vermont at that time it was under the radar. In fact, it seemed as if there was no activism at all, which is why the photo of Daryl holding the legalize sign struck a chord with me.

New ‘Synagogue Outdoors’ Grant Brings BAJC Outside

by BAJC Shir HeHarim | Spiritual

The Brattleboro Area Jewish Community (BAJC)‘Synagogue Outdoors’ Project has won a $3000 grant from the Gendler Grapevine Foundation for innovative work to connect community life with their 12 acres of land. 

 This Gendler Grapevine Grant enables BAJC to add welcoming, interpretive signs, new trails, benches and outdoor gathering spaces for study, prayer, storytelling, meditation and more. The grant builds on the volunteer labor of BAJC members and friends who have already accomplished planting a vegetable garden, a heritage wheat garden, and a small orchard.  They have built stairs and opened views that overlook woods and a stream. The trails on the BAJC grounds will be accessible to the general public as the Town of Brattleboro links their own nature trails to the site.

SeVWA’s 2015 E. coli Monitoring of Local River Sites Continued August 12th

by sevwa.wqmp | Nature

The Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance (SeVWA) had its fifth monitoring day for the summer of 2015 on Wednesday, August 12th. All of our sites, as well as much of the Northeast, received a soaking rain the day prior to sampling and only one of our sites tested below the “suitability for swimming” standard set by Vermont and the EPA. It is generally recommended to wait 24-48 hours after a significant rainfall to resume swimming in lakes and streams, so keep that in mind when making weekend plans on the water.

The Root Social Justice Center Celebrates Two Years with a Party

by Not Signed In | Activism

On Saturday, September 12 at 5:30 p.m., The Root Social Justice Center will be hosting a 2-Year Anniversary Party to celebrate its second year of operation and raise funds to keep its doors open for years to come. The event is open to the public and free, though donations are encouraged.

The Root Social Justice Center, located at 28 Williams Street in the Whetstone Arts Building, provides a physically and financially accessible space to support and bring together communities working for social justice.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

by SeniorSolutions | Health

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a class series that provides family caregivers of elders with the tools they need to take care of themselves. Reduce stress, improve communication, balance your life! 

This fall Senior Solutions is offering the six-week series starting in September in both Brattleboro and Windsor, co-sponsored by SASH. RSVP by Sept 3.

Connecticut River Bikeway Routes Map Released

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

Are you looking for suggestions on bike rides in the Tri-State region this summer? The recently-released map of bikeway routes along the Connecticut River Scenic Byway can help you out. The map covers parts of three states and shows bike routes from Putney, VT and Walpole, NH in the north to Easthampton and South Hadley, MA in the south.

The map was prepared by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments in Greenfield, MA in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) in Brattleboro contributed data for the Vermont portion of the map, which shows easier, intermediate, and advanced bike routes, off-road bike trails, bike shops, picnic areas, ice cream stops, and more.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

by cgrotke | Food

As many people know, I like baking. The one aspect of it that makes me nervous, more than anything, is working with chocolate. It’s a finicky ingredient. It melts when you touch it, is very sensitive to temperature, and water will make it freeze up.

When I find easy ways of using chocolate to get great results, I’m thrilled. Just recently I took a break from summer pie-making to make a yellow cake with a chocolate frosting, and tried something new that I’d like to share.

I’m about to teach you a very simple but dangerously effective recipe for a fudge-like chocolate frosting.

Brattleboro Senior Meals Breakfast Menu – August Menu

by KathrynT | Food

Brattleboro Senior Meals Breakfast Menu

Served Tuesdays & Fridays

7:45 am to 8:15 am

August Breakfast Menu

August 4th Bavarian Waffles w/Strawberries & Whipped Cream, Ham, Yogurt Parfait & Juice
August 7th Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Home Fries, Muffin, Fruit, Yogurt, Juice

SeVWA’s 2015 E. coli Monitoring of Local River Sites Continued July 29th

by sevwa.wqmp | Nature

The Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance (SeVWA) had its fourth monitoring day for the summer of 2015 on Wednesday, July 29th. Our sites on the Saxtons River and Sacketts Brook received significant rainfall in the day before sampling and 5 of our 27 sites tested above the recommended “suitability to swim” bacteria level set by Vermont and the EPA. It is generally recommended to wait 24-48 hours after a significant rainfall to resume swimming in lakes and streams, so keep that in mind when making weekend plans on the water. As the summer progresses you can use the charts we publish to make informed decisions about where it is safer to swim or boat based on which sites have high bacteria counts after rainfall or tend to always have high bacteria counts.

Spectacular Niagara

by Lise | Travel

Americans love a realistic spectacle, the more realistic the better.  So says Umberto Eco in Travels in Hyper Reality, a survey of American theme parks and attractions that argues the premise that for Americans, the real is not real enough, and that enhanced reality (or even enhanced unreality) are sometimes better than the thing itself.  One could certainly make that case with the theme park called Niagara Falls, which I was fortunate enough to visit recently at night, when Niagara transitions from mere natural wonder into a 20th century spectacular worthy of Las Vegas.

5K for Food to Benefit Our Place Food Shelf

by NewsWriter | Recreation & Sports

Our Place Drop-In Center in Bellows Falls is hosting a 5K race and walk to benefit its food programs Saturday, Aug. 15 at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River.

The 5K for Food will get under way at 9 a.m. over the trails at VA and will include a cool route through the woods, perfect for an August day. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Chivers Center on Shepare Lane.

The registration fee is $15, with a maximum of $30 per family.

The event will raise money to help stock the shelves at Our Place, which serves approximately 175 local families a month. Donations of non-perishable food will be accepted at the 5K.

Superhero Crime Solvers

by Brooks Memorial Library | Family

The superheroes need your help.

A medallion was stolen by some villains from the libary and they need the help of the superhero crime sovlers to find out who stole it.

Come to the library on Tuesday, July 28th for either a morning session from 10:30-11:30 or an afternoon session from 2:00-3:00.

Please call (802)-254-5290 x110 or email cr@brookslibraryvt.org to pre-register for either sessions in this event.

Meet Your Local Hero Event

by Brooks Memorial Library | Family

Come to the municipal lot, behind the library, on Saturday, July 25th from 10:00-12:00 to meet some local heroes and check out their vehicles.

Look at a firetruck or an ambulance. Check-out a police car or a dump truck from public works. See how high a utility truck from Green Mountain Power can go.

Stop by on Saturday to look at all these great vehicles and thank the people who operate them. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield Requesting 8.4% Rate Increases

by ESchwartz | Activism

The Affordable Care Act, in spite of its name, is not making health care affordable for many Vermont residents. One in five people in Vermont are struggling with medical bills. Meanwhile, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, as a “non-profit” company, will receive a tax break of over $15 million this year, while ten of its executives are paid up to half a million dollars each.

BCBS has asked the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) to approve a premium increase averaging at 8.4%, with increases of up to 14.3% on some plans. This is considerably more than most people’s wages rise in a year, so this increase, if granted, will be a huge setback for many people who purchase health insurance through Vermont Health Connect. This big win for the insurance company will do nothing to increase in access to care, especially for people on basic plans with high deductibles and co-pays. If anything points to the need to get the insurance industry out of health care, it is the effrontery of BCBS’s request for premium increases that will make health care less, not more affordable.