News & Information

News and information sections, from near to far

Vermont Announces $5,000 Downpayment Assistance

by Steven K-Brooks | Business

Thanks to a bill just passed by large majorities in both houses and signed by the governor, the  will soon be able to offer qualified first-time homebuyers a leg up in the form of a $5,000 “sleeping” loan.

The $5,000 assistance be in the form of a zero interest loan, with no payments. The loan is repaid when the homeowner sells their home or refinances.

In email correspondence with Brattleboro Buyer Brokerage, Seth Leonard, VHFA Homeownership Outreach Coordinator, wrote:

Brattleboro Fourth of July Closings

by Not Signed In | Town News

In observance of the July 4th holiday, all Town offices will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2015, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4. All other violations will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4.

Scrub Your Soul Castile Soap Now Available At The Co-op!

by Carolyn | Business

Love natural products?

Love hyper-local producers?

Love being squeeky clean?

The Brattleboro Food Co-op is now stocking Scrub Your Soul’s vegan castile soap in the bulk department.  Fill your own bottle to wash your body, your dishes, your hair, or anything that needs washing! Be sure to request scents you would like to see. 

“Brattleboro Goes Fourth” Set To Celebrate July 4th – Details and Schedule

by BrattGoesFourth | Town News

BRATTLEBORO — The “By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth” citizens committee invites the public to the town’s 42nd annual Independence Day celebration, set for Saturday, July 4, with a morning parade downtown and afternoon and evening program of family activities and fireworks at Living Memorial Park.

Some 50 marching units — including the Brattleboro American Legion and Brattleboro Union High School bands, veterans, civic and youth groups — will kick off the festivities at 10 a.m. with a parade along Canal and Main streets to the town Common.

Brattleboro’s Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, this year’s parade sponsor, will lead the march with its giant American flag, while local personality Alfred Hughes Jr. will conclude the event by debuting his annual top-secret gown.

Brattleboro Time Trade Listings – Week of June 28

by Brattleboro Time Trade | Other

Brattleboro Time Trade:   Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time.  See below for more exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade can do for you!

How Time Trade Works: You do something for someone and earn time credits for your “bank,” which you can then put towards someone else doing something for you! It’s that simple – and amazing!

This week’s fabulous listings, brought to you from Grateful Dead Rainbows:

OFFERS (i.e. things people could do for you):

Sterling Silver Earrings and Ear-wires — Entirely Handmade
for You
Tarot Card Readings
Hypnosis Helps
Compassionate Mediation
Respite Offered by Mom of Child w/Special Needs
Garlic Scapes

BS&L Summer Series- Free Ice Cream 6/26 served here by the Blueberry Haus! 2-4pm

by BrandieStarr | Business

As summer approaches, we at Brattleboro Savings & Loan will be showing our appreciation to you, for choosing us as your bank! From June 26th through August 28th, there will be a free event held every Friday here at our Main Office!

The events will generally take place on the front lawn, but may be moved to the community room if need be.

Calendar of events:

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 5:30pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

I-91 Bridge Project: Lane and Exit Closings July 12

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

The Southbound lane of I-91 between Exits 3 and 2 and the Exit 3 on-ramps will be closed to all vehicles on Sunday, July 12 from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM to make it possible to conduct a routine bridge inspection. This time period was selected because it is the period of lowest traffic volume during the daylight hours needed to conduct the inspection.

Southbound traffic will be routed to Exit 1, and Northbound traffic attempting to use the Exit 3 on ramp will be routed north on Route 5 to Exit 4. Officers will be on hand to control traffic.

I-91 Northbound will remain open.

Business Planning Competition Winners

by MartinLangeveld | Business

Awards were announced yesterday in the 2015 Windham Regional Business Planning Competition, a collaboration of Strolling of the Heifers and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation. A total of $64,000 in prize funds were given out: $10,000 to each of four first-place category winners, $3,000 each to the four second-place category winners, and $1,000 each to the 12 runners-up. Funding for the competitition came from a grant from the Windham County Economic Development program (the “Vermont Yankee settlement” fund), the Vermont Community Foundation and the Windham Foundation.

