Christ Church Society sadly announces that the Celebration Brass Band concert scheduled for Sunday has been postponed due to a particularly wet weather forecast (even by the standards of the past week!)
Even Gov. Scott has proclaimed Sunday a miserable weather day.
July 17 Hot Dog on a Bun
Sweet Potato Fries
Baked Beans
Apple
On a motion by Kim Price, the minutes of June 7, 2023 were approved.
On a motion by Anne Beekman, the committee accepted the recommendation of administration to hire Kerri Beebe, WSESU PreK Coordinator.
On a motion by Anne Beekman, the committee accepted the recommendation of administration to hire Tara Sullivan, BUHS Special Education teacher.
The top level (Level 4) of the Brattleboro Transportation Center will be closed for repairs from Monday, July 17 at 6:00am through Friday, July 28 at approximately 5:00pm. During this project there will be no parking available on Levels 4A and 4B. All other parking spots will be open as marked.
Please have all vehicles removed from Level 4 by 9:30 pm on Sunday, July 16. Any vehicles parked in this area after that will be towed at the owner’s expense.
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES: The Vermont side of the construction site held up well during the rain event this past Monday. Work was able to continue on the waterline, drainage, and embankment installations along the VT 142 corridor and these operations are scheduled to continue into next week.
In addition, fine grading operations have begun and will continue for the placement of northern MSE wall moment slabs. Once grading is complete; waterproof membrane, formwork, and reinforcing steel can all be installed for the 30 foot slabs.
As we approach the weekend, the Town of Brattleboro would like to provide several updates regarding the possibility of rain across the next four days.
On July 13, the Town’s Emergency Management Team received an update from the National Weather Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The National Weather Service anticipates possible storms in Brattleboro starting Thursday evening through Friday night and again on Sunday. However, the group indicated the risk of major flooding or significant loss of infrastructure in Brattleboro is low.
The road crews are doing a great job overall, given the weather we’ve been having, but now that the Route 30 reclamation project is about to the halfway point or so, I have some feedback from the point of view of a road user.
1. Stickney Brook was the wrong “break point”
They’ve paved a base coat all the way to the Stickney Brook bridge. It would have been better for RT 30 users to have Rt 30 paved with a base coat to the Dummerston covered bridge, another mile down the road.
One of the best things that happened as a result of the COVID pandemic was the rules relaxation and resulting expansion of this country’s Medicaid program. There also were a number of other factors that contributed to a major increase in Medicaid enrollment. The bottom line is that this country finally started to move in the right direction with its Medicaid program.
According to the National Library of Medicine, “From 2017 to 2019, national Medicaid enrollment declined by 2.6%. The COVID-19 pandemic reversed this course abruptly, with Medicaid enrollment increasing by 15.5% from February 2020 relative to April 2021. While existing research points to massive job loss as one primary driver of this increased enrollment, this study found that approximately three-fourths of Medicaid enrollment growth could be traced to declines in the rate of disenrollment relative to 2019, with only one quarter explained by higher rates of new enrollment during the March to October study period.”
Tim Wessel brings his dynamic enthusiasm to everything he does – his years at BCTV, the Brattleboro Selectboard, “House Hunters” on HGTV, a run for the State Senate, his video production business….and now, Brattle-Boosting ! Tim’s the real deal……
On July 10, 2023, the Brattleboro Fire Department was dispatched on a first alarm assignment at 14:40 to 198 Canal Street for a report of a building fire. The first arriving units (Engine Two, Ladder 1, Car 2, and Ambulance 1) arrived on the scene at 14:43. Car Two reported a 2-story wood frame building with smoke showing from the “bravo” side. Crews from Engine Two and Ladder One entered the building with two (2) hand lines to extinguish the fire. A second alarm assignment was initiated for additional units and manpower to the scene to assist at 14:45.
Fire attack crews were able to locate and extinguish a fire on the first floor, second floor, and attic space. As additional crews arrived, a search of the building for occupants was completed. The one occupant (and dog) were located outside the building with no injuries.
