Dead Even

Shinto is a pantheistic belief, its underlying principle being ‘All life is animated’. And as a consequence of this idea, “Nature can never be evil.”

Phenomenology is the concept that of an infinite number of channels, we choose which ones we focus on, to the exclusion of all others.

Roger Ailes and Lee Atwater were Ronald Reagan’s hatchet men back in the day. I don’t know the ins and outs of their cabal which included North, McFarlane, Haig, Bush et. al., but of the first two…one went on to found the ‘news division’ of Fox, creating a media megaphone for an unprecedented manifestation of Orwellian doublespeak, exemplified by the motto, ‘Fair and Balanced’. The other is long deceased, but his protege was Karl Rove, aka Bush’s Brain.


Brattleboro Conservation Commission Seeks Members

Are you a Brattleboro resident interested in the natural environment? Do you have special natural resource knowledge that you are interested in sharing? Are you concerned that invasive species are threatening the health of our environment? If so, the Brattleboro Conservation Commission needs you!

The Conservation Commission responsibilities include raising public awareness about the Town’s natural resources, guiding development in sensitive areas, and encouraging community participation and stewardship regarding town conservation issues.


Brooks Memorial Library Wants To Hear From You

This year is a big one for Brooks Memorial Library. We hired a new Library Director, Starr LaTronica; we are using some of the recent generous Ronald Read bequest for internal upgrades and renovations. In addition, this is the year we have the opportunity to revise and rewrite our five year Strategic Plan.

Brooks Memorial Library is well-loved and well used by its customers and continues to be. But the world of libraries is changing. Libraries are expanding beyond their collections of books and media by providing new kinds of programs, services and opportunities. Some libraries offer classes, some loan out tools and gear, some connect patrons with community resources and some provide space for business incubators, conversation salons or makerspaces. At BML, we can do many of these things, and in fact, already do some of them. Now, we need to know what our patrons and cardholders want and need?


Brattleboro Taxes Due September 15, 2016

The first installment of the 2016 Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on September 15th, 2016. Payments made after September 15th, 2016 will have an additional 1% interest added to the unpaid balance.

Payments can be mailed to the Town of Brattleboro, 230 Main Street, Suite 111, Brattleboro VT 05301. An official postmark of September 15th, 2016 will be considered as an on time payment. Please include the quarterly payment stub to ensure your payment is applied properly. Electronic Bank Checks must be received in the office by the due date. Electronic Bank Checks dated for the due date, but received after the due date will not be considered an on time payment.


Next WBA Meeting on Thursday, September 15th at 6pm at Hayes Court

The next monthly meeting of the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will be held on Thursday, September
15th at 6:00 PM in the Community Room at Hayes Court on Garfield Drive.

After a review of the treasury report  there will be an update on several agenda items and information on the upcoming BizUp event to be held on September 27th at the ‘new’ New England Country Deli Market out on Marlboro Road.

A final decision will be made on whether to hold a Chicken BBQ over the Columbus Day weekend.  The event is usually held on a Saturday morning – going through till the chicken and fixin’s are gone (usually in the early afternoon). It is held in front of the First Congregational Church on Western Avenue.  


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – September 6, 2016

Who are these people? Why are they meeting?

Ahh, that’s right. It’s the Brattleboro Selectboard, and they return for a regular meeting after a nice summer break of a few weeks to take on issues such as plans for the new police station, changes to ordinances, appointing people to committees, and writing a check for just over half a million dollars to finish of the gravity sewer at Black Mountain Road in accordance with the legal settlement.

You can attend and comment, or bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda

The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, September 9, 2016, at 10:00am in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. NOTE THE CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR THIS AND FUTURE MEETINGS.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100


Noise In the Library?!?! Brooks Memorial Library Renovations

The Brooks Memorial Library is beginning renovations made possible by the recent bequest of Ronald Read. Mr. Read left BML over 1.2 million dollars in 2015. The Board of Trustees has invested the bulk of the funds in an endowment to provide support for the library for generations to come. The balance is being used to offset the staffing costs of restored hours and to make improvements to the building which will be 50 years old next year. The BML Buildings and Grounds Committee sought extensive input from the public and staff during the planning process. Among the improvements will be added spaces for meetings and quiet study a room for teens and a restroom on the ground floor.


Noticed Around Brattleboro – Late Summer Early Fall 2016

Time for another edition of Noticed Around Brattleboro, where you are invited to note things you have noticed in your neck of the woods. Small things, perhaps. Anything, really. Here are a few to get things started.

– The new Elliot Street bridge is completed and looks good.

– There are new talking crosswalk buttons downtown at some intersections. (I’ll guess that these will be disliked by most. They kind of bark at you, in contrast to the tweeting sounds we’re used to. I pressed the button and it yelled “Wait!”)

