In case you have not already come across it yet, a book on the subject of homelessness to consider obtaining and reading is:
“Homeless Anything Helps” by Vermont author Matthew Vernon Whalan; An Oral History (2021; Hard Times Review Press; paperback):
In case it is of interest, fyi:
Archived video: Montpelier Homelessness Task Force Listening Session (12/22/2022):
In case you missed it and it is of interest, fyi:
An Opportunity to Learn from Community Members who are Homeless (Brattleboro, VT; via Vermont Journal):
In case it is of interest, fyi:
Essay: Never Take Anything For Granted: Elevating Mindfulness (on what happened while exiting an ailing elevator):
Root Causes of Homelessness Presentation hosted at the Kellogg Hubbard Library in Montpelier last month, archived video, fyi:
Kellogg Hubbard Library – Root Causes of Homelessness (via YouTube):
https://youtu.be/mAb-RbB7Pzc
In case you missed it and it is of interest (Wednesday, August 31, 2022), fyi:
Scott administration announces abrupt halt in rental assistance for more than 8,000 Vermont households
(via Vermont Public):
Supporting Brenda Siegel
Last Autumn (2021), when most Vermont residents were able to enjoy having a roof over their heads to stay warm and dry underneath, a comfortable bed to sleep in, nourishing daily meals to eat and proper hydration with which to attempt to stay healthy, Brenda Siegel and others were holding vigil on the steps of the State House in Montpelier on behalf of those most in need who live without such means.
For my part, I joined them there for a single evening and it wasn’t easy or fun by any means. They did so for 27 long days and nights until the governor and his reluctant administration finally relented to their demands.
WHAT IS YOUR CRITERIA FOR DEBATE EXCLUSION?
Wed, Aug 31 at 8:49 AM
To: The Necrason Group
RE: report by Vtdigger.org (which reports on campaign activity of major party candidates to the exclusion of most others while claiming to be a non-profit rather than a political action committee promoting major parties)
Below is information that might be helpful to know for Aug. 9 State Primary elections.
The polling place for all three districts in Brattleboro is the American Legion, 32 Linden St., from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
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.
Parking is available at the American Legion and the Municipal Center parking lots. There are handicapped parking spaces close to the American Legion entrance.
Absentee ballots for the Primary Election to be held on Aug. 9 are now available in Vermont town clerks’ offices. Due to the ongoing pandemic, voters are encouraged to vote absentee. Absentee ballots for the State Primary Elections must be requested. Anyone wishing to vote early may do so until 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 8 in person. If requesting a ballot by mail, please allow for ample delivery time.
Absentee ballots may be sent by mail or picked up by the voter. Voters needing assistance, please call the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office to discuss options. All voted ballots must be received by the clerk before the polls close on Election Day to be counted. Ballots can be returned by mail, dropped off in advance of the election in the drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot or returned to the polls on Election Day.
Ballots have been mailed… tell me who you think we should be voting for in Vermont races. Have any favorites?
(1) FUNDING FOR HEALTH CARE
We pay our taxes to the federal government, the I.R.S., and then the U.S. Congress votes to give billions of our tax dollars to the N.I.H., the National Institute of Health, and then they give out our tax dollars for medical research to create new vaccines and prescription drugs and medical devices, BUT since the Bayh-Dole Act was passed we have been cheated because the lead researcher is allowed, under this federal law, to own the Patents, which are the ownership rights to the new inventions
3/1/2022, Cabot Vermont – Today is Town Meeting Day here in our Vermont. While a community may have many Town Meetings throughout the year, the first Tuesday in March is, for the most part, when all our communities come together to make important decisions for the coming year. From Town budgets to School budgets, from local ordinances to expressing views on a range of topics, Town Meeting is where Vermonters debate and decide on the issues of the day.
And traditionally it is at such Town Meetings that ALL the citizens of a community act as the legislative branch of local government, with the power to publicly debate, make motions, propose amendments, and ultimately vote from the floor on those issues set before them.
Madam President, Madam Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the General Assembly, and fellow Vermonters:
It is our tradition at the opening of the legislative session to come together and chart our course for the work ahead.
Whether in times of peace or war, prosperity or depression, those who came before us felt the same hope and optimism we share today, ready to do the work to take on new problems and solve those that have eluded us for years.
