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Support for Brenda Siegel as Our Next Lt Governor

by CherylVE | Op/Ed

I’m sharing why I am supporting Brenda Siegel to become our next Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: a decision I came to after researching Brenda’s stand on policies and noting that she embraces similar progressive values as my own.  What I believe distinguishes her from other candidates are her valuable insight and wisdom: qualifications gained through her advocacy background, business ownership and life experiences as a single Mom.

During this global health and economic crisis, Vermonters need representatives who possess a strong moral character and the guts to demand action now.  Representatives who:

Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – $3,600 Toward Three Hand Sanitizing Stations

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard july 14 2020

Handy Stations were the primary topic of a special virtual meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. The board approved spending $3,600 on three artistic devices to help people sanitize their hands downtown. If it works out, they may spend even more on keeping people safe.

It was admitted that some hand sanitizer taped to the wall might be significantly less expensive, but a motion-sensing, artist -decorated, musical hand sanitizing station to be adopted and maintained by businesses was the preferred idea. There was also an interesting discussion about the Civil War monument.

VJC’s 45th Annual Summer Workshop Goes Virtual With Zoom Into Jazz!

by vtjazz | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center will celebrate its 45th season by offering an online version of its annual Summer Jazz Workshop from August 9-14, 2020. In the spirit of moving forward, the VJC has developed a structure to share the love of jazz and the wisdom of the faculty as a temporary replacement for its traditional summer jazz workshop in Putney, Vermont. This year’s program features an expanded faculty, a new take on masterclasses, plus two new features: “Hot Topics” and “Zoom Tunes,” as well as a composition course led by Helen Sung as part of our theory curriculum.

Called “Zoom Into Jazz,” 2020’s workshop welcomes a handful of new masterclass instructors on bass (Linda Oh, Genevieve Rose, David Picchi), drums (Clarence Penn, Corey Fonville), piano (Shamie Royston, Maya Keren, Miro Sprague), trumpet (Rachel Therrien, Ray Vega) and saxophone (Felipe Salas) to complement VJC’s stellar faculty (see below for a full list). The masterclasses will focus on different, daily topics – transcribing, comping, improvising, electric or acoustic instruments, note sets, etc. Each teacher will define the parameters of their own offerings.

Brattleboro Hydrant Flow Testing

by Not Signed In | Town News

Hydrant Flow Testing in the Town of Brattleboro

On Thursday, July 16, beginning at 9:00pm through approximately 4:00am Friday, July 17, Utilities Crews will be conducting flow tests of the hydrants around town.  Residents may see water in the roadway and/or have discolored water in their homes.  If you experience water discoloration, you should run the cold water for a few minutes to flush your pipes which should take care of the issue.  

Education Reimagined

by RDavis | Education

The challenges to re-opening the public educational system are rivaling the challenges of providing health care during the pandemic.

This country has a historical commitment to provide public education through grade 12. It has struggled with budget constraints and political pressure to provide the best education possible for students, but the pandemic has forced the system to the breaking point.

Some politicians want to open the public school system by September, but their plans lack detail and they will put a lot of people’s lives at risk. Despite the threats from one of the most ignorant and intellectually challenged presidents this country has ever seen, governors know that they will be able to move more carefully because ninety percent of their funding comes from local and state budgets. That provides a bit of a financial safety valve but little comfort for a safer future for this country’s students.

VT Governor Scott Announces Housing Assistance Programs

by Not Signed In | State News

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Vermont State Housing Authority and the Vermont State Housing Finance Agency today announced $30 million in housing assistance to those affected by COVID-19. The programs, first proposed by the Administration and amended and passed by the Legislature, utilize federal CARES Act funding to provide relief for those tenants unable to pay rent, landlords suffering from a loss of rent payments and those lower income homeowners needing assistance in paying their mortgages.

“Landlords, renters, homeowners and those experiencing homelessness have all been impacted by this virus and need assistance, which is why we’ve worked closely with the Legislature to provide this relief,” said Governor Phil Scott. “As we continue to fight this virus, keep Vermonters safe and restart our economy, we know our recovery starts with everyone having a safe and secure place to call home.”

BCTV Schedules – Week of July 13, 2020

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 7/13/20

Monday, July 13, 2020

4:50 am Slow Living Summit – Ben and Jerry’s – Reducing our Carbon Footprint
6:00 am Montpelier Happy Hour – And the Legislature recesses… thanks, COVID-19
7:00 am Montpelier Happy Hour – Racial justice and political courage
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast
9:00 am Community Forum – With VT State Reps Tristan Toleno, Emilie Kornheiser, and Mollie Burke 6/20/20

Curbside Lunch Pickup at the Brattleboro VFW Starting July 13th

by LisaL | Food

Until further notice, beginning July 13th, the VFW will be offering curbside pick up from 11:30 – 1:30 Monday – Friday. Please make sure you tell us this will be a curbside pickup order when calling. 257-0438. Cash only for curbside. We are still serving lunch inside the hall Mon – Fri from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm and take outs are also available. Masks required while inside.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Collaborative Proposal for Police Reform Presented To Board, RTM Remains On Hold

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard july 7, 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard didn’t get to new business until after 11 pm. Old business of Representative Town Meeting scheduling, second thoughts on an already-approved budget, and competing proposals for police reforms filled the lengthy meeting.

In the end, no new RTM was set, the board was told the budget cannot be changed but can be ignored selectively, and competing proposals for police reforms will fill a new meeting schedule for July 21.

Two Wrongs and a Right

by tomaidh | Politics

Do two wrongs ever make a right?

Hunter Biden got a nice job paying $50,000 A MONTH because of his encyclopedic knowledge of the Gas Industry. Nothing wrong with that!

Joe Biden threatened the Ukraine in order to protect his son. Just a father doing his duty. Right?

And Donald Trump threatened the Ukraine if they fail to expose the Bidens. Just a concerned citizen doing his duty. Right?

BCTV Schedules – Week of July 6, 2020

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 7/6/20

Monday, July 6, 2020

4:00 am Heartline Ministries – Jesus Came to Bring Peace
5:00 am Rotary Cares – Ep 27 – Passing the Gavel
5:20 am The Quarantine Sessions from Next Stage Arts – Scottish Harpist Rachel Clemente
5:25 am The Quarantine Sessions from Next Stage Arts – Akwaaba Ensemble – Traditional African Drum and Dance
5:30 am Brattleboro Rotary Club Speaker Series – Episode 6 – Josh Davis

Independence Day Funeral

by RDavis | Activism

Instead of fireworks, barbeques and parties on the Fourth of July, Americans should be walking silently in funeral processions. The great American experiment in Democracy has fallen far too short in its vision for a better life that was described in the Declaration of Independence. The current Black Lives Matter protestors are making that clear and their marches are some of the best efforts we have to move us closer to the ideals that the founding fathers imagined.

We need to be reminded of some of the principles this country was founded upon, even as we recognize that those who wrote the words of the Declaration of Independence were slave owners and white men of privilege.

The Brattleboro Charter Blues

by spoon | Op/Ed

Indeed, Ms Starr, the flaws are built into the documents. The social contracts we are obliged to accept wherever we live. A close look at how they work will show how they are designed to limit power, the ability to act, to a very small number and force the vast majority to simply react to what they do. For instance, the people are told that they are limited to participating at just certain times and places. Those times and places are then placed under tight control of that very small elite. The elites write the agenda, maintain total control of the meeting process, have one sided comment periods that excuses themselves from accountability and almost never share the full range of information and what little there is rarely appears in a timely manner.