'Youth Market' at BF Farmers' Market this week
BELLOWS FALLS - On Friday, June 1, the Youth Market, organized annually since the market began in 2004, will take place in conjunction with the regular Bellows Falls Farmers' Market.
This year, the first 50 kids attending will receive a pack of seeds donated by Community Feed, and a plant start donated by Guerilla Grown Produce, Deep Meadow Farm, and Harlow Farm.
Young people will also have a chance to bag their own compost, donated by AlpineGlo Farm.
Other activities include a scavenger hunt around the market, a “name that green” contest, and various crafts.
Market organizers hope all the children will return in the fall for a second Youth Market of the season, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their own products and a chance to enter “the best in grow” contest.
The farmers' market runs Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Waypoint Center on Depot Street next to the Amtrak station.
For additional information, contact market manager Rachel Ware at bellowsfallsmarket@gmail.com or 802-463-2018.
No VY siren tests on Saturday
BRATTLEBORO - Regular testing of the Vermont Yankee emergency sirens, normally set for Saturday, June 2, will not take place due to the annual Strolling of the Heifers festivities in the downtown area.
The monthly first Saturday siren tests will resume on July 7.
AARP Driver Safety Classes offered
BRATTLEBORO - The AARP Driver Safety Program, a classroom driver refresher course, will be holding classes in Brattleboro and Whitingham.
The $14 course ($12 for AARP members) explains changes that occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time as we age and provides useful driving safety tips for handling these changes. The course also reviews the impact of changes in vehicles and roadways that affect driving safety.
Several major auto insurance carriers in Vermont offer discounts to graduates of the program.
Classes will be offered at the Whitingham Municipal Center in Jacksonville on June 2 and at Brattleboro Senior Center on June 4. Both classes will be conducted from 8:30 am until 1 p.m., with time provided for lunch.
Participants are asked to arrive in advance of the class time to complete registration documents.
Persons interested in taking the course, or have questions regarding the course or the AARP Driver Safety Program, should call or email Elliott Greenblott at 802-254-4489 or egreenblott@gmail.com.
Wednesday Farmers' Market resumes June 6
BRATTLEBORO - The Wednesday Farmers' Market opens for the season June 6.
Located downtown on Main Street, next to the Gibson-Aiken Center and across from the post office, the Wednesday Market is open every Wednesday through October, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.
This year, the market welcomes the Pizza Hippo, serving fire-grilled organic pizzas, to the roster of growers, chefs, and bakers, a list that includes Anon's Thai Cuisine, Common Loaf Bakery, Dutton's Farm, Deer Ridge Farm, Lilac Ridge Farm, the Youth Agricultural Project, Dwight Miller Orchards, and Stardust Herbals.
EBT and debit cards are welcome at the Wednesday Market.
For more information, call 802-254-8885, or visit www.brattleborofarmersmarket.com.
Talk showcases birds found in Putney's wetlands
PUTNEY - The Conservation Commission presents local birder, photographer, and Commons columnist Chris Petrak, who will speak about the “Birds of the Wilson Wetland” at the Putney Firehouse on Route 5 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6.
Petrak's presentation celebrates the town's April 27 purchase of 26 acres to be conserved in perpetuity as wildlife habitat. The land is a critical part of the 100-acre wetland area along Sand Hill Road.
Petrak will describe some of the 106 bird species that Grafton birder Don Clark has seen in the Sand Hill Road area, including American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, American Kestrel, American Woodcock, and Common Nighthawk.
Pauline Wilson sold her critical 26 acres to the town at a substantially reduced price to ensure its conservation in perpetuity. The Putney Selectboard voted to name the parcel the Wilson Wetland, in honor of the Wilson family.
The Wilson Wetland is located on the east side of Sackett's Brook south of Sand Hill Road (downstream). On the west side of the brook, it abuts 25 acres that are protected by the Vermont Land Trust under the Mulcahy/Longmeadow Trust Agreement.
The Wilson Wetland also links to the Putney Central School's portion of the wetland complex (approximately 35 acres) on the north side of Sand Hill Road.
In all, about 86 acres of wetlands now have some protection.
Residents reminded about yard sale rules
BRATTLEBORO - Residents are reminded that while it is no longer required to obtain a permit for a yard or garage sale, other town ordinances governing such activity are still in effect.
Sales are limited to no more than three times per property lot in a calendar year and may occur on not more than two consecutive weekends. Each sale may be up to three consecutive days, and sales shall be limited to daylight hours.
Any person conducting a personal property sale not in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance shall be subject to a fine of up to $100 for each offense.
Any sale exceeding the limits of this ordinance shall be considered a permanent business and subject to all regulations regarding such, including the town of Brattleboro zoning by-laws.
For more information, contact the Brattleboro Town Clerk's office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 802-251-8157.
BAMS students host dog show fundraiser
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Enrichment Activities for Middle Schoolers (BEAMS) program “Afterschool Animal Ambassador Club” is hosting its first dog show fundraiser on Tuesday, June 5, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS), as part of its efforts to help the Windham County Humane Society.
