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Governor’s Executive Order: Declaration of State of Emergency in Response to COVID-19 and National Guard Call-Out

by cgrotke | State News

From the Governor’s office:

“WHEREAS, since December 2019, Vermont has been working in close collaboration with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with the United States Health and Human Services Agency to monitor and plan for the potential for an outbreak of respiratory illness due to a novel coronavirus (a disease now known as COVID-19), in the United States; and

WHEREAS, this rapidly evolving global situation required the Governor to direct the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) to activate the Health Operations Center in February 2020 when VDH began to monitor and later, test Vermonters who may have been exposed to COVID-19; and

Brattleboro VFW $6.50 Lunch Specials Open to the Public 3-16 to 3-20

by Not Signed In | Food

The Brattleboro VFW located at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public for lunch. Lunch is served Mon-Fri from 11:30 – 1:30. Specials listed below are only $6.50 a plate. Hand made burger, fries, sweet potato fries, wings, onion rings, soups and sandwiches are also available. Take outs available by calling 257-0438

Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

by Not Signed In | Uncategorized

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Board of Listers will meet on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 10:30am in the Assessors’ Office (Suite 109) at the Municipal Center.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – March 17, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve a bid to begin construction of a skatepark at their next regular meeting. Yes, you read that right. The skatepark is finally going to be built.

There will be updates on COVID-19 from the Town Manager and a status update on Representative Town Meeting, a sewer rodder will be bought,  Groundworks will get a $100,000 grant, the Windham Regional Commission will give an update, stormwater will be managed, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.

COVID 19 and the U.S. Health Care System

by RDavis | Health

There may be a bright side to the current COVID 19 pandemic, at least in terms of showing how the current U.S. for-profit health care system fails people when they get sick. In the political debate about a Medicare for All plan the defensive posture is to tell people not to support it because they will have to give up their current health insurance.

Last time I checked I couldn’t find people who tell me they love their current health insurance plan and that they would never give it up. As things stand now for people who have private insurance that they pay for in part, or in whole, contracting a serious case of COVID 19 could mean bills anywhere from $10,000 to one million dollars depending on the type of insurance they have or don’t have.

Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market Update

by Sherry | Food

Because of the concern with COVID19 spreading via public gatherings, a number of our vendors will not be coming to the market this week. We were going to officially cancel the market, but at least one intrepid farmer, Elizabeth Wood from New Leaf CSA insisted on coming down to sell veggies to you, and she will be joined by Mary Ellen from High Goose Farm with all those healthful black currant concoctions, and likely Orchard Hill Breadworks as well. I’m sure others will be there too. Check our Facebook page -@brattleborowinterfarmersmarket – for updates.

So when you come to the market on Saturday, you will find a smaller version of us, and you will not find a terminal to run credit, debit or EBT card sales. Plan accordingly and be prepared with cash or check, or the tokens and coupons you already have on hand.

Should Brattleboro Hold Representative Town Meeting?

by cgrotke | Questions & Answers

With the flurry of cancellations and postponements in the area, would it be smart to postpone Brattleboro’s Representative Town Meeting?

On one hand, Brattleboro hasn’t had any confirmed cases. And there is a bit of time pressure on representatives to pass the budget before the fiscal year ends. Perhaps it would be best to get this out of the way early and hold it as scheduled.

Attorney General Donovan Sues Clearview AI for Violations of Consumer Protection Act and Data Broker Law

by Not Signed In | Sci-Tech

Attorney General Donovan filed a lawsuit today against Clearview AI, a data broker that uses facial recognition technology to map the faces of Vermonters, including children, and sells access to this data to private businesses, individuals, and law enforcement. The complaint, filed in Chittenden Superior Court – Civil Division, alleges violations of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act and the new Data Broker Law. Along with the complaint, the State filed a motion for preliminary injunction, asking the Court to order Clearview AI to immediately stop collecting or storing Vermonters’ photos and facial recognition data.

Coronavirus: We Need Public Healthcare, Paid FMLA, Paid Unemployment Benefits For All – Not More Rhetoric

by Not Signed In | Health

As Vermonters, we have heard the warnings to avoid crowds and unnecessary travel. We have heard the recommendation to wash hands frequently. And now we are hearing that some institutions, like Vermont Law School, Middlebury College, & Champlain College are closing their campuses. We also hear rumblings that school districts and perhaps even aspects of State Government will follow suit if and when the infection rate grows. We are being told that this is to diminish the transmission of the Coronavirus and therefore to save lives. What we have NOT heard is how 10,000s of workers are expected to survive with no wages and a limited access to healthcare if and when more workplaces shutdown.

So if I work for private non-union shop that closes its doors in reaction to the virus, and if I am receiving no pay, and if I have no healthcare, how I am expected to feed my family, pay rent, get medical care, and not face an economic disaster? Conversely, what if my work stays open but my kid’s school closes down? Without public (or affordable) childcare how am I suppose to care for my children? Where is the plan to protect working people not only from the virus, but also from economic ruin? Must we as workers decide between exposure to a deadly disease or total economic collapse? Or will that bad choice be made for us?

Women’s Film Festival Rescheduled

by vsterlin | Culture

Due to the concerns around the spread of Coronavirus(COVID-19), this year’s Women’s Film Festival, originally slated for March 20-29th, has been rescheduled to September 18-20th. Look for more information on our website, www.womensfilmfestival.org, this summer.

