A Wood Thrush Sang In Forest Square

Through most of late June and early July, it was impossible to live anywhere near the town woods and not hear the eerie call of the wood thrush.  They seemed to be everywhere.  For a while, believing they were rarer than they are, I thought it might be just one or two who got around a lot.  But I heard them so regularly and in such scattered places — Cedar Street, Forest Street, the Retreat trails — that I decided there must be more than a few.  


What’s Up With Barnaby’s?

Hey Folks,

I figure SOMEONE here might know the answer to this question: What’s up with Barnaby’s in Brattleboro?

I noticed a “for rent” sign in their window yesterday.  It seems like the place is busy.  There are often people hanging out in front, smoking.  And they’ve only been open a few months.  I hope everything is okay with them.


Time Off For Good Behavior

According to Catholic belief, individuals who are not “good” enough to make it to Heaven, and not “bad” enough to be damned to Hell, get to “do time” in Purgatory where the “temporal punishment” remaining after confessing and being absolved of sin is “purged”.

In medieval times the church began the practice of granting “indulgences”. After confessing and being absolved of sin, the indulgences granted reduce the amount of time one spends in purgatory, where one’s sins are weighed after death.


Free Diabetes Screening at the Brattleboro Farmers Market

The Brattleboro Farmers Market hosts the Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic Saturday, July 20th, for a free blood glucose/diabetes screening from 9am to 11:30am.

Now in season at the market: tomatoes, zucchini, peaches, blueberries, beans and peas, fresh basil, new potatoes, greens and broccoli…

Harvest Health Coupons are in for EBT customers! Double your money up to $10 at the market!

For more information, please call 802-254-8885.

– Brattleboro Farmers Market


July 17th – SeVWA’s 3rd River Sampling Day of 2013‏

Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance’s (SeVWA’s) water quality monitoring program was begun about 10 years ago. At that time, the organization was known as West River Watershed Alliance (WRWA). This past Wednesday, July 17th, was our third 2013 river sampling day.

Thankfully the weather had calmed down a bit in comparison to our last sampling day two weeks before – though the temperatures have been extremely high. The hot, dry spell has the rivers back to more normal levels and it has also influenced most of our sampling locations’ E. coli numbers to be at acceptable levels for swimming and/or boating. There were a few sites on the Williams and Saxtons Rivers that were just above the 235 E. coli per 100 ml. standard.


Sole Revival

Indulge your sprit and nourish your soles!
MFTP is offering a end of summer foot soak clinic.
Mondays in August (beginning August 12th) 2-5pm

Come try our half hour foot soak treatment featuring a relaxing foot bath scented with organic essential oils, herbs and salts, followed by a fragrant exfoliating foot scrub, and ending with a blissful foot massage.

Nourish, Detox, Soothe, Balance…Your feet will thank you.

One treatment – $40
Save and buy 3 treatments – $35

Call or email for more details and to schedule an appointment – info@medicineforthepeople.org 802-387-3028


Free Wild and Medicinal Plant Walk at the Brattleboro Farmers Market

Free Plant walks at the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market: Saturday July 20th, Aug. 3rd & 24th at 11am

The Brattleboro Farmers Market is open 9 to 2 outdoors on Rte 9 and SUMMER is hitting it’s stride! Peaches, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, beans and glorious delights of all shapes and flavors are in. Harvest Health Coupons are in: EBT customers, double your money up to $10 while supplies last! 802-254-8885

Join botanist, herbalist and naturalist Heidy Adams on a walk at the Brattleboro Saturday market. We’ll be exploring traditional uses of the native and introduced plants growing in the field, wooded areas and down by the river. There are over 40 plants to discuss!

For all ages! Anyone interested in learning more about the uses of wild local plants are welcome.


CRVBL Weekend Roundup

CHESTER/SAXTONS , WALPOLE, CLAREMONT AND BRATTLEBORO TAKE LATEST CRVBL GAMES

With all teams in the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League in action over the last few days, the Chester/Saxtons Crush, the Walpole Wild Blue, the Claremont Cardinals and the Brattleboro River Rats emerged victorious.

The first place Chester/Saxtons Crrush lived up to its name with an 11 to 3 win over the Putney Fossils. Andrew Robbins of the Crush hit a solo home run and pitchers Scott Renfro and Nick Wirkkala combined to allow Putney seven hits. Defending league champion Claremont relied on the pitching of Andrew Sullivan and the hitting of second baseman John Grainger in its 9 to 2 victory over the Newport Polar Bears.


Turtles to Toads – Live Animal Program at the Brooks Memorial Library

Turtles to Toads – LIVE ANIMAL PROGRAM at the Brooks Memorial Library

Explore the worlds of repitles and amphibians through an interactive slideshow, touchable artifacts and live animals.