BAMS families will be gathering to celebrate the end of the program's season, help the Humane Society, and have a lot of fun.
The BAMS students have been working hard to organize this special event. They have also been hosting bake sales, baking dog biscuits, and creating cat toys for the Humane Society. A variety of prizes and trophies will be awarded by a guest judge panel and the voting audience.
Funded in part through a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant from the Vermont Department of Education, BEAMS is currently in the fourth year of a five-year grant.
BASIC to hold T-shirt design contest
BRATTLEBORO - The town of Brattleboro skatepark committee and Brattleboro Area Skatepark Is Coming (BASIC) seek submissions for their first annual Skatepark at the Crowell Lot T-Shirt Design Contest.
The winning design will be used to build awareness and raise funds for the construction of a skatepark at the Crowell Lot on Western Avenue.
The winner will be announced during Go Skateboarding Day festivities, which take place at Crowell Lot on Thursday, June 21, from 2 to 5 p.m.
A T-shirt design template is available for reference at the BASIC website, brattleboroskatepark.com. Designs can include up to three colors, but one color must be black.
Questions about the contest can asked on the BASIC group page on Facebook.com (www.facebook.com/groups/BratSk8/), or by sending an email to sk8brattleboro@gmail.com.
Deadline for submitting an entry is Friday, June 15. To submit an entry, email a PDF file to sk8brattleboro@gmail.com or mail a physical copy to BASIC, P.O. Box 1063, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
Next tobacco cessation workshop at BMH starts June 5
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will host another installment of the “Fresh Start: Tobacco Cessation Workshop” in BMH Room B beginning Tuesday, June 5.
A facilitator trained by the Vermont Department of Health Access will run the free, four-week class, which takes place every Tuesday through July 10 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
To register or get more information, call 802-251-8456.
Townshend Common Farmers' Market opens
TOWNSHEND - On Thursday, June 7, the Townshend Common Farmers' Market opens for its fifth season.
This producers' market boasts a great array of locally grown and produced foods, baked goods, and prepared foods from chefs in the area. It also offers plants for your gardens, along with other locally made objects such as handmade soaps, hand-blown glass, and hand-carved chairs.
The market is on the Townshend Common at the intersection of Route 30 and Route 35. EBT/SNAP cards and Farm to Family coupons are welcomed. Market Match Coupons and Harvest Health Coupons will be available for EBT shoppers to buy more fresh, healthy, local food for their families.
The market will be open weekly on Thursdays through Oct. 11. Regular hours are 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (2 p.m. on June 7, 14, and 21).
The market is open rain or shine. Look for the market in the big white church on the common during inclement weather.
The market is a project of Post Oil Solutions (www.postoilsolutions.org). Vendor applications are still available at the website.
For more information, call Sherry Maher at 802-869-2141, or email farmersmarket@postoilsolutions.org.
Discover your history at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - Unlock the story of your family's past with one of the Rockingham Free Public Library's newest online resources: Ancestry Library Edition from Ancestry.com.
Ancestry Library Edition is one of the most important genealogical collections available today, according to RFPL librarians.
The service offers access to more than 4,000 databases, which include key collections such as U.S. Federal Census images and indexes from 1790 to 1940; more than 1,000 historical maps; American Genealogical Biographical Index (over 200 volumes); Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage (over 150 volumes); The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1630; Social Security Death Index (updated monthly); World War I draft registration cards; federal slave narratives; and a strong Civil War collection.
It also offers an online library of periodicals, newspapers, and multimedia collections with files ranging from family and gravestone photos to postcards and newsreels. And much more.
This resource is available for free, but it can only be accessed at the Rockingham Free Public Library. Patrons are reminded to bring a flash drive with them to save information.
If you have questions and would like more information, call the library at 802-463-4270 or email rockref@sover.net.
Marine Corps League seeks new members
BRATTLEBORO - Marine Corps League Detachment 798 is seeking new members.
The league is comprised of Marine Corps veterans, as well as members of the U.S. Navy corpsmen who served with the Fleet Marine Force.
Members participate in Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day events. They also are represented on the Joint Services Honor Guard, which pays homage to deceased veterans during burials.
Throughout the year, they conduct the well-respected Toys for Kids program, which helps to bring smiles to deserving youngsters in the area during the holiday season. Scholarships are also offered to graduating high school seniors.
Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at Brattleboro American Legion Post 5, 18 Linden St.
For more information, individuals may send letters to P.O. Box 1942, Brattleboro VT 05302; or phone Commandant Richard Hodgdon at 802-257-7549; Senior Vice Commandant Tony Previte at 603-446-7386; Sergeant-At-Arms Mark Hynes, 603-256-6021; or Adjutant Doug Reed at 802-365-7732.
Discounted tickets available for summer attractions
BRATTLEBORO - The Recreation & Parks Department has discounted tickets on sale to Six Flags/New England in Agawam, Mass., The Great Escape/Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George, N.Y., and Bromley's Sun Mountain Flyer Adventure Park in Peru.
Tickets may be purchased at the department office, 207 Main Street, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m.
Only cash or money orders will be accepted.