Saxtons River to hold meeting on park
SAXTONