Noticed Around Brattleboro – Winter 2020
Do you notice things where you live? What little things around Brattleboro have caught your eye this winter?
News and information sections, from near to far
Do you notice things where you live? What little things around Brattleboro have caught your eye this winter?
The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.
Snow and ice will be removed from the parking lots in the downtown area this evening.
Parked vehicles in the downtown parking lots must be removed by 1:00 am or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Except for the difficulty of moving in the ice and snow, a real estate closing this time of year can feel like a magical gift. This was especially true for Walter when the title problem for the land he had put under contract just before Easter was resolved, and he closed a few days before Christmas. [This all happened in 1998.]
Walter was a Vietnam War veteran who had finally received disputed benefits more than 20 years late, and he wanted to use the money to purchase land and build his home. He found a tiny parcel at a low price, but the closing was delayed when Walter’s attorney discovered that, somewhere in the chain of conveyances for the land an heir had filed a copy of the Will rather than of the Probate Judgement in the local land records. While the Will did name the heir, it was logically possible that the Will might have been disputed and overturned. Therefore, only the Final Report and Account of the Court could establish the legitimacy of the previous owner’s deed.
With the US Census just around the corner, many people have questions as to who they should count on their census form. With 675 Billion dollars in federal aid programs on the line – the answer is – Everybody!
The US Census Bureau estimates that in 2010, more than 1,000,000 children were undercounted in the Census, and it is important that this does not happen again. School lunch programs, special education funds, and other benefits that flow to our communities are based on the numbers returned in the 2020 Census.
In observance of the Christmas holiday:
Brattleboro Town offices will close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2019, with the exception of emergency services.
Brooks Memorial Library will close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2018.
The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.
Snow and ice will be removed from the parking lots in the downtown area this evening.
Stephen Dotson will be the first Sustainability Coordinator for the Town of Brattleboro. Town Manager Peter Elwell announced the appointment at the Brattleboro Selectboard meeting on Tuesday evening. Dotson’s first day in his new position will be February 3.
During more than a decade of providing services to a wide variety of sustainability and social action projects and programs (sometimes as an employee and often as a consultant or contractor), Dotson has most often served in communications roles but also has led or materially assisted in analytical and management work that has been essential to the success of those efforts.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had their final meeting before Santa’s visit next week, discussing municipal broadband, finances, the Grand List, a housing grant, and FY21 loose ends. Was it enough for them to stay on the “nice” list? Read on to find out.
Probably because of all the other distractions of the world, 2020 is sort of sneaking up on us. It’s the turn of a decade and the start of our third decade of the 21st century. It has the symmetrical 20’s in there, too. One would think we’d be growing in decade-related hype by now.
2000 ushered in some big changes, and those 20 and under have lived with them just about their entire lives.
The Brattleboro Selectboard has a short agenda awaiting them at their next regular meeting. There will be an update on municipal broadband funding, financial reports, updates to the grand list, a grant close out hearing, and consideration of FY21 budget loose ends. You can, as always, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, December 16, 2019, at 5:00pm in the Mezzanine Meeting Room at Brooks Memorial Library.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
A. Meeting called to Order [Planning Commission Chair]
B. Announcements [Planning Commission Chair] (5 minutes)
C. Public Comments [Planning Commission Chair]
Windham Regional Commission (WRC) and the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District (WCNRCD) are pleased to announce expanded outreach and services to municipalities and the public to improve tactical basin planning efforts for the West, Williams and Saxtons River and Direct CT River Tributaries (Basin 11/13). In addition to the basin planning efforts, the WRC and WCNRCD will also support overall water quality efforts throughout Windham County. The work is supported through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Activities began this fall and will extend through September 2020.
The board discussed final tidbits relating to the FY21 proposed budget, and consider other items as well, such as giving themselves a raise, giving election workers a raise, demanding an overhaul of the health care system, and then some wondering about who is getting raises and why they are getting them.
If you are overwhelmed by the crass commercialism that has overtaken the holiday season a trip to see Shirley Squires’ 1500 nativity sets in her Guilford home might be just what you need. She has been collecting nativity sets since 1993 and as the collection grew, in 1997 she decided to share it with anyone with an interest in visiting.
As the years have passed Squires has given up most of her living spaces to the Christmas displays. The only traditionally functional areas of her home are the kitchen and a small area in the living room where she has a day bed. She spends time every year preparing for visitors and her family and friends help her during the busy visitor season. Most years between 250 and 300 people come to see the nativities display.
Need some Brattleboro-centric gifts for someone you know, or for yourself? The Brattleboro Shop has you covered.
You’ll find all sorts of T-Shirts, mugs, posters, postcards, watches, flasks, bottle openers, circus stuff, and other items that we’ve loaded up with historic Brattleboro logos and lettering.
Completely original items that you won’t find in stores. You can shop easily online from where you are right now, so no parking hassles, either.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, December 13, 2019, at 9:00am, in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
On Tuesday, December 3 at 8:45am the Brattleboro Fire Department and Rescue Inc responded to a West Brattleboro address for a subject that was burned. Upon arrival it was learned that the 55 year old patient was burned while vaping while he was on home oxygen. A flash fire occurred around the face area of the subject and he received burns to his mouth and nose area. He was transported to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital by Rescue Inc for further evaluation and treatment.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had an extended discussion of the appropriateness of giving the new sustainability coordinator $10,000 for community programs and outreach. Was this what Representative Town Meeting intended? Will the line item grow out of control?
Brattleboro is joining with other Vermont municipalities and VLCT to request some time, some authority, and some money when and if commercial cannabis operations are legalized. It is expected in the coming legislative session. The board continued discussions of FY21 and signed on for some training.