Living

Living story sections

Who’s Crazy?

by SK-B | Family

Every family has secrets. Mine had more than its share. If there were a way that my mother could have avoided telling me about Aunt Rose, I am sure that I would never had found out about her.

Rose had been in Rockland State Hospital since the 1930s when her brief marriage failed, and she lost custody of her only child. Now, in 1956, her three sisters (Aunt Fanny, Aunt Yetta, and my mother) were planning a visit. We went in two cars: Uncle Irving’s DeSoto Deluxe, and Uncle Mac’s Oldsmobile Rocket 88. 

Harris Hill Ski Jump Set For Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19, 2017

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Some of the world’s best up-and-coming ski jumpers are set to fly at New England’s only Olympic-size venue Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 19, during the annual Harris Hill tournament in Brattleboro, Vt.

The nearly century-old competition will feature athletes from Austria, Slovenia and the United States leaping off a 90-meter hill that’s one of just six of its size in the country.

Since its start in 1922, the annual event attracts several thousand spectators who watch jumpers shoot at speeds of 60 mph before soaring more than 300 feet in the air.Austria, Slovenia and the United States.

Brattleboro Rabies & Chipping Clinic March 4

by Not Signed In | Pets

Low Cost Rabies AND Micro-Chipping Clinic

SATURDAY, MARCH 4th – 10am to 1pm

Location: Brattleboro Auto Mall (800 Putney Rd. Brattleboro,VT)

Open to pets from everywhere!

$10.00 Rabies Vaccination
$20.00 Micro-Chipping

Dogs Die In Not-Too-Hot Cars

by Zippy | Pets

I am sharing this sad story so that citizens who find a dog locked in a car can share that dogs die in cars even on not so hot days.  Tragically, this dog died on a 70 degree F day after being left unattended for three hours. This occured in our neighborhood here in Palm Springs.

Now, if you find a dog locked in a car, and a police officer or store owner dismisses your concern with “it’s not that hot out” you can site this case as evidence to support your concern.  Of course science has proven this for years, but we continue to frame the problem as “dogs die in hot cars”.  Not always. 

VFW Lunch Specials Feb. 13th – Feb. 17th

by Not Signed In | Food

The Brattleboro VFW at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public for lunch. Lunch is served from 11:30 – 1:30. Specials are only $6 a plate. Burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken wings, soups and sandwiches are also available.
Take outs available by calling 257-0438.

Mon – country fried steak w/ mashed potato & veg
Tues – baked stuffed chicken breast w/ mashed potato & veg
Wed – spaghetti w/ homemade meatballs & salad
Thur – marinated steak tips w/ mashed potato & veg
Fri – homemade salmon burgers w/ onion rings

Pets Welcome on Entire Vermonter Route

by Not Signed In | Pets

Amtrak announced the expansion of its pets program on the Vermonter, allowing more options for customers to travel with their pets. Small dogs and cats can now join their owners on the entire Vermonter route from Washington D.C. to St. Albans, VT, as long as the trip duration is no more than seven hours (see requirements). Previously, pets were not able to travel on the Connecticut portions of the route.

More than 15,000 pets and their human companions have traveled around the country since the program launched on the Northeast Corridor in October 2015. Record ridership was achieved for the month of July with more than 2,000 pets and owners traveling onboard. The program has also generated more than $1 million in revenue since its inception.

Snow Day 2017

by cgrotke | Nature

This morning Brattleboro is being treated to a very nice snow storm. It’s a heavy, constant snow, covering up all the dirt and grime of the previous storm. For a moment, it looks like a calendar, or snow globe.

We’ve had four or five inches so far, and more is falling. Is the snow falling to the ground, or the ground rushing up to meet it?

When I first looked out this morning, I saw flakes that were hovering in mid-air over the street, just bouncing along at a height of about 8 feet with no intention of dropping. Others were choosing to drop, but a certain class of flakes would have nothing of it.

Storm Damage

by Tad M | Nature

Last night between 3 and 4:30 AM or so I counted 13 breaking branches or falling trees.  There were other sounds, too, that I couldn’t identify but might well have been other trees.  Does anyone have photos of the damage?  I was a bit surprised to wake at 7 and find the grid still up.

Silly Acid – The Ubiquitous Medical Mineral

by Vidda | Health

Fluoride therapy as a medical necessity is a valuable tool in dispensing dental care. The question of whether or not it should be added to drinking tap water was resolved in 1995 when a majority of Brattleboro citizens decided against it being added to the municipal water supply. It was largely agreed that fluoridation of the water supply amounted to mass medication.