Saturday, August 3, 10:30 AM
Main Room

Presented by the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum as part of the Dig into Reading Summer Reading Program. Register by calling 254-5290 ext 110.


Foodie Forum: Your Zucchini Recipes

We’re going into another week of heat. At this time the forecast says it will be 90ish until next weekend. One more heat wave and the zucchini will start coming in. If it’s a bumper crop, bread will be made on the cooling nights. But there will be more, and how much zucchini bread do you really want? Sauteed zucchini is very nice- the first 4 times.

And so I come to you after a long absence.

I’m tired of my tried and true recipes. Yes, they’re good and make lovely food. And I’m sick to death of them.

Please share your recipes. I don’t care if it’s seasoned fried slices. As long as I didn’t create it, I’ll  be a happy camper. Thank you.


Local Youth Launch “Above the Influence” Initiative

Brattleboro area students are sending an important message to their peers this summer – stay Above the Influence – with the launch of the. ATI 802 features the faces and voices of Brattleboro area youth and showcases each individual student’s choice to rise above the influences of negative pressures to drink, do drugs or anything that goes against who you are in order to fit in.

The launch of this positive message media campaign is timed to reach youth during the summer break, when more free time and less adult supervision can increase the likelihood of exposure to dangers and substance use. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more teens start drinking and smoking cigarettes and marijuana in June and July than any other months of the year.


Psychosynthesis Training and Counseling

The field of psychosynthesis is a transpersonal psychology that works with the natural tendency to seek meaning and purpose in life, thus integrating both psychological and spiritual development. On Sunday, July 14th, the Synthesis Center is offering a free introduction to psychosynthesis at 6:30 p.m. in Brattleboro. The program includes a brief presentation on the principles of psychosynthesis, along with some experiential exercises and an overview of upcoming training opportunities.


Downtown Brattleboro Lights Flashing on Friday?

When leaving work around 2 on Friday, I–for some crazy reason–decided to drive through town. Traffic was very heavy, including pedestrian traffic. To my surprise, the lights were flashing , resulting in driving chaos, and making it practically suicidal for pedestrians, I ended up belligerently holding up traffic behind me to allow a lady to cross the street who had been waiting for quite a while in the hot sun.

Who makes the decision on those lights? I am going to have to dissagree with the decision on Friday, unless it was unavoidable. I was very relieved to reach Gougers Market, as I saw many close calls involving turning cars, stressed pedestrians, and generally busy traffic.


July 3rd was SeVWA’s Second 2013 River Sampling Day

Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance’s (SeVWA’s) water quality monitoring program was begun about 10 years ago. At that time, in 2003, the organization was known as West River Watershed Alliance (WRWA). Our 2013 stream monitoring program began on Wednesday, June 19th and this past Wednesday was SeVWA’s second 2013 river sampling day.

Things went well for most volunteer monitors on Wednesday morning – though rivers and streams were running murky, high and fast. Volunteers typically sample between 6 – 7:30 AM on scheduled monitoring days. Because of the amount of rain that had fallen in the region the previous 24-48 hours, the water level and flow was too deep and fast for three sites to be sampled along the Williams River, but generally the sampling, drop-off/pick-up/delivery schedule for getting samples to the lab for testing went smoothly.


Golden Eagles Near Vernon?

Yesterday I was driving North on 142 in a wooded section of Vernon, when a very large brown bird flew across the highway. A split second later, 2 such birds recrossed the highway

They were NOT turkeys, vultures, hawks or ospreys.

I’m thinking golden eagles, but it appears they are extremely rare in Vermont.


Happy Fourth of July

Happy independence day.  Stay healthy drink lots of water and come out to enjoy the Fourth of July’s parade and events here in Brattleboro.  Bring an umbrella a nice way to stay in the shade….


“Everyone Does It.”

The classical remark which gets parents to explain right and wrong to their child.

But how often do adults make this remark in board rooms and business meetings? Have you ever been in a situation where “everyone does it” was the justification for questionable conduct, and if so how did you respond?

SK-B


CRVBL Weekend Roundup

BRATTLEBORO PICKS UP FIRST WIN OF YEAR OVER NEWPORT

By Kevin McElhinney, CRVBL

The Brattleboro River Rats moved into the win column for the first time this season with a 7-2 victory over the Newport Polar Bears in recent Connecticut River Valley Baseball League action.

River Rats pitcher Todd Bell threw a complete game for the win, allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out eight. At the plate, Bell drove in two runs. Other stars on offense included shortstop Michael Chevalier and third baseman Brian Benjamin, who each had three hits. Left fielder Caleb Record went two for four with an RBI, first baseman John Waitekus and right fielder Thomas Mauger each drove in a run while catcher Sunny Lucas scored two runs and second baseman Abe Klein scored twice and stole a base.