Someone please tell me how four beers translates into a monument or shrine and tell me why Brattleboro Police would allow beer to be sitting on a public street, in the first place? Some homeless guy who took the beers has been charged with a FELONY offense for stealing part of a “memorial” which, in the end, was ordered taken down by Brattleboro Police nonetheless. Are police then committing an offense by ordering the memorial destroyed? The whole thing makes no sense. It’s a horrible waste of taxpayer money to prosecute some homeless guy who got the crap beat out of him, anyway. Seems to me, he’s the victim here. If I were him, I’d sue for false arrest. We’re talking about four beers sitting on a public way surrounded by handmade signs. Last time I checked the law in Brattleboro states that permits are required for signs and said permit can be obtained through the planning department. Was there a permit taken out for this “memorial”? And did the permit specify the use of beer? If there was no permit taken out, then wouldn’t the structure itself be illegal? If so, can someone be charged with vandalizing an illegal structure? Is it even legal to place beer on a public way and leave it unattended? I think not. Does that mean the homeless guy was performing a public service by ridding the streets of alcohol that could very easily be consumed by a minor? Maybe.

To close, I believe this is the second arrest at this same makeshift memorial. The other arrest sounded like a nuisance incident.

Sentinel Staff

Published: Sunday, June 21, 2009

BRATTLEBORO — The brother and fiancee of David T. Snow, who was killed last week on a downtown street, have been arrested and charged with beating a man who allegedly stole part of a makeshift memorial at the scene.

On Thursday, Mark Bresland, a homeless Brattleboro man, allegedly stole four beers left at the Elliot Street shrine built Tuesday, the day after Snow’s death, according to a police news release.

He was followed from the scene by Snow’s younger brother Travis Sprague and fiance Judy Waterman, also known as Judy Brown, and others who were at the memorial, according to Brattleboro police Officer Peter V. DiMarino.

Witnesses told police the group knocked Bresland to the ground in the Harmony Parking Lot, just blocks from the memorial, kicking and punching him several times before leaving.

When police found the group, Sprague, 18, and Waterman, 23, came forward and said they had punched Bresland, but they would not say if anyone else was involved, DiMarino said.

Both await arraignment next month on assault charges.

Bresland was taken to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for minor injuries. He was arrested at the hospital and charged with desecration of a monument or shrine, a felony offense.

After the incident, police told Snow’s family and friends to remove the memorial, DiMarino said.

Andrew E. Sheets, 41, of Brattleboro was arraigned on Tuesday on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Snow’s death.

Police say Sheets stabbed Snow in the neck during an argument that erupted early Monday morning.

Police are asking anyone with further information about the incident to contact the Brattleboro Police Department at 802-257-7950.

Woe to any 3rd shift workers in Keene who live on Crestview Street, Crestview Circle, East Diane Drive, Imelda Avenue, Main Street (St. Joseph’s cemetery to town line), Phil Lane, Rose Lane, Roxbury Street (Central Square to South Lincoln Street), South Lincoln Street or West Diane Drive.

Roadwork right outside your window may keep you awake for months, like it did me when I lived on Elm Street back in ‘05-’06.

My normal bedtime was 1pm, but the heavy equipment would pound and beep and shake the house. It was happening 10 feet from my bedroom window so there was no avoiding it.

Sure, anybody can function with only 3 hours sleep a day once in a while, but when it goes on for month, after month, after month, it endangers your life. I know. It did mine.

I wrote to the NH-American Civil Liberties Unions asking for help, I called the city. No one cared. That was in September and October of 2006. I was collapsing from fatigue.

My advice to 3rd shifters who sleep during the day, is move. How sad that not the city or the state or even the NH-ACLU will do anything to help you.

Yep, anybody can live on 3 hours sleep for a day or two, but not for 6 months at a time.

I’ve got all sorts of stuff around the house that I want gone. I was hoping this would be the weekend to make up a big “FREE” sign and get stuff out onto the lawn as is the tradition here in New Hampshire. But I’ll be damned if I lug a sleeper sofa and trash compactor out by myself only to have it rained on. Nope, will not do. Clothes, yikes, do I have clothes to give away!

So, I guess if you’re reading this and you know of someone who needs any of that stuff, or even exercise equipment, then write me. Less is better as we get ready to sell the place.

Ahhh, the house is fully painted and it looks swell! While I was down at Walpole Savings Bank yesterday getting some dough to pay for the job, I told the teller what a good job Corey and Dan did on the house. Geez, she might be needing her house painted too, in the near future. If you’re looking for a couple of hardworking fellas, call me or write, I know who can do the job and do it well.

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - A Chinese city has killed 36,000 stray and pet dogs in a bid to wipe out rabies, state media said on Tuesday, as the country considers a draft law recognising animal rights and making such a cull illegal.

