Hello

Stories

Brattleboro School Board Candidate Interview – Rikki Risatti

by cgrotke | Politics

Rikki Risatti is running for a one year seat on the school board.

….

Introduce yourself – who are you and why are you running for the school board?

I hope time with school administration may enable more respect of students, guardians, and residents practicing self-governance and nourishing quality food access together.

Why not secure alternative funding for learning (like food, tutoring, college exams, internet) so we don’t ask for invasive income verification?

Why not pay and accredit students to host the candidate election debate forums and post the timer on the screen for all to see?

Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market for March 4th is Cancelled

by Sherry | News & Information

Sad to say, but we have made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow’s farmers market at the Winston Prouty Campus. The forecast for this storm with lots of snow and continuing well into the market day is just about the worst kind of timing!

We had been fortunate enough to avoid this scenario so far, but many of our vendors have already made the decision that they wouldn’t be taking the risk, and we don’t want you to take the risk of going out in that weather either.

“Rhymes with Orange” Cartoonist Hilary Price Speaks at Landmark College, March 14

by landmarkcollege | Creative

The Landmark College Academic Speaker Series welcomes syndicated cartoonist Hilary Price to campus on Tuesday, March 14 at 5 p.m.  in the Brooks M. O’Brien Auditorium, located in the Lewis Academic Building.

Price’s talk, entitled “How I Became a Cartoonist: A Study in Messing Up” will include insights about how she gets ideas for her award-winning comic strip “Rhymes with Orange”, makes comics and lives a creative life.

“Rhymes with Orange” debuted in 1995, making Price the youngest woman to have a syndicated comic strip. The strip is now done in collaboration with Canadian cartoonist Rina Piccolo. It appears in newspapers internationally, and has appeared in Parade Magazine, People, and in The Library of Congress.

Another Drug Company Hustle

by RDavis | Health

On the surface it looks like an amazing step forward. Eli Lilly, one of the major producers of insulin, (among the three companies that control 90% of the insulin market)1 announced that it is lowering the cost of some of its older insulin products by 70%. It was a shrewd and coldly calculated move to make the company look good in the public eye and fend off the inevitable mandates that the U.S. government is working to implement.

Recently, legislation was passed to cap the price of insulin at $35 a month for people enrolled in the Medicare D program. Democrats tried to get the bill to apply to all Americans but their efforts were stymied by the pharmaceutical lobby that owns more politicians than most other businesses.

Eli Lilly knows that it is just a matter of time before new laws are enacted to lower insulin prices across the board so they made a pre-emptive strike in the insulin wars. According to the New York Times, “Lilly trumpeted its decision as a victory for patients. In reality, though, Lilly’s moves are more limited than they initially appear. Lilly’s existing $35 cap on out-of-pocket payments will be easier for privately insured patients to take advantage of.

Just Cause Eviction and Decision Making

by spoon | Politics

Next Tuesday, when we vote on Town Meeting Day, we will have an opportunity to support some of our most afflicted in our community: renters vulnerable to unpredictable no cause evictions.  This is Article II on the ballot, the Just Cause Eviction proposed charter change.  This is an issue that has been advocated for on state and federal levels as well.  I support this fully although I recognize that after some use and experience imperfections may be revealed.  This is no different from charter change and if necessary can be rectified with an amending charter change the following year.  In the meantime enactment of this legislation will relieve some of the debilitating stress that so many here in Brattleboro and thousands across the state must endure.  Nothing is apparent in the proposed language that will have dire consequences for the landlords.          

I am a candidate for the Selectboard.  If elected I will, in response to some of the landlords most emphatic concerns, propose further action. I will propose first that the Town add an appropriate number of hours to the office currently doing rental inspections. This would enable the inspector to respond quickly to landlord complaints.  Tenants could also make complaints against landlords.

Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – March 2023

by cgrotke | Health

Here’s the March 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.  Scroll down the new comments for the latest.

VT, NH, and MA all seem to be doing weekly updates now, near the end of the week.

RAD Just Cause To Create Permanent Homeless Under-class

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

Section B of the RAD Just Cause amendment demands for tenants the privilege of an endless lease. RAD says the endless lease is compassionate. Let’s be real here. To demand the option of an endless lease while homeless people endlessly wait is not compassion, it is self-interest. To preach it as compassion shows no thought even of the existence of homeless people. Section B creates a class of priveleged landed tenants and an under-class of permanently homeless people.

Section B) “This charter provision excludes from ‘just cause’ the expiration of a rental agreement as sole grounds for termination of tenancy.”

Helpful Information for Brattleboro March 7 Town Meeting Day

by Not Signed In | Town News

Below is information that might be helpful to know for March 7th local elections. The Windham Southeast School District Annual Election of School Directors will be held in addition to the Annual Town Meeting Day elections.

The polling place for all three districts in Brattleboro is the American Legion, 32 Linden St., from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm.

Masks are no longer required to enter the American Legion for voting, but they are certainly welcome and will be provided along with hand sanitizer.

Upper Dummerston Tree Removal

by Not Signed In | Town News

PRESS RELEASE

On Thursday, March 2, the Town of Brattleboro Highway Division will be removing 3 hazardous trees on Upper Dummerston Rd, Senator Gannett Drive and the intersection with East Orchard Street.  The work is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am and continue through approximately 11:00 am.  There will be periods of one lane traffic and periods where the road will be completely closed for up to 20 minutes at a time.  Motorists should seek alternate routes and expect delays.

Author Matt Whalan Presenting On Homelessness

by Norsehorse | Activism

For those who were not already aware of it, Brattleboro resident and author Matt Whalan will be among two speakers at an event on homelessness held at Kellogg Hubbard Library in Montpelier this evening at 6:30 PM and aired live by ORCA Media (via YouTube):

Not Recommended

by MarkTwain© | Media

“Dilbert Creator Dropped From Several Publications After Comments | Morning Spice Ep. #5”

Video below.

WSESD Board Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Education

AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER – 5:30 p.m. – Kelly Young, Board Chair. Executive Session.
II. EXECUTIVE SESSION under 1 V.S.A. §313(a)(7) Academic records or suspension or discipline of students – WRCC 1st floor Conference Room 198E

BCTV Schedules – Week of February 27, 2023

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 1078 Weekly Listing for 2/27/23

Monday, February 27, 2023

6:15 am The Talk – Latinx Voices 2/15/23

8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast

9:00 am The World Fusion Show – Ep 146 – Yulia Musayelyan

9:30 am Rock River Players Present – The Importance of Being Earnest

Vote In New Selectboard Members To Mend EMS Relationships

by RobertOeser | Op/Ed

The currently sitting Selectboard in Brattleboro has unfinished business … and it cannot be accomplished by the currently sitting members.

For there to be honest and real “transparency,” three members of the board must change.

Richard “Dick” DeGray stands out first as someone who speaks his mind and — from personal experience, I can say — as someone who will think through an issue and debate it. Dick and I may not always agree, but we will hear each other.

Franz Reichsman is the detail person, I believe, measured and thoughtful. He has the needed background in emergency medicine to do the deep dive into our present quandary with EMS.

And Peter “Fish” Case showed his insight and evenhandedness by bringing together, virtually, the chiefs of the Brattleboro Fire Department and Rescue Inc. during an episode of Vermontitude, “A Path Back.” https://youtu.be/CYi39JDY5-U