News from towns around the Brattleboro area
Windham County is again being used as a temporary military operations area, with loud jets buzzing the area for about six hours a day. The 104th Fighter Wing of Westfield, MA is in training.
Does Keene still have their tank? Maybe we could borrow it for defensive actions, if required, against aerial attack.
Broad Brook Community Center (BBCC) in Guilford has announced a winter fund drive to support the major phase of renovations this spring. Thanks to a matching gift challenge, all donations received by January 31, 2021, will be doubled.
The BBCC purchased the 1896 building from Broad Brook Grange three years ago, began raising funds for a complete renovation, and completed the first phase of work in 2018. The improvements particularly addressed accessibility and safety, and included a new entry ramp, ADA-compliant restrooms, and a fire escape.
Wondering about the planes buzzing southern Vermont? We asked the VT Air National Guard about it and they weren’t sure where the planes were from at first. After a bit more research, they told us the planes were F-15’s from Massachusetts, and directed us to a page about what they are doing:
SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE
Chugs Temporary Military Operations Area (MOA), Windham, VT
The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) and its partners, ValleyNet and Rural Innovation Strategies Inc. (RISI) were awarded a Broadband Innovation Grant (BIG) from the state’s Department of Public Service in late December 2019. The resulting Windham Region Broadband Project was informed by the hard work of many town broadband committees and other volunteer efforts, as well as education and outreach organized by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation.
WRC understands the importance of high-quality, high-speed and reliable internet access to our communities for many reasons – connecting students with teachers and online education resources, connecting patients with medical providers, connecting rural businesses with clients and employers with employees, as well as for entertainment and news. Broadband can provide that level of service to Windham Region communities that are currently unserved and underserved.
Broad Brook Grange will hold its annual Pre-Town Meeting on Thursday, February 13, 7:00 pm at the Broad Brook Community Center.
This is the only opportunity for voters to hear details of the articles which will be presented at Town Meeting, and to meet and discuss issues with the selectboard in advance of Town Meeting.
The Guilford Board of Civil Authority reminds all Guilford legal residents that you are both eligible and encouraged to run for a Town position, via the Australian Ballot at Town Meeting. Here’s the catch: To be on the ballot, you have just 2 weeks to file a petition. It’s not too hard: Go to the Town Office (Mon-Thurs) and sign up. Get a petition for the office you’d like to seek, and get 18 signatures of registered voters, turn it in by the close of the day on Monday, Jan. 27, and you’re a candidate!
Here are the offices which will be elected on the ballot: Town Clerk, 3-year term; Treasurer, 3 years; Selectboard: One 3-year term, one 2-year, and the remaining year on an unexpired term; Lister, 3-year; Auditor, 3-year, and Town agent, 1-year.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will hold a public information meeting on Thursday, November 14, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Putney Fire Station, 21 Carl Snyder Drive, Putney. The purpose is to discuss a project that will replace the deck of the US Route 5 bridge in Putney Center at the intersection of Kimball Hill Road. Construction will start in Spring 2020.
The existing structure is a single span cast-in-place deck on rolled beams constructed in 1954. The bridge is owned and maintained by the State of Vermont. VTrans bridge inspectors have observed areas of heavy saturation, cracking, and evidence of significant concrete deterioration. VTrans engineers determined that the most cost effective and viable approach to address deterioration of the aging bridge deck is to replace it.
Due to the popularity of this annual harvest event, Scott Farm in Dummerston, VT, has extended Heirloom Apple Day, now in its 17th year, to two days on Sunday, October 13 and Monday, October 14 from 9-4pm!
Apple lovers of all ages are invited to come to Heirloom Apple Days and visit the 571-acre historic farm and orchard to experience some of the 130 varieties of heirloom apples grown there—fresh, baked and squeezed!
In addition to the popular heirloom apple talks and tastings, dry stone wall tours by The Stone Trust, and food vendors; new activities are in store for families such as make-your-own caramel apples and a scavenger hunt.
Don’t you just love ‘personalized’ ads? I came across this one today and it made me laugh. It’s for reduced-price private personal planes in [location] and that location is Putney, VT.