– Western Ave paving is getting underway from Havilands to I-91.


Brattleboro Development Review Board Meeting Agenda

The Brattleboro Development Review Board will hold a meeting on Monday, September 19, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.

Rita Johnson
Planning Clerk & E911 Coordinator
Town of Brattleboro
230 Main Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
planning@brattleboro.org


I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of September 5th

I-91

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Monday, September 5th from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (I-91 will remain open). Traffic conditions on both I-91 and through the town will be monitored closely throughout the day. Should traffic congestion become an issue, the ramps may be re-opened until traffic conditions improve. This will be managed actively throughout the day until peak traffic volumes have passed.

Route 30

The speed limit on Route 30 near the work zone has been reduced to 40 mph. Project-related truck activity on Route 30 will continue. Route 30 may be reduced to a single lane intermittently, with flaggers regulating traffic within the work zone.

Thank you for your patience as the bridge flares were constructed at RT 30 this week.


Brattleboro Labor Day Closings

In observance of Labor Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2016, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, September 4, and Monday, September 5. All other violations will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday, September 4, and Monday, September 5.


Brattleboro Elliot Street Bridge Construction Project Completed

The Town of Brattleboro is pleased to announce that construction work on the Elliot Street bridge crossing the Whetstone Brook was completed on schedule on Friday, August 26, 2016, and that this bridge has fully reopened for motor vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic.

A range of State of Vermont, Town of Brattleboro, and private personnel were vital to the successful and timely completion of this project. The leadership of Vermont Secretary of Transportation Chris Cole is particularly noteworthy, as is his Agency’s innovative program that gives priority to expedited bridge deck replacements projects. Also instrumental were the efforts of Vermont Agency of Transportation Project Manager Jennifer Fitch, who spent significant time and effort managing and overseeing the planning and implementation of this project from her home office in Montpelier, VTrans resident engineer Chad Greenwood, and local VTrans District 2 staff.


Rt 30 Closure Schedule Update – Tuesday

Good Afternoon,

Please note the following:

· Today’s RT 30 closure will be extended to 8:00 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

· RT 30 will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday) starting at 7:00 AM. This is required to finish the concrete operations over RT30.

Thank you for your patience as we work to complete the flares over RT 30.


Express Fluency Featured in Brattleboro Reformer

“Brattleboro’s Express Fluency offers new approach to learning languages.”
August 18, 2016

BRATTLEBORO — Elissa McLean has heard the same sad story more times than she can count: Adults say to her, “I took (fill in the language) for years in high school/college, but I can’t speak a word.”

McLean, founder and owner of Express Fluency, a language school and teacher training center, intends to change that by offering a new kind of language class. The method she uses is based on TCI, Teaching with Comprehensible Input. (Listening and reading comprise input; speaking and writing are output.)


RT 30 Closure Schedule Update – Monday

Route 30 closure for today, August 29, 2016 will be extended to 8:00 p.m. this evening.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Bonnie Clark
Field Office Manager
Public Relations Officer
PCL Civil Constructors, Inc.
41 Spring Tree Road | Brattleboro, Vermont 05301


Savings Bank of Walpole Hosts Annie Kuster

SAVINGS BANK OF WALPOLE HOSTS CONGRESSWOMAN ANNIE KUSTER AS PART OF ABA’S “TAKE YOUR LAWMAKER TO WORK” INITIATIVE

Keene, NH, – Savings Bank of Walpole was pleased to host Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) on August 23rd as part of the American Bankers Association’s (ABA) “Take your Lawmaker to Work,” program. During her visit to the Bank, Congresswoman Kuster met SBW employees and customers and also learned more about the Bank’s operations and role as a community partner.


Western Avenue Paving Schedule

As part of the Town’s paving program, the Town has contracted with Vermont Roadworks LLC to resurface Western Avenue from Allerton Avenue to Chestnut Hill. They are currently scheduled to mill the pavement on August 30th, 2016 from 6:00 pm until 12:00 am (midnight). We anticipate paving Western Avenue on September 6, 2016 during the evening hours as well to reduce traffic impacts.

During these evenings, please find off street parking in this area.

If you have any questions, please contact Hannah O’Connell, Highway and Utilities Superintendent, at the Brattleboro Department of Public Works at (802) 254 – 4255 or hoconnell@brattleboro.org.


Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, August 29, 2016, at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center. NOTE: The committee will NOT meet on its normal Monday schedule in September due to the Labor Day Holiday.

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100


RT 30 Closure Schedule Update

The RT 30 Road Closure Schedule has been revised as follows:

Friday, August 26, 2016 – CANCELLED

Monday, August 29, 2016 – ADDED TO REPLACE 8/26

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 (Backup/Makeup Day if Needed)

Thursday, September 01, 2016 – CANCELLED