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Oak Hill Capital Partners to Acquire Sovernet Communications

by Not Signed In | Business

Combination with FirstLight Fiber and Oxford Networks will create a stronger Northeast fiber provider

Bellows Falls, VT, August 8, 2016 – Sovernet Communications (“Sovernet”), a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider operating in Vermont, New York and southwest New Hampshire, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners (“Oak Hill”). At the closing of the transaction, Oak Hill intends to combine the operations of Sovernet with FirstLight Fiber (“FirstLight”), which Oak Hill previously announced an agreement to acquire. FirstLight is another leading provider of fiber optic communications in the northeast.

A Presidential Candidate – Evan McMullin, Jill Stein, Gary Johnson

by cgrotke | Politics

There are choices beyond Trump and Clinton.

Evan McMullin says  “I humbly offer myself as a leader who can give millions of disaffected Americans a conservative choice for president.”

“I am running with the only national party that does not take corporate funding,”  says Jill Stein.

“I do believe that crony capitalism is alive and well. It’s Democrats and Republicans that contribute to that. I’d like to be that choice that is not going to succumb to that,” says Gary Johnson

BCTV Schedules For The Week Of 8/8/2016

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV channel 8 schedule for the week of 8/8/16

Monday, August 8, 2016

12:00 am UVM Medical Education Center – Solving Stress

2:15 am Milton Historical Society – Fine Furniture Makers

3:26 am WWAC: Dr. John Hagen – Violent Extremism in Niger 5/13/16

5:00 am Souther Vermont Idol: Week 1

Dog Lexi In Search of Foster Care

by ttabach | Pets

We are seeking a temporary (two months or more) foster home for our dog Lexi and offering a stipend of $180 per month toward expenses. Lexi is a sweet, super smart, affectionate, and playful mix of Springer Spaniel, beagle, and harehound. She loves attention, to go on hikes, to play fetch with toys, and to cuddle at night. She’s a terrific companion dog who benefits from lots of love and attention. Ideally, she would love to have a fenced in yard as well.

Weekend Creativity Series – Making a Kaleidoscope

by cgrotke | Creative

I have a bunch of optical toys around, but I haven’t made any since I was a kid.

There are many ways to make a kaleidoscope. Some are quite fancy, made of metal or wood, with fine pieces of colored glass and precise mirrors. Others are quite simple, letting the user turn anything they look at into interesting patterns.

Brattleboro Committee Meetings and Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 7:00pm at 9 Southern Avenue. NOTE the change in location for this meeting only.

The Brattleboro Police-Fire Facilities Building Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Ukelele Flash Mob to Hit Brattleboro

by Not Signed In | Music

On August 25 at 6:00 p.m. ukelele enthusiasts are invited to play with others at Harmony Place in downtown Brattleboro, led by guitarist, singer-songwriter and ukelele instructor Lisa McCormick. All players are welcome regardless of level. Beginners are encouraged! Singers and listeners are welcome too. Area favorite Anon’s Thai Cuisine food cart will offer their popular fare from 5:30-7:30. This is a BYO Chair event. Harmony Place is located through the tunnel, between High Street and Elliot Street in the Harmony Parking Lot. Meet in the Brooks House Atrium in case of rain.
Gail Nunziata

Celebrating The Stephen Daye Press

by Not Signed In | Books

On Thursday, September 8 at 7PM there will be a presentation about Brattleboro’s Stephen Daye Press to be held in the Brattleboro History Center at 196 Main Street in Brattleboro. This event is open to the public and admission is free.

Founded in 1932 by John S. and Marion R. Hooper, the Stephen Daye Press (SDP) published books about New England. It is now considered the first in the field of regional publishers in the United States. Children of the SDP founders, John, Mary Ann and Steve Hooper, all formerly of Brattleboro will give the presentation about the Stephen Daye Press. In addition, there will be a display of SDP books, photos, tools of the trade, original promotional materials and other items.

SeVWA’s 2016 E. coli Monitoring of Local River Sites Continued August 3rd

by sevwa.wqmp | Nature

The Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance (SeVWA) had the fourth day of our monitoring program for the summer of 2016 on Wednesday, August 3rd. Volunteers collected samples from 30 sites on eight rivers and streams and will continue to do so every other week through the end of August. This year, we have sites on the West River, Rock River, North Branch Ball Mountain Brook, Williams River (including South Branch and Middle Branch), Saxtons River, Sacketts Brook, and Whetstone Brook.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – A Bitter $800,000 Pill To Swallow

by cgrotke | Town News

Ouch. The Brattleboro Selectboard settled a lawsuit with Kingsbury Construction Co. at their meeting on Thursday night. Brattleboro won’t owe the $1.5 million, but the settlement payouts will add over $800,000 to the cost of work done at Black Mountain Road for the gravity fed sewer line to be complete.

Assistant Fire Chief Peter Lynch is taking a new job, tax rates were set, good news on Police and Fire project bond financing was reported, committee appointments were made, and Brattleboro’s new Comprehensive Review of Town Operations is officially debuted and open for public comment.