*If you already purchased a 5-movie pass or gala ticket, it will be valid in September.

*If you hadn’t yet purchased a pass or ticket, but still wish to donate to the Freedom Center, please go to www.womensfreedomcenter.net and click ‘donate’.
*If you are unable to attend the event in September and would like a refund of your purchase, please be in touch with us via email – admin@womensfreedomcenter.net.

Can Word, Language, and/or Poetry be Possible Pathways to Compassion?

by brattevents1 | Arts

This question is being explored in an event taking place on Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Brooks Memorial Library as a part of the Compassionate Brattleboro discussion series.

If we look closely at the words we are bringing together within the title of this discussion, compassion has its Latin roots com- together with + pati to suffer which means suffering together. A poet, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a poet is: “writer of verse distinguished by particular insight, inspiration, or sensibility, or by remarkable powers of imagination, creativity, or expression…” There are many key words, one of them being sensibility from sensibili or the French etymology, both linking to the senses and feeling.

I Spy Butterfly by Faye Dupras at Sandglass Theater

by SandglassTheater | Entertainment

Putney- Sandglass Theater’s Winter Sunshine Series continues its 13th season of puppet shows for young audiences with I spy Butterfly by Faye Dupras on Saturday, March 14th at 11am and 2pm. How does a nature-loving explorer become a bug’s best friend? Find out in this delightful eco-story about the ways we all grow and change.  When Trudy’s friend Harold the caterpillar suddenly transforms into a chrysalis, she’s determined to do the same. Just when she is about to give up hope, she learns that her tiny friend needs her now more than ever. Live music, colorful critters, and oodles of audience interaction make this show a fun ecological romp in the wild!

Brattleboro Town Manager Statement on COVID-19 Rumors

by Not Signed In | Rumors

I have been advised this morning that some rumors of significant COVID-19 impacts are circulating in Brattleboro.  Examples include “hospital staff have been instructed not to report to work” and “police officers are wearing masks whenever they are in public.”  These rumors are not true.  Please continue to monitor the situation on the Vermont Health Department’s website at https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/infectious-disease/2019-novel-coronavirus.  Please also continue to encourage members of the public to use that Health Department site as their source of reliable information about COVID-19 in Vermont.  The link to that site remains posted in the “News” section on the right side of the Town’s homepage.  The Health Department is updating the site at least daily and some days it is updated multiple times.

Survey: Your Wishes for Reps Voting at Brattleboro 2020 Annual Representative Town Meeting

by Not Signed In | Activism

You are invited to fill a survey to help Brattleboro town reps know what people want for voting by reps at the March 21 Brattleboro annual town meeting. This survey is for people who are NOT Brattleboro town reps.

The survey is here: http://bit.ly/townarticles2020

The survey asks your opinion on each article that will be voted on. Results will be shared with town reps, and also available to anyone.

Seeking Moving Advice or Recommendations

by Wendy M. Levy | Questions & Answers

Hello friends,

I’m moving the contents of my apartment into a storage space here in Brattleboro in about a month.

In 2012, I hired Crofter’s to move me, and their rates seemed fair. Now, they’ve been bought by a company in Lebanon, NH, and their minimum is $800. That’s more than my monthly rent. My stuff can easily fit into a small rental truck. $800 is ridiculous.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Emerging Artist Joel Ross “Good Vibes”

by vtjazz | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center presents Downbeat Rising Star Award-winning vibraphonist Ross in concert on Saturday, March 14th.  Ross, a 24 year-old Blue Note recording artist, is making the “vibes” a more familiar and accessible sound to audience members of his generation. For listeners familiar with the impact of the vibes in bebop and swing, Ross’ dynamic sound and virtuosity brings back memories of its judicious use by jazz legends Red Norvo, Lionel Hampton, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson and Gary Burton. Ross’ approach is both modern and steeped in the tradition. JazzTimes Magazine claims “Not since Stefon Harris’ arrival 20 years ago has the jazz world heard a young vibraphonist intent on exploring so many dimensions.”

Ross will be performing selections from his highly acclaimed Blue Note album, KingMaker, a musical tribute to his family. Joining him at the Jazz Center will be other mid-20s artists  including Immanuel Wilkens on saxophone, Jeremy Corren on piano, Kanoa Mendelhall on bass, and Jeremy Dutton on the drums. All except Mendelhall can be heard on Ross’ recent release. Downbeat Magazine gave KingMaker a 4 star review, noting that “Ross’ playing erupts through the layers of lush arrangements like consistent currents of electricity, high-powered and full of luminous energy. These bright bursts of solos and melodic lines surprise, excite and stretch…”

BCTV Schedules – Week of 3/9/20

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 / 1075 schedule for the week of 3/9/20

Monday, March 9, 2020

5:00 am Landmark College Presents – William Edelglass – The Genealogy of Happiness: From Aristotle to Positive Psychology
6:25 am Northeast Sled Hockey League AD Tournament – Gaylord Wolfpack vs Central Vermont Pioneers
7:30 am The World Fusion Show – EP 68 – Sampler #6
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Daily Episode
9:00 am Slow Living Summit – Place-Based Food Business Creation and Investing