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


Town of Brattleboro Invites Public Comment on Comprehensive Review of Town Operations (CRTO)

The Town of Brattleboro is reminding all residents that the draft Comprehensive Review of Town Operations (CRTO) document is posted on the Town’s website and that everyone is welcome to provide input. The deadline for submitting comments and suggested changes is Friday, September 9. The revised draft will be considered at the Selectboard meeting on September 20 or October 4.

The draft CRTO contains an introductory letter from Town Manager Peter Elwell and 50 separate “action items” in categories ranging from “Already Accomplished” and “in Progress” to short term (0-2 years), medium term (2-5 years), and long term (more than 5 years) timeframes for implementation. The draft document was created by the Town’s management team after it completed a thorough review of all Town services and support functions. The 50 action items represent small and large scale changes that staff is proposing to improve the community and/or save taxpayers money
.


Savings Bank of Walpole Breaks Ground on Fifth Branch

SAVINGS BANK OF WALPOLE BREAKS GROUND FOR FIFTH BRANCH
Local builder and tradespeople chosen to build new location

Keene, NH, – Savings Bank of Walpole continues to branch out into the community and recently celebrated its future new Court Street, Keene location with a groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony was held on Friday, August 5th at the site of the new branch located at 817 Court Street, (across from Dunkin Donuts). Attendees included several SBW executives and members of the bank’s Board of Trustees, along with the president and architect from local design/build firm Bensonwood, who are handling the design and construction of the building.


I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of August 22nd

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 Sunday, August 21st, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open.