News and information sections, from near to far
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
BURLINGTON, Vt., June 20 – Vermont religious leaders joined U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today to address the moral implications of extreme wealth and income inequality.
Bishop Thomas Ely, the Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak, Monsignor Roland Rivard and Rabbi Joshua Chasan joined Sanders to emphasize that increasing wealth and income inequality in the United States is one of the great moral issues of our time and is undermining the fabric of our nation.
In recognition of the fact that everyone is a legitimate stakeholder when it comes to public safety, a committee of citizens is being formed to participate in candidate interviews as one step in the overall process of hiring the next police chief. The Town Manager’s Office will be accepting letters of interest from motivated members of the public for participation in the Police Chief Search – Community Committee.
On Thursday, July 10, 2014, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) will hold a public hearing from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., in the Select Board Meeting Room, Brattleboro Municipal Center, 230 Main Street, Brattleboro.
The purpose of the public meeting is to take public comment on utilizing a portion of the $10 million made available through the MOU between the State of Vermont and Entergy Vermont Yankee to establish a Windham County Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) administered by VEDA. The RLF would be part of the Windham County Economic Development Program under development by ACCD to implement the MOU.
Join Rob Fish, Nonprofit Advisor and Community Organizer, Vermont Digital Economy Project Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) in a workshop, Social Media Surgery for Non Profits on Wednesday 18 June 2014, 7 pm – 8:30 pm at the Brooks Library.
Does your organization need help using Facebook or Twitter? At this event, we will be bringing social media experts from around the state to work one on one with area organizations. This won’t be a workshop like any you have attended before.
Created by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) in response to the 2011 floods, the Vermont Digital Economy Project’s mission is to construct more resilient communities, by helping Vermont communities, businesses, and nonprofits better use online tools as a way to speed flood recovery, spur economic development and job growth, and improve community resilience to disasters.
Missing child in Brattleboro. This was posted to the Reformer at http://www.reformer.com/ci_25983683 There is also a photo of the girl at that link. Here is the text.
“The Brattleboro Police Department is currently attempting to locate a missing juvenile – Margaret Yost, 13, who goes by the nickname of May.
She was last seen at her home at approximately 7:20 p.m. on June 17 when she told her parents she was going out to have some alone time and hasn’t been seen since.
The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a memo of understanding which, once filed, will recognize most remaining non-management staff as union members. This makes the fourth group of town employees participating in collective bargaining.
Brattleboro will have a thorough process for finding a new Police Chief, according to plans presented by Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland. If all goes well, the search will result in a new police chief by the end of the summer.
Committee members were appointed, grants enlarged, businesses fined, and more in this relatively short, summer meeting of the Selectboard.
BRATTLEBORO, VT—Rescue Inc. will host a community open house and barbecue on Sunday, June 22, 2014 from 11am to 2pm at Rescue Inc.’s headquarters (541 Canal Street) to celebrate nearly 50 years of serving 15 towns in Southeast Vermont and Southwest New Hampshire.
“This is a great time to get to know your emergency first responders up close and personal and see what it takes to be an emergency medical technician or paramedic,” says Drew Hazelton, chief of operations. There will be a variety of Tech Rescue demonstrations, a hi line for folks to ride, bounce house for the kids along with a coloring book station, as well as tours of the ambulances and Rescue’s headquarters. Free blood pressure checks and hands only CPR will also be available.
The Brattleboro Area Lions Club is now prepared to start taking applications for financial assistance in obtaining sight and hearing care.
The new Lions club was established and chartered this spring and has since received some donations to kick start their sight and hearing program. Anyone in the Brattleboro area needing financial aid for sight or hearing issues may request the application by contacting the club at 130 Austine Drive, Brattleboro Vermont 05301.
Electric vehicle owners living in or visiting Brattleboro now have a new option for charging their cars. The Town of Brattleboro has installed two level 2, 100 amp electric vehicle charging stations on the first level of the Transportation Center at 77 Flat Street. There are three parking spaces reserved for charging electric cars. The State of Vermont will be installing signage directing motorists from Exits 1 and 2 to the stations. These stations are replacing an old obsolete charging station that was installed when the Transportation Center was constructed in 2003.
Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast Invitation
All about Transportation in VT
The “Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast” will take place on Friday, June 27, 2014 at the Gibson Aiken Center, downstairs, hosted by Senior Meals. Doors open at 7:30am.
State Representative Mollie Burke (Brattleboro District 2), member of the Vermont House Transportation Committee will speak on transportation issues from recent sessions of the General Assembly, along with general transportation issues, current and future, related to safety, funding, and emissions as they impact local, state, and federal governments.
Town clerical and administrative employees have decided to unionize, and Brattleboro will be reviewing and potentially accepting a collective bargaining agreement at their next Tuesday evening.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will also start down the path toward hiring a new Chief of Police, will adjust committees and grants, approve a loan for the Brattleboro Area Farmers Market, appoint David Schoales to an action team, and more.
You can attend in person at the Municipal Center on Main Street, and bring up items not otherwise on the agenda during public participation. You ca also watch on BCTV, or follow the coverage here the day after.
According to the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s Office only 71 signatures were submitted by the 5pm deadline yesterday, in the attempt to force a reconsideration of the town’s municipal budget. 418 signatures of registered voted would have been necessary.
Bob Bady
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 in the Fall of 2015.
Route 30
The speed limit on Route 30 near the work zone has been reduced to 40 mph. This reduction will remain in effect through the Spring of 2016.
Project-related truck activity on Route 30 will continue. Route 30 will be reduced to a single lane intermittently both day and night, with flaggers regulating traffic within the work zone.
At the Special Representative Town Meeting on June 2, 2014, Town Meeting Members voted to establish an ad hoc committee for the purpose of bringing forth a proposal for the establishment of a futures commission. An organizational meeting for the Ad Hoc Futures Committee is scheduled on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 5:30pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Reformer is reporting that David Gartenstein was seriously injured in a bicycle accident on Sunday, June 8th. He is recovering at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. No other details.
MIDDLESEX – June 9, 2014 — Surrounded by supporters at the locally owned Red Hen Bakery, Gov. Peter Shumlin today signed into law legislation phasing in an increase in the state’s minimum wage from the current $8.73 per hour to $10.50 per hour by 2018.
Gov. Shumlin and other New England Governors appeared with President Obama earlier this year in Connecticut to call for a national increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. However, noting Congressional inaction on that proposal, Gov. Shumlin said, “States like Vermont realize that working people can’t support their families on the current minimum wage, and we’re moving ahead to do the right thing on our own.”
Time again for one of our round-ups of observations of changes in the Brattleboro scene. Here are a few things I’ve noticed over the last few days, weeks, and months. What can you add?
The PCL+FIGG Team will conduct the next on-site “trail talk” for the Public on Saturday, June 14, 2014. These trail talks will discuss the status of the I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project and allow the public to ask questions. The talks will originate at the West River Trail near the marina. The trail talk will be led by Caleb Linn, Project Manager for PCL (lead contractor), and Garrett Hoffman, Design Manager for FIGG (bridge designer).
Interested participants should meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail trailhead on Saturday, June 14, 2014, at 8 a.m. and the talk will begin at 8:15 a.m. Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