Recent heavy rainfall has resulted in widespread minor to moderate damage to town roadways. Currently, all roads are passable. In the event of road closures due to future rain, up to date closures can be viewed at https://www.mapsonline.net/brattleborovt/index.html. Crews will be completing assessments, prioritizing, and making repairs in the coming days. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Department of Public Works at 802-254-4255.
Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present a Celtic Music Festival featuring Cantrip, House of Hamill, and Hildaland, as part of the 2023 Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series,” on Sunday, August 13 at 4:00 pm at Scott Farm in Dummerston, VT. The triple bill features multi-instrumentalists and singers from both sides of the Atlantic who expand the boundaries of traditional Celtic music with original songs and tunes, innovative arrangements, and lush three-part harmonies.
From the strong base of its Celtic roots, Cantrip branches out into the music of other European cultures. With swirling border pipes, raging fiddles, thunderous guitar, and four rich voices, Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Eric McDonald, and Alasdair White take audiences on a cultural journey, putting their own spin on each musical style. The band name is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell, or piece of mischief, and it aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in the quartet’s musical arrangements as well as the compelling potency of their musicianship. Sprung from a local music session in Edinburgh, Scotland nearly 20 years ago, Cantrip has toured throughout Scotland and the US and released six CDs.
During the week of July 3rd, the Town of Brattleboro began to receive information regarding multiple strong storm cells entering Vermont during the weekend. Further information collected from the Vermont Emergency Management and information from the National Weather Service indicated a strong possibility for localized flooding throughout the State of Vermont with a heightened focus on counties north of Windham County for the evening hours of July 9, 2023, through July 11, 2023.
The Town of Brattleboro began to prepare for an emergency response to these weather conditions with a strong focus on the Brattleboro Fire Department and Department of Public Works to marginalize any water-related events.
The Town of Brattleboro has been very fortunate compared to some of our neighboring communities in both Vermont and New Hampshire. Currently, the following roads have been impacted the most by the weather conditions:
– Mountain Home Trailer Park (Tri-Park)
– Ames Hill
– Marlboro Road
– George F. Miller Drive
Here’s the July 2023 dashboard summary. We continue semi-regular COVID-19 dashboard numbers from the Vermont Department of Health, and MA and NH counties that surround Brattleboro, as long as they continue providing them. It could be ending soon. Scroll down the new comments for the latest.
The results of the Brattleboro Selectboard board retreat will be discussed at their next Tuesday meeting. Hint: they have established their five top goals of the year to be good transportation center parking, the town pool, the community safety plan, safety zones, and housing.
Tax rates and utility rates will be set, housing and land use will be discussed, and you can bring up any other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows under Public Participation.
Agenda
I Call to order – Anne Beekman, Chair
II Approval of minutes of June 7, 2023
III New Hires
IV Resignations/retirements
V Other business
V Adjourn
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES: A 12” gate valve for the water main is being installed to allow tying the new water line built for the project into the existing line without having to shut off the water to 28 Vernon Street.
Backfill material, membrane, filter fabric and underdrain are being placed for the southern Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) wall. This operation will continue into next week along with the placement of drainage structures and embankment material in the road corridor.
SUMMARY: The WSESD Board and members of the Vernon School Board and Administrators attended a retreat together on June 26 to develop goals and priorities for the Continuous Improvement Plan. Administration will begin developing budgets without the support of ESSER funds in September. All schools held graduation ceremonies including BUHS, which was the final one on June 16. There was a discussion of how board members should attend when seating is limited due to holding the event indoors. The board considered new policies regarding the dress code, fire and emergency preparedness, access control, and leadership councils. The report on the sexual abuse investigation has been delayed due to new information received by the investigator. The Board adopted a set of norms to inform their meetings. The Board has not yet received any applicants for the vacant Brattleboro seat but hope to appoint someone at their next meeting on July 25. Administrators will be holding a planning retreat on August 7 and the Board hopes to hold one later that month. Tim Maciel was added to the Social Justice Committee.
AGENDA – 7/11/2023
I. Approval of Minutes from 6/20/23
New Business including reconsideration of current agenda
Windham Southeast School District has read the following three policies at two regular meetings, and anticipates adopting them at the Board Meeting of July 25, 2023.
The policies are attached below; please post for a warning period of at least 10 days prior to the potential adoption date of 7/25/2023.