There is also the issue that most of any added fluoride would end up as runoff straight to waste treatment. Moreover, there is no room to site the equipment feeder to add fluoride to the water supply at the water works plant.In fact, Brattleboro’s Pleasant Valley Water Plant is a ground water supply where dissolved mineral residue does provide natural fluoride of about 0.10 milligrams per liter of water, well below any state regulations.

Harris Hill Ski Jump February 18 and 19, 2017

by Not Signed In | Recreation & Sports

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Some of the world’s best up-and-coming ski jumpers are set to fly at New England’s only Olympic-size venue Feb. 18 and 19 during the annual Harris Hill tournament in Brattleboro, Vt.

The nearly century-old competition will feature athletes from North America and Europe leaping off a 90-meter hill that’s one of just six of its size in the country.

Since its start in 1922, the annual event attracts several thousand spectators who watch jumpers shoot at speeds of 60 mph before soaring more than 300 feet in the air.

The Body Portrait Project

by KAlden | Living

If you are a woman over 50 years old and considered ‘plus size’ ( size 14 +) you are invited to participate in a nationwide project;

The Body Portrait Project is a series of interviews with women who don’t fit the traditional model of beauty. It offers an opportunity for women to tell their stories and talk about how they view their bodies; how those views have impacted their lives and to celebrate all the incredible things our bodies can do – regardless of age or size.

Do you know that 67.8% of all women in the United States are considered “plus size”? Half of those women are 50 years old and older. Women that fall into those categories- over 50 and plus size- are invisible in society and certainly in the fashion/media worlds. Being able to put a voice and a face to those hundreds of thousands of women is an important step not only in the battle for equality in all areas but in the very necessary movement to empower women to embrace and appreciate their bodies and be more self confident and comfortable in their skin.

VFW Lunch Specials 1-23 to 1-27

by Not Signed In | Food

The Brattleboro VFW at 40 Black Mountain Road is open to the public for lunch. Lunch is served from 11:30 – 1:30. Specials are only $6 a plate. Burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken wings, soups and sandwiches are also available.
Take outs available by calling 257-0438.

Mon – homemade sloppy joes w/ onion rings
Tues – fried chicken breast w/ mashed potato, gravy & veg
Wed – country style ribs w/ macaroni salad
Thur – turkey dinner w/ mashed potato, gravy, vegetable, stuffing, cranberry sauce and roll
Fri – salmon pea wiggle

Environmentalis

by DWard | Activism

What’s the difference between a climate advocate and a climate denier?

Not much.

Most “liberals”, “progressives” and Democrats are climate advocates.

Most “conservatives”, “libertarians” and Republicans are climate deniers.

If climate advocates believe that fossil fuels contribute to dangerous CO2 levels and hence climate catastrophe, why do they fly around in planes for the slightest reason? Why do they hold conferences that require colossal amounts of carbon emissions? It is understandable that their work may require flying but flying for vacations?

Sister Marches Go Global

by Maria | Activism

Local  Sister Rallies and/or Marches are in Montpelier,  Putney  Brattleboro,  Keene,   Greenfield and Northampton..    There may still be seats on the bus leaving from Putney VT to Washington D.C. 

Brattleboro Update:    From noon to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, there will be a SIster Vigil at Pliny Park, at Main and High Streets in Brattleboro, to stand in solildarity with marchers in Washington, D.C

Sister Marches Press Releases
tinacassidy1@gmail.com 
Media Contact: Tina Cassidy

Women’s Marches Planned for all 50 States and More Than 40 Other Global Cities Grassroots Efforts from Sydney to Atlanta Could Top 1 Million Participants Organizing for Freedom and Democracy for All

The End of Ringling Bros. Circus

by cgrotke | Obituaries

The Ringling Bros. circus is shutting down this May after 146 years. This circus would come to Brattleboro back in the day.

Owners says it is a combination of the times (we are easily distracted by other things), the cost of hauling an enormous show from town to town, and a lack of elephants. Elephants had been a part of the show until last year and there was a major drop-off in attendance after they left.

Final shows will be in Providence, RI, and Uniondale, NY later this spring. 500 employees will be looking for work.

(Note to former-circus folk, do consider coming up to Brattleboro. Our circus schoool is being built as I type and we could use more!)