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Brattleboro October Precipitation

by local | Nature

Continued dry with only 2 rain events during the month totaling 1.38″.  Normal rain for October is 4.77″. For the calendar year the total is now 38.67″ compared to the NOAA average of 39.71″.  At the end of August the calendar year total was a +5.37″ and now we are over an inch below normal.  It has been enjoyable weather.

Across Windham County, CoCoRaHs stations reported a high of 2.71″ and a low of 0.73″ for the month of October.  I did see a few snowflakes in the air one day this month.  All my numbers are from a rain gauge located in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro.

Lantern Walk hosted by Brattleboro Area Hospice

by BrattleboroHospice | Family

Brattleboro Area Hospice will hold its 2nd Annual Lantern Walk on Thursday November 7th, 5:30-7pm.

Location: The walk will start and end on the Common on Park Place. The route will walk down Main St., turning around at Elliot St. and returning to the Common for a short remembrance service.

We will start gathering at 5pm and begin walking at 5:30pm. Lanterns will be provided or you may bring your own. It will be dark by 5:30 so a flashlight is recommended.

I Discussed The Ongoing Homeless Crisis With Artificial Intelligence “ChatGPT”, and Here Are It’s Suggestions!

by CrisEricson2016 | Activism

Message to: ChatGPT

Cris Ericson said:
Hi! ChatGPT, I went to a news link because I want to know if the Governor of Vermont is following through with his idea to let homeless children stay in the State Police Barracks in Williston, Vermont but when I clicked on the link, all I got was this … (deleted)
ChatGPT said:
It sounds like you’re encountering some confusing content. I couldn’t find specific updates on the Governor of Vermont’s proposal about homeless children staying in State Police Barracks. If you want, I can help look for more recent news articles or summarize related information.

How Do You Make A Political Issue Video Go “Viral” So You Alert People To The Importance Of Issues?

by CrisEricson2016 | Questions & Answers

I first went to Google to ask it how to make a video go viral, and then I went to YouTube to view some of the Google suggestions,
and then I learned it’s a lot more work than I thought. I tried to follow some of the instructions but so far I just don’t have the “art” of being concise and getting a message across in 30 seconds or 60 seconds, and my editing skills, or lack thereof, don’t help.

I think some of the basic ideas the “How To” videos were trying to get across, is that you don’t go “Viral” overnight. Some of them discussed the “method” of creating a “challenge” and making a new short video every single day while showing that you are participating in the “challenge” you have chosen or created.

The Yearly Medicare Blitz

by RDavis | Health

It’s that time of year when seniors are assaulted with all kinds of media ads for Medicare Advantage enrollment.

It is also the open enrollment period for Medicare, from October 15-December 7, when Medicare enrollees can change plans. Choosing a plan is always complicated but, if you gather good information, you can make an informed decision.

Less than half of seniors are enrolled in traditional Medicare. This plan has predictable costs and when coupled with a Medicare Supplemental policy will provide 100% coverage for hospital and outpatient care. Medicare coverage is comprehensive and traditional Medicare allows you to go to any health care provider in the country who is a Medicare provider. Almost all providers accept Medicare.

Food & Culture Tour of Oaxaca, Mexico, Scheduled for January

by roadnews | Travel

Long-time Brattleboro resident, Mimi Marchev, will lead a tour of Oaxaca to explore the region’s culture and its cuisine from January 15 to 23, 2025. The trip is coordinated by Travel Fever Tours of Putney.

Oaxaca has become a leading culinary destination, both for Mexicans and for visitors from the United States. Its reputation is well deserved, but it is based on much more than a collection of top restaurants. Oaxaca’s cuisine has sprung from the area’s strong indigenous roots; notably from the Zapotec and Mixtec people. Food is not merely sustenance in Oaxaca; it is an expression of heritage, identity, and community.

Brattleboro and VT COVID-19 Regional Dashboard Summary – October 2024

by cgrotke | Health

Time for the October 2024 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 do weekly updates, near the end of the week, so we update on Fridays usually. All three have changed their dashboards since the start, so it is now tough to easily compare how things have changed. Variant updates are every two weeks.

Online Serious Illness Support Group Forming Now

by BrattleboroHospice | Health

Beginning in October 2024 Support for Those Going Through Life-Altering Illnesses

The Serious Illness Program was created to offer support, solace, and assistance to people going through a life-altering serious illness, one that may or may not have a terminal prognosis. The program offers one-on-one volunteer services, support groups with others who have a serious illness, as well as opportunities to learn more about what resources are available in the community.

Our Peer Support Groups are a place where folks can get together and openly share their experiences with others who truly understand. We offer a safe space to share personal experiences, feelings, coping strategies, and also allow for shared learning. Support groups are both online and in-person.

September Precipitation

by local | Nature

A dry month with rain on only 4 days at my location totaling 1.19″.  The NOAA average for September is 4.21″. This also marks the end of the Water year or hydrologic year that runs Oct 1 – Sept. 30.  My total for this period is 51.32″ compared to the normal of 47.54″.

Talked to a Town employee last week and the town reservoir (Pleasant Valley) was only down 8 inches at the time so no water shortage.  I can remember the reservoir being down 6 or more feet with the old road across showing.  This is opinion that I try to stay away from, but I enjoyed this past month with drier than normal weather and temps not too hot or too cold on average.

Unacceptable Health Care Reform?

by RDavis | Health

When I first read the report “Act 167 Community Engagement: Recommendations”, I almost laughed because I had a pretty good idea of how hospitals would react. The passage of Act 167 was a recognition that Vermont’s health care system needs serious change if it is to survive and this report was commissioned to find out what to do. It focused on the state’s hospitals.

Many of the recommendations make sense, but what I find difficult to understand is how all of the affected hospitals could possibly make the changes called for in the report. They talk about regional centers of excellence where only certain hospitals would do specific procedures. There could be fewer hospitals doing joint replacements and those who continue would become more expert at the procedures.

There is also a call for hospitals to share staff. That makes sense from an intellectual perspective, but how many nurses are going to want to travel an extra hour or more to work each day just to fulfill the aims of systemic restructuring?

Brattleboro Subaru Supports Windham County Humane Society with Grant, Pet Adoption, and Food Drive Event

by Not Signed In | Pets

Brattleboro, VT – Windham County Humane Society (WCHS) is excited to announce a special Pet Adoption and Food Drive Event in collaboration with Brattleboro Subaru, located at 1234 Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301. The event will run from October 1, 2024, through November 1, 2024, as part of Subaru’s nationwide Subaru Loves Pets® initiative.

This month-long event aims to raise awareness of the importance of adopting shelter pets and support local animals in need. According to the ASPCA®, nearly 6.5 million companion animals have entered shelters nationwide last year, underscoring the critical need for adoption. WCHS is committed to finding loving homes for as many shelter pets as possible, and this partnership with Brattleboro Subaru will help drive that mission forward.