BRATTLEBORO-Bullying is a distinctive pattern of repeatedly and deliberately harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are smaller, weaker, younger, or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. It's the power imbalance that marks it as bullying, according to Psychology Today. With that in mind, it is interesting to wonder why a political party would seek to demonize a tiny 0.9% of the population - those people who identify as transgender - in order to seek power. Or to...
BRATTLEBORO-The three remaining members of the class of 1944 didn't spend a lot of time together in high school, but these women have remained lifelong friends. Now, at their recent 80th high school reunion visit, Sylvia Smith Morse, of Guilford, Janice Pratt Martin, of West Brattleboro, and Alice Anderson Stockwell, of Vernon, reminisce about their teenage years. The last of almost 100 students graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1944, they were all children of the Great Depression. Their freshman...
Editor's note: We had hoped to run this story in the Nov. 27 issue but were unable. The auction takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Our apologies to our friends at Families First for the stumble. ----------- BRATTLEBORO-There's still time to make your bid in the Families First Giving Tuesday Auction, where you can choose from almost 100 items donated by local businesses and artisans to support the nonprofit that supports adults and youth with developmental disabilities, helping them live...
BRATTLEBORO-Selectboard members have asked Town Manager John Potter and his staff to go back to the drawing board and return scenarios that describe 5% and 10% reductions to the proposed nearly $26.5 million budget for the next fiscal year. "I want to be clear with the public that a 22% increase in property taxes is extremely high, very hard to swallow, and, for many people, really, really concerning," said Board Chair Daniel Quipp of the current draft budget implication. The...
BRATTLEBORO-Come New Year's Day, the town will have a new trash contract. Following a lengthy negotiation with Casella Waste Systems - the sole bidder for a new town trash disposal contract - Selectboard members have authorized Town Manager John Potter to pen and sign a $1.3 million, five-year contract with the company. Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland explained that after about a half year in negotiations, the new contract will include curbside collection for downtown public trash and recycling cans...
BRATTLEBORO-"It's not about ordinance or no ordinance," said Mel Motel, co-director of Restorative Justice Programs at Interaction: Youth Services and Restorative Justice. "It's about a third way. What can we build instead?" Motel was one of five panelists who proposed alternatives to the town's recently adopted Acceptable Community Conduct ordinance at a Nov. 18 public information meeting at Brooks Memorial Library. Opponents of the ordinance have obtained signatures from the 5% of registered voters necessary to trigger a Special Representative...