Rabies has killed 12 people in Hanzhong, in the northern province of Shaanxi, where more than 6,000 people had been bitten or scratched since late May, the China Daily said.

“The monitoring data showed that the danger caused by the dogs which carried rabies virus has increased and epidemic prevention and control is urgent,” Xing Tianhu, deputy mayor of the city, was quoted as saying.

International animal rights groups have criticised China for cruelty, saying millions of animals raised for their pelts, including cats and dogs, are mistreated and inhumanely killed.

Raising dogs was banned under the rule of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime and was only made legal a few years ago as living standards rose.

Animal protection organisations expressed concern over the Hanzhong cull.

“The mass removal of dogs can result in the increased movement of dogs of unknown disease status from surrounding areas, thereby actually facilitating disease transmission and increasing the threat to human and animal health,” Peter Williams, China director for the World Society for Protection of Animals, was quoted as saying.

China’s first law to recognise “animal welfare” and include domestic animals is in the draft stage.

“Once it gets passed, the abuses of animals, such as the Hanzhong dog killings, is expected to stop,” Chang Jiwen, a professor who led the drafting team, was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)

I almost knowingly broke the law last night. It was close. As I was driving along Walpole Valley Road ahead of midnight, standing in the middle of the road, was what I thought was a small dog. I slowed down from my normal 25mph and shifted into first. Golly, it was a baby deer, not even as large as Daphne Davenport and barely able to walk without wobbling. It must have been less than a month old. Where was mom?

That’s how I almost broke the law. I was sooooo tempted to hop out of the truck and grab the little guy, that I had to talk myself out of it.

Running through my head were thoughts of wild animals eating the fawn or some driver who doesn’t yield for animals like I do, roaring down the road and smashing his body into a hundred little pieces.

This helpless little miracle was out in the middle of nowhere. None of wants to be alone in the middle of nowhere.

Against my inner voice, I let the tiny deer be. But so help me, if I go home today and find him dead by the side of the road, then next time, I will break the law if it means saving something as innocent and sweet as baby Bambi.

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I’ve got a standoff going with the spider who lives in my bathtub. When I use the tub, I move him to the sink until I’m done. But tonight, as I was installing a new shower curtain, he somehow made it back into the tub while I was still inside. Not good. I looked down and there he was walking across my foot. I’m not usually afraid of spiders, but this one is smarter than the average arachnid.

He’s got a cousin who lives in my pantry. Just the other day when I was putting away food, he dropped onto my head. I wasn’t pleased about that, either. I walked around all day feeling like something was walking on me.

Fact of the matter is; spiders were here long before we were and they’ll be here when we’re gone. So I guess we better make friends with them. But just like there are mean people on earth, there are mean spiders, too. Like the one who lives in my bedroom and jumps at me when I try to move him. Even the cats won’t go near that nasty so and so.

Corey and Dan, the fellas who are painting the house, told me about all the spiders in the cellar. No wonder I hate going down there. But now that the cellar’s all sealed up, maybe the population will decrease.

It was a productive weekend. And except for sealing a skunk under the house when I moved the back doorstep, it was a good weekend. He let me know in no uncertain terms he was stuck in there about 6:30 this morning when he went “thump, thump, thump”. I went knew just where the noise was coming from so I went out and moved the stairs and sure enough, there he was, happy to see the light of day.

Wild critters and spiders are a big part of my life, not to mention the passel of furfaces who legally reside with me. It’s certainly never boring. Then there’s the mouse who made his way into my Jeep. He’s out now, but goodness knows what’s coming down the pike at me, next.

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The rabies problem along West Diane Drive in Keene seems to be getting worse, not better. ACO Barry Hilton trapped a cat this week while another cat sprang from the bushes and attacked a dog that was being walked.

Children have to be told to STAY AWAY from strange animals and if you have a cat that’s not innoculated for rabies, keep it inside till the threat passes.

Rabies is no small matter. If only someone had cared more about their pet to have it spayed or neutered and innoculated, we wouldn’t be in this terrible situation.

Matty and all my siblings all remembered my birthday in special ways. So did my oldest friend, Debbie Deel. She gave me a cat that doesn’t poop or cough-up hairballs or scatter litter everywhere. Of course, it’s made of concrete and lives in my garden! LOL

I stopped what I was doing at 11:20 AM Thursday and cried a little thinking of mother 53 years ago at that very moment. She’s never far from my mind even on a regular day.

An unexpected birthday gift came in the form of an email from a retired Major in the Massachusetts State Police who also worked for the RMV. He pointed me in the right direction to solve a 30 year old dilemma.

Also making my birthday swell was a very wise lawyer in Claremont. He too, pointed me in the right direction relative to another issue.

Right after work on Friday I’ll go buy some shutters for the back of the house (newly painted) then hopefully the weather this weekend will hold long enough for me to get them installed.

Things are coming along nicely on many fronts. Yes, it really was a…….