Just look at the gorgeous plane parked in [Putney]. It certainly looks like [Putney] to all of us who live around here, right?
We are nearly halfway through VTrans’ project to resurface the Guilford Welcome Center parking lot! This seven-week effort includes repaving of entrance and exit ramps. While the car parking area is paved, visitors have been using the truck/bus parking area. Trucks, buses, and RVs are parking at alternate sites for the duration of the project.
Although most towns across the state voted — in some cases reluctantly — to accept the forced merger of their schools as mandated under Act 46, the town of Windham did not. The Windham School Board continues to fight the merger of their elementary school into the new West River Education District, which they see as unconstitutional seizure of town property and against the best interests of their students.
On May 11, the Windham School Board took the unusual step of writing to all its neighbors in the new merged district to ask that they vote No on the latest school merger articles up for vote. The other towns in the West River district are Newfane, Townshend, Brookline, and Jamaica — all have agreed to merge their schools and have approved the merged budget.
The Friends of the Moore Free Library are reserving spaces now for theirCommunity Tag Sale to take place on the Newfane Common on Saturday, June29, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
To reserve a space, please contact Julie at 802-365-7278 or julielavorgna@gmail.com or pick up a reservation form at the Library, 23 West Street, Newfane. The Library is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, Thursday from 2:00 to 7:00 pm, and Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
The Community Center is holding a tag and craft sale on Saturday from 9am-3pm, rain or shine. Please contact Melody Stone at 254-2594 or email melodyellis34@gmail.com.
I attended my first “real” Town Meeting today. It was the Newfane, VT Town Meeting, held at Williamsville Hall. Previously, I’ve been both a representative and a constituent in Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting system. This is the first time I could attend, or not, without needing to be elected first.
Williamsville Hall is right down the road, so I took advantage of the sunny day and walked. Along the way a neighbor caught up with me and we arrived together, went inside and found seats.
Dummerston Community Center’s Annual Pampered Chef event will be held Saturday, March2, from 12:55 to 2:55. Kim Martin will host the show with new Spring products, recipes, demonstrations of many cooking needs, also hands-on-cooking and tasting of spices, sauces and rubs. There will be a special drawing at 1:00 p.m. and drawings throughout the show.
The Moore Free Library and Windham County Historical Society are looking into creating a program to record, preserve, and share people’s stories about Newfane.
Answering these few questions will help give us direction as we shape the project.
Please join us this Saturday for our first ever Artisan Market showcasing local artisans and crafters! In an attempt to support small businesses and local artists we are transforming our yoga studio into an indoor market stocked with jewelry, leather goods, soaps, plants, 10 minute massages, gently loved yoga gear, our new apparel line, and other great holiday gifts! Raffle prize to include two yoga blocks, a new tank top and yoga mat! We are so excited to share this time off the mat with you and to give our community members an opportunity to showcase their passions!
General Elections — you’ve probably been hearing about this! — are Tuesday, Nov. 6. Guilford polling place is back at Broad Brook Community Center, formerly the Grange, polls open 10 am – 7 pm. (This year’s Phase 1 of renovations will be completed by then, so your trip to the polls can be combined with a first look at the project: New access ramp out front and entry will make wheelchair access better than ever, and restrooms are now fully accessible, among other improvements.)
You will have the opportunity to vote for Congress, Statewide offices such as Governor, County posts such as High Bailiff and State Senator, and your Windham District-1 rep to the legislature. At the town level, there is a contest for Justices of the Peace.
There will be a benefit rummage and tag sale on Saturday, Oct. 20th, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West St. Items for sale include clothing, fabrics, sewing machine, sewing accessories, kitchen ware, glassware, footwear, costumes and wigs, toys and games, wedding gown, bedding and so much more, filling two rooms. Some items priced, some by donation.
PUTNEY, VT—October 4, 2018—A gathering of current and past Putney Craft Tour members will celebrate the tour’s fortieth year on October 24th at 7pm at the Putney Public Library. Along with friends and neighbors, stories and memorabilia from the fascinating early years of the tour to the present will be shared.
