Winter Farmers’ Market Happenings

Stop by the Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market Saturday! 

Lots of familiar faces, as well as some new ones for the late winter season.  Back for their second Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market visit is Bee Field Farms of Wilton, NH with honey, herbs, teas and more! Vermont Quince continues to dazzle folks with all the possibilities presented by the humble quince! Green Mountain Flour is serving up smiling pancakes with sweet maple syrup.  Or take home a fabulous quiche or some hummus to enjoy during the week from  Clay Hill Corners Blueberry Farm and CSA. There are still fresh organic apples from Dwight Miller Orchards, and fresh spinach has appeared from Deep Meadow Farm.


When Religion Is Politics – Prof Dan Miller

Recent decades have witnessed the emergence “political religion,” that is, social groups of global significance who define their political identities in explicitly religious terms. Examples of this phenomenon are numerous, and include global Islamism, Hindu nationalism, and the American Religious Right. This talk explores the significance of these movements for Western social and political thought and suggests how we need to reconsider our understanding of the social in light of them.


Belly Dance for Core Intelligence and Creative Expression

Belly Dance for Core Intelligence: Our core is much more than the surface abdominals, connecting down to our pelvic floor and back and around to our sacrum. Learn how to utilize basic belly dance exercises and moves to build deep core awareness, strength, and control without ever having to do a crunch or sit up. 

Belly Dance for Creative Expression: Dance is a universal form of expression and belly dance is ancient, drawing on the social and ritual dances of many cultures. This class will provide a safe space for dancers of all levels and abilities to explore dance improvisation and creation through the language of belly dance. No prior dance experience is necessary. Please wear loose or stretchy, unrestrictive clothing. 


Taiji Quan Beginner’s Class Begins

New Beginners Tai Chi & Taoist Exercises Starting in Putney.    

Taiji Quan, otherwise known as Supreme Ultimate Boxing, is an ancient form of martial art that has been practiced for both health and self defense. It can be practiced for recreation and to increase strength, flexibility, and vitality well into old age. Taiji Quan is not performed in the same manner as most western calisthenics or sports. It requires a tremendous amount of mental and physical concentration and control. Taiji Quan is often described as a moving meditation. After practice, one feels invigorated, clear-minded, and peaceful.


Just So Pediatrics Moves to New, Larger Location

is moving to a new location in the Medical Office Building at 19 Belmont Avenue, Suite G102 on the ground floor, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

Situated just across the street from their old location at 16 Belmont Avenue, the new office provides larger space and updated facilities, including five exam rooms instead of four. The move will take place on Friday, February 14, with the office reopening in its new location on Monday, February 17.

Just So Pediatrics offers comprehensive care to infants, children, and adolescents. The pediatric group includes Dr. Valerie Rooney, Dr. Jane Katz Field, and certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Cynthia Howes. Along with their staff, they share the goal of making your child’s visit a comfortable one.


Putney Road Traffic

I had occasion to travel Putney Road today (Thursday) form about 3 till about 5, from the Common to Black Mtn. Rd..

For this entire time, traffic was bumper-to-bumper heading North.

Southbound was normal.

Does anybody know why the Northbound traffic was so slow?


92nd Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition – The Road to Olympic Ski Jumping

Competition Slated for February 15 and 16 in Brattleboro, Vermont

BRATTLEBORO, VT. – The Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition slated for February 15 and 16, 2014 in Brattleboro, Vermont will feature more than 40 of the world’s top jumpers from the US, Europe and Canada. One contender is Chris Lamb of the Andover Outing Club, who won the 2010 and 2013 Harris Hill competitions and holds the hill record for the longest jump, 335 feet. Lamb says he’s looking forward to competing at Harris Hill and retiring the Fred Harris Trophy. The Fred Harris Trophy has only been retired five times.

Lamb is only one of a number world-class jumpers who have competed at Harris Hill—some as recently as last year. Of the recently announced male members of the U.S. Olympic ski jumping team all have competed at Harris Hill. This includes Nick Alexander, Nick Fairall, Peter Frenette and Anders Johnson.


Caregiver Support Group

Are you feeling alone and stressed taking care of a loved one? Would it be helpful to have a safe and confidential place to discuss your concerns and feelings related to being a caregiver? Would support, encouragement and connection to community resources help you in your role as caregiver?

Whether you are caring for a loved one full-time or part-time, please join us at our next Caregiver Support Group. You will be able to connect with others who are currently caring for loved ones (including long-distance) or perhaps are beginning to prepare for the responsibilities of care.


The Center for Cardiovascular Health at BMH Hosts a Series of Events in February to Help Local Women Learn The Heart Truth®

To raise awareness among local women that heart disease is their #1 health threat, the at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital today announces a series of events for February to promote the Heart Truth: a nationwide effort to spread information about women and heart disease, prevention and wellness.