Here are the winners and runners-up, listed by category:

Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project Update: Week of June 21 & Heads Up Regarding Fourth of July Weekend

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

I-91

On Sunday, July 5, both the Northbound and Southbound Exit 3 on-ramps will be closed from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM to reduce congestion on I-91 Southbound caused by merging traffic. Because of highway logistics, we need to close both northbound and southbound on-ramps. Local southbound traffic will be rerouted to Route 5 south to Exit 1, and local northbound traffic will be rerouted to Route 5 north to Exit 4. Sheriff officers will assist in directing traffic.

Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.

Brattleboro Savings & Loan Throws Switch on New Solar Array

by Not Signed In | Business

Energy Source makes BS&L the first completely solar-powered bank in Vermont

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – Situated next to a classic red-clapboard barn on land farmed since the early 1800s, a new piece of Vermont history is taking shape: an award-winning community solar array poised to provide energy to both Brattleboro businesses and residents.

Contributing companies Soveren Solar, the Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center (VABEC), and Brattleboro Savings & Loan will ‘throw the switch’ on a 150kW, 64-rack array on Tuesday, June 23 at 5 p.m., which represents one of five Vermont Community Solar projects in the state. Gov. Peter Shumlin is scheduled to speak.

Pay As You Throw Brattleboro

by Jamie | Town News

Hello my fellow citizens!  This is another thread to talk about the new Pay As You Throw system of trash disposal. The intention here is practical; what are your strategies for coping with this transition?  Composting and Recycling are key, this is a given.  So what’s your plan?  We signed up early on for curbside compost collection.  It is awesome.  For a family of four, weekly pickup of recycling and compost has reduced our trash accumulation to 2 to 3 price chopper plastic bag’s worth. It’s kind of amazing,actually. 

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Mostly Money Matters

by cgrotke | Town News

At their regular Tuesday meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard dealt primarily with money issues — spending, granting, analyzing, raising, applying for, and otherwise interacting with it. It wasn’t always the main topic of discussion, but it was an undercurrent. Much of it was good news, too.

For example, it was announced that over $50,000 has been allocated for artists applying to fulfill the public arts component of the NEA Our Town grant, and requests for proposals will be out shortly. Many Town employees will receive raises. 

The Brattleboro Selectboard also learned about keeping water clean, discussed cable access, purchased a variety of  vehicles, and approved contracts for new roads and sidewalks. 

Should dogs be punished for the human’s behavior? This and more below.

Native American Teens Travel To Brattleboro For ‘Gathering In Gratitude’ Workshop and Performances

by LRW137 | Town News

A delegation of teen leaders and counselors from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota are traveling to Brattleboro to join a mixed-age group of locals for a multi-cultural ‘Gathering in Gratitude’ workshop led by drama therapist and musician Luz Elena Morey, director of the Brattleboro-based Mahalo Art Center.

The eight Oglala Lakota teens and two counselors will participate in the week-long intensive, a nature-based creative exploration of the concept of gratitude that culminates in a unique brand of performance art where each cast member’s contribution is woven into a modern, mythical pageant described by past audience members as “a feast for the soul.”

Downtown Brattleboro Farmers’ Market Opens Tuesday, June 16

by Not Signed In | Business

The downtown Brattleboro Farmers’ Market opens this Tuesday, June 16 from 10 to 2 and will run each Tuesday through the end of October. Walk down to the Whetstone Pathway across from the Brattleboro Co-op and enjoy fresh veggies, dairy and cut flowers straight from your local farms. You’ll also find lunch foods, including Anon’s Thai Cuisine. EBT and debit cards are welcome. Find us on Facebook for updates and vendor news.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 16, 2015

by cgrotke | Town News

A call for artists and RFP for Phase III of the Our Town Grant will be at the top of the Tuesday agenda for the Brattleboro Selectboard. The Town Arts Committee may also be re-sized.

The Main Street Sidewalk project is getting underway, new police equipemnt will be purchased, and discussions of ponds, cable, dogs, finances, farmlands, FY16 union employee raises, DPW purchases, and more.

You can bring up other items during public participation if they aren’t otherwise on the agenda.