As some may already know, I was appointed by the Vermont Senate to represent municipalities’ interests on the Cannabis Control Board’s Advisory Committee. While I wouldn’t claim to have the level of “expertise in municipal issues” that some other longer-serving Selectboard members in Vermont might have, I feel that my past work advocating for the rights of towns, cities and villages does give me some insights, and I’m doing my best to represent local taxpayers during many rapid deliberations over the shape of the upcoming retail cannabis marketplace.
I want to make very clear my opposition to a hastily made decision by one of our sub-committees, the Market Structure, Licensing, Taxes and Fees Sub-Committee, without reasonable input taken and considered from the Vermont municipalities. This committee has evidently already voted to “cap” what local town clerks can charge for a cannabis license to $100 yearly, a laughable amount considering the fact that the state portion of yearly fees being currently considered are between $5,000 and $10,000.
As we near the 2021 Vermont AFL-CIO Annual Convention (September 18 & 19 at Jay Peak, Northeast Kingdom) I again ask our 11,000+ Union members to support the full United! slate in our internal elections, including Ron Schneiderman (UFCW) for VP At-Large, Danielle Bombardier (IBEW) for Secretary-Treasurer, Dwight Brown (AFSCME) for Executive Vice President, and myself, David Van Deusen (AFSCME) for re-election to the office of President of our State Labor Council.
Since United! took power in 2019 (and again swept elections in 2020) we have transformed the Vermont AFL-CIO into the most progressive State Labor Council in the United States. Through United! we have also seen the Vermont Labor Movement invigorated with our rank & file taking an active part in Conventions and Political Summits (COPE) at levels not seen in decades. Over the last two years:
Cabot, Vermont, 6/15/21 – With over 80% of Vermonters having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 72% of us fully vaccinated, today [6/15/21] the Governor declared an end to the State of Emergency and the termination of pandemic related social restrictions. It is significant that Vermont is the first U.S. State to reach an 80% vaccinated rate. It is also significant that throughout the pandemic Vermont suffered only 24,339 known COVID infections and 256 total deaths; both our infection and mortality rate were the least in the Nation compared to the 49 other States. And while even a single death is a regrettable tragedy, stacked against Alabama’s half a million plus cases and 11,000 (and counting) fatalities, it’s clear that we fared better than most. And while we are not out of the woods yet, we have also emerged with the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the Nation at 2.9% (Texas by comparison is at 6.7% while Florida is at 4.8%).
How did we do this? Well, while much of the South and other parts of the country fretted about masks being an infringement of civil liberties and the vaccine being part of some insane conspiracy, Most Vermonters from the get go cared about their communities, abided by social distancing, wore masks (even before any mandates came into effect), and worked collaboratively in making our society resilient in the face of hardship.
Vermont grants for barn stabilization and restoration. Be sure to see the manual before starting your project, because to be eligible the project may not have been started before the application was submitted.
Application:
Vermont sugarhouses are a vanishing landmark and with them their history is at risk of being permanently lost. A statewide network of sugar-making enthusiasts have organized a project to create a comprehensive and descriptive list of all sugarhouses in Vermont with a focus on the oldest sugarhouses.
Once the list is complete the project team will interview sugarmaking families and photograph Vermont sugarhouses. This visual and documented history will be made available for future review and use. The final outcome will be the creation of a photo book to showcase these architectural legacies and landmarks.
On November 3rd Trump lost the Presidential election in Vermont by a wider margin than in any other State in the union. But that did not prevent a couple dozen (peaceful) pro-Trump supporter from demonstrating in front of the Statehouse on January 6th. It was also feared that Trump’s lack of support in the Green Mountains would not prevent a minority of armed extremists from committing acts of violence today [1/17/21] in our Capital.
Warnings that fascists, those who supported the Trump coup, were planning armed actions in all 50 State Capitals in the U.S. were taken seriously here in rural Vermont. Throughout this morning and into the afternoon police in bullet proof vests, military grade helmets, and with automatic rifles in hand patrolled the streets of our Capital City of Montpelier (population: 7,800). The Mayor and City Council issued prior warnings encouraging residents to stay home. Many businesses were closed. And despite the threat of rightwing violence 100 anti-fascists converged on City Hall to demonstrate their support for democracy and unwillingness to concede to fascist threats. And the armed fascists? They were nowhere to be seen.