I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of August 8th

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

I-91

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.

To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, August 7th, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open.

Whipple Street Closure

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

Please see the following road closure information effective MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2016:

Whipple Street will be closed to through traffic for road repairs from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday, August 8th through Friday, August 12th.

If you have any questions, please contact Hannah O’Connell, Highway / Utilities Superintendent, at the Brattleboro Department of Public Works at (802)254 – 4255.

WRC Secures Funds for Green River Ecosystem Restoration

by Not Signed In | Guilford

The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) is pleased to announce that it has secured funding from the State of Vermont, Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation, Ecosystem Restoration Program, for a floodplain attenuation project along the Green River in Guilford. The project consists of three elements: berm removal, buffer planting, and securing a conservation easement on a field in the floodplain.

Following Tropical Storm Irene, a berm of approximately 300 feet in length and 3-4 feet tall was created from material windrowed onto the left bank of the river. The berm exacerbates a pinch point that is created by road encroachments from Green River Road and a higher historical berm on the opposite bank. The project looks to remove this newer berm which obstructs the river’s flow into the floodplain field, a valuable space for floodwater, sediment, and debris attenuation, during storm events.

Patriotic Muslim Dad Hails Dead Son’s Participation in US Crime Against Humanity in Muslim Iraq

by jay janson | Op/Ed

DESCRIPTION:
Sen. Clinton voted for an obvious International Crime Against Humanity in Iraq. Prez Candidate Clinton features at her nominating convention a Muslin father, whose son died participating in US crime against Muslim people ranting about what a bad guy her opponent Donald Trump is, though Trump had spoken out against the illegal and criminal invasion of Iraq. Trump also faulted for non-participation in earlier genocidal crime in Vietnam.

Brattleboro’s Comprehensive Review of Town Operations – Draft

by cgrotke | Town Plan

One of the major tasks Peter Elwell announced when he took the job as Town Manager was a Comprehensive Review of Town Operations. It’s a top to bottom look at everything Brattleboro does coupled with an attempt to organize a new to-do list for the town. Added to this is some analysis of where we are doing well and where we might be coming up short. It has been a project that has had the involvement of town staff of every department.

The draft version of the document is completed and will be presented to the Selectboard Thursday night for their review and comments. In fact, the document is to be considered a “living document” so that it can be changed an updated as need be as times change. What you see here is the starting point, subject to change. That also means that you can have a role in shaping Brattleboro’s future by reading it and letting the Selectboard or Town Manager’s office know what you think.

Below you’ll find the full draft version (minus the table of contents, unnecessary here). The introduction is a letter from Mr. Elwell explaining the project and the process. He also points out some of the major lessons learned thus far in the course of creating the document.

Brattleboro Primary Election Office Hours

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office will be open Saturday, August 6, from 9 a.m. to noon for early voting in the State Primary elections. The Town Clerk’s office will be closed Tuesday, August 9, as staff will be conducting elections in the Municipal Center, room 212. Polling hours are 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Annette L. Cappy
Brattleboro Town Clerk
230 Main Street, Suite 108
Brattleboro. VT 05301

acappy@brattleboro.org
ph 802-251-8129
fax 802-257-2312

Ten Strings And A Goat Skin and Hayley Reardon at Next Stage on Friday, August 5

by Not Signed In | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present Prince Edward Island-based, acoustic, folk/fusion trio Ten Strings And A Goat Skin, plus Boston-based singer/songwriter Hayley Reardon, at Next Stage on Friday, August 5 at 7:30 pm.

Ten Strings And A Goat Skin transform tradition with vigor, curiosity and sparks of goofy humor, weaving old-school Franco-Canadian, Breton, Irish and Scottish tunes with wickedly current grooves and clever quirks. The young, bilingual trio expands on the Scottish and Acadian roots of PEI’s traditional music, infusing sometimes moody, sometimes high-energy, original and traditional songs with pop and world rhythms. Their brand new CD “Auprès du Poêle” (“Around the Woodstove”) highlights this cross pollination. Working with producer Leonard Podolak of Grammy- and Juno-winning eclectic roots favorites The Duhks, they push their music into new, dynamic and engaging territory.

Hate Motivated Assault in Brattleboro

by cgrotke | Police & Fire

Police report and details sent to us this morning:

“HATE MOTIVATED ASSAULT
August 2, 2016

Mariam J. Belarj, 20, of Medford, New York
OFFICER VINTON

On 7/31/16 at approximately 2107hrs, Brattleboro Officers responded to Elliot St. for a report of an assault. Upon arrival they discovered two victims. A male was attacked randomly and struck repeatedly with a beer bottle, and a female passerby was attacked because she was black. The suspects, a male and female, shouted racial slurs as they assaulted the female.

The suspects fled down Elliot St. after the assault. The victims were treated for non life-threatening injuries. Vermont State Police and the Windham County Sheriff’s Department assisted Brattleboro PD in searching for the suspects. VSP deployed their K9 Unit.