News & Information

News and information sections, from near to far

Latchis Theatre Announces Accessibility Upgrades with New Renovation

by Not Signed In | Business

For Immediate Release– In the ongoing celebration of the newly renovated Latchis Theatre, the Latchis is very pleased to highlight accessibility improvements made to serve people with disabilities. “The Latchis and Latchis Arts are committed to doing the best we can with our historic structure” says Managing Director Gail Nunziata. “The recent campaign gave us the opportunity to make advances.”

Specific wheelchair accessible seating locations with companion seats are now available in clearly marked locations around the hall. One location is permanent, and seven offer flexible wheelchair accessible seating, all with companion seats. While “flexible” means that either theatre seats or wheelchairs may inhabit a space, in most cases the everyday set-up will accommodate wheelchairs.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: FY15 Budget Nearly Final, How Does 8.7 Cents Strike You?

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard announced their nearly-final budget numbers for FY15. It will cost $16,306,285 to run the town, an increase of about 8.7 cents for taxpayers. Everything was trimmed, but nothing substantial was cut or reduced. As one member said, the can was kicked down the road.

In the good news category, a unique public-private partnership has been formed to save the town large sums of money. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, SIT, and Harris Hill have offered to help the town relocate communications towers off of Wantastiquet by providing towering locations in town.

The topic of energy audits returned, a plan for a $50,000 energy audit fund was proposed, and a 16 year old asked the board for the right to vote. All this and more below.

Exploring Brattleboro’s Cultural Landscape: Past, Present, and Future

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

Brattleboro CoreArts Project – Track Two, Session Three

Exploring Brattleboro’s Cultural Landscape: Past, Present, and Future
Saturday, January 11, 2014, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Main Stage, Latchis Theatre

You are invited to join the ongoing discussion about Brattleboro’s arts and culture sector.

For many years, Brattleboro has been lauded as a small community with an outsized profusion of the arts. Many different threads have woven together to form the community we live and work in today. In which ways has the arts and culture sector informed Brattleboro’s personality? What lenses are used to described current trends? Who are the past and present players? What do we need to understand about how the community landscape is formed and subsequently altered? Can we learn from historical trends to nudge creatively at the future?

Robinson Hired by BDCC as SeVEDS Director of Workforce Development

by Not Signed In | Business

Moulton Powden assumes Executive Director role at BDCC

Andrew Robinson will be joining the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) staff as the Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) Director of Workforce Development.

The SeVEDS Director of Workforce position was created in 2012 to add capacity for tackling the region’s workforce development challenges and filling the position was one of three major goals the SeVEDS board identified for fiscal year 2013. The position has been funded by SeVEDS in partnership with regional municipalities and BDCC and was vacated at the end of 2013 by Patricia Moulton Powden who has replaced retiring Jeffrey Lewis as the Executive Director of BDCC. With the impending loss of over 600 regional jobs at Vermont Yankee, Powden is pleased to have found such a highly qualified and connected replacement.

Safety Tip of the Week – Walking

by acharkes | Other

Walking – you’re in charge of your own safety

Use crosswalks. Crosswalks are designed for your safety. If there is a crosswalk nearby, take the time and walk to it before crossing the street.

No crosswalk? Yield to cars. If there is no crosswalk nearby, you should cross the street only when there is a safe gap in traffic.

Icy Roads Alert

by paulgardner | Town News

Does anybody know what is going on with the icy roads this morning?

My wife just came back from trying unsuccessfully to get up to Marlboro. She reported that east bound traffic was creeping along with lights flashing and that the road was wall to wall ice. She turned around at the bottom of Starks curve and came back to town. At the State Police barracks she stopped to ask what was going on, but all the doors were locked and the place appeared desserted. I would assume they’re all out dealing with emergencies.

On our street there are a 1 to 2 inches of new ice and the town did come by and scrape at it with their plows a couple times to rough up the surface.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – January 7, 2014

by cgrotke | Town News

The town’s budget will be discussed at the first regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard on Tuesday evening. You can attend in person at the Municipal Center or watch on BCTV.

They will also take up issues such as whether any “savings” in this year’s budget could pay for energy audits of municipal buildings, new communication tower locations for Fire and Police departments, grants and an open CRT board position.

You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.

Ask-a-Cop: Cellular Phone Tower Dumps

by BrattPoliceDept | Police & Fire

“Has the department ever requested or used tower dumps (requesting all data from a cell tower)? If so, did it require a warrant or court order?” 

The Brattleboro Police Department regularly obtains information from cellular phone companies.  This information is obtained through the use of court ordered search warrants or subpoenas, depending on the information sought.  These orders relate to specific suspects or specific phone numbers. 

If the officer has applied for it specifically, and the judge approved it, the information will include what cell towers were used by the person/number and when.  However, BPD has never requested a cell tower dump.

Brattleboro 2014 Elections and the Annual Representative Town Meeting Information

by Not Signed In | Town News

Petitions for Brattleboro Town and Town School District Officers and Town Meeting Members are now available at the Town Clerk’s office. Town elections will be Tuesday, March 4, and the Annual Representative Town Meeting, Saturday, March 22.

Petitions for Town Officers must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters and be filed in the clerk’s office no later that 5:00 P.M. on Monday, January 27 in order to have their name placed on the ballot.

Brattleboro Last Night 2013 Celebration, Tuesday, December 31st, 2013

by Not Signed In | Town News

Once again Brattleboro’s Last Night Committee presents a fun filled, substance free day of celebration on Tuesday, December 31st for New Year’s Eve. The day kicks off with the wonderful Senior Potluck Luncheon at the Brattleboro Senior Center from 11:30-1PM. Sponsored by River Valley Credit Union, this year’s featured guests are “Sing, Sing, Swing” featuring Scott Sizer, Lynn Lovell and Rob Fletcher.

From 1 to 4PM folks can enjoy sleigh and hay rides at Fairwinds Farm on Upper Dummerston Road (no pets please). Adults are $8 and children up to 12 years are $4.

Brattleboro New Year’s Day Closings

by Not Signed In | Town News

In observance of New Year’s Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2014, with the exception of emergency services.

Offices will be open for regular hours on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 and will reopen for regular hours on Thursday, January 2, 2014.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Wednesday, January 1. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will close at 6:00pm on Tuesday, December 31, 2013, and will be closed all day Wednesday, January 1, 2013. It will reopen for regular hours on Thursday, January 2, 2014.

Statement on the Settlement Agreement Reached Between Entergy and the State of Vermont

by Not Signed In | Business

from:
Jenna Pugliese, Chair of Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS)
Stephan Morse, Chair of SeVEDS Post Vermont Yankee Task Force
Dan Normandeau, Chair of Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

We are encouraged by today’s announcement and believe this is a positive step forward in the effort to not-only revitalize the regional economy, but to l help with the loss of over 650 highly paid jobs and the impacts those job losses have on the lives of the VY employee families. While we remain concerned about the overall impact the closure of Vermont Yankee will have on the regional economy, today’s announcement is a very positive step which accelerates the path forward.