The month long event will include:

  • Radio series entitled Matters of the Heart (every Monday in February 9:15 AM on Live and Local)
  • Red Dress breakfast with Phaedra McDonough, APRN (7:30 PM on February 26)
  • Café Chats with Cardiac Nurses for Risk Factors of Cardiac Disease (February 11 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM)
  • Love your Heart Blood Pressure Screenings (Mondays in February 12:00 – 1:00 PM)
  • Rapid CPR Classes (February 19 & 26 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM)
  • Walk this Way to Better Health fitness walks (Tuesdays at 4:30 PM and Thursdays at 3:15 PM)
  • and more.

Do You Have A Tripod Or Tripod Adaptor for a Smartphone I Can Have/Borrow?

I urgently need a tripod or tripod adaptor that will hold a Smartphone. I can’t find one in any local stores and the one I ordered online got lost in the mail. (I’m having really bad luck with this!!) I need this for a project that is due THIS FRIDAY 1/31/2014! So I need this in my hands absolutely no later than Wednesday (but tomorrow, Tuesday, would be better!!!).

Please please please email me if you can help me out! You’d be helping out a poor artist with big dreams who’s desperately trying to make a video for a contest with a cash prize she really needs!!! I can return it to you on Saturday if you want it back. I can meet you at the Cotton Mill.


Double Exhaust?

Maybe car folks know the answer. Why are there more cars and trucks on the road with double exhaust systems? Isn’t one expensive enough?

It seems that whenever I’m stuck behind one, the smell of exhaust is amplified with these double muffler and tailpipe combos.


Voting in Brattleboro’s Annual Town Meeting

Fellow residents of Brattleboro,

It has come to my attention that at least two, maybe all three, of Brattleboro’s three election districts each lack a few candidates for election as voting Representatives to Town Meeting this year.

There is one more business day — tomorrow, Monday, January 27 — during which one might pick up a petition at the Town Clerk’s office, get only ten (10) signatures of registered voters in their district, and turn their petition in by the end of the day (5:00 PM).


Incident at BUHS?

Just received a call from B.U.H.S. about some incident that occurred a the school yesterday involving a couple of students and police.

Does anyone have any information?


Does Anyone Know What Happened To Cathy Barrows?

Cathy Barrows has been our Animal Control Officer for many years but she no longer is. Questioning at the Police Dept. brings “I don’t know” answers, as does asking at the Town Clerk’s office. Seems hush hush to me, but I think the public should know what happened to this loyal and knowledgable woman after so many years in the position. Does anyone know?


Barre Classes Arrive In Southern Vermont

Have you heard of Barre or BarSculpt?  It’s a new fitness regime that has been sweeping the nation!  Think of it as “Pilates Evolved.”

BarSculpt is a unique combination of cardio, core strenghtening and stretching, that results in a strong, lean, flexible body.  It’s also a safe workout for people of any fitness level. 

BarSculpt classes have arrived in Putney and are being taught by Putney resident, Maria Ogden.  Maria has been involved in fitness activities for 30 years and brings her own love of this exercise to Hot Wheelz Cycle Studio.


Entergy Volunteers Re-Vamp Morningside Shelter

BRATTLEBORO 1/24/2014 – Over the course of two very long (13+ hour) days, a dedicated team of Entergy employees completed two much-needed projects at Morningside Shelter. As part of Morningside’s Project: Re-Vamp – Design for Dignity initiative, Entergy foot the bill for materials and recruited their skilled employees as volunteers to complete the projects.

On December 13, a crew of six Entergy employees, led by Project Manager Brian Tietze (with technical assistance from GPI Construction), completed a safety repair to the Shelter’s main staircase. The stair treads, which are traversed by hundreds of feet each day, had begun to split and the surfaces had become slippery. The bannister on the staircase had been patched a number of times, and although it had never been in violation of safety codes, Tietze noticed the potential safety hazard in the low height of the railing and made it a priority to raise it to a sounder height.


BMH Welcomes New Director of Organizational Improvement

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome Robert Gailey as the new Director of Organizational Improvement.

In this position, Gailey will work closely with the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kathleen McGraw in leading the hospital’s Organizational Improvement efforts. He will also work with BMH’s quality director and department managers in developing quality improvement teams for specific “service lines” within the hospital.

Gailey, who has a Master of Science degree in organizational effectiveness with a specialization in healthcare, comes to BMH with 15 years of experience in healthcare supervisory roles and quality leadership positions. Most recently, he worked as the Quality Improvement Outcomes Coordinator at Union Hospital of Cecil County, a 122-bed facility in Elkton, MD, along the Baltimore-Philadelphia metro corridor. He is also well versed in both LEAN and Six Sigma methodologies for streamlining business processes and eliminating waste.


Sewage Smell in Brattleboro?

Has anyone else smelled raw sewage around the corner of Canal and Main St? The smell intermittently permeates the area, all the way down a little into Hinsdale on the way to Walmart, depending on which way the wind is blowing. 

Is it coming from Brattleboro’s new wastewater treatment plant? We shouldn’t be smelling that in town, especially the downtown area where there’s a relative high number of people. So disgusting, just another reason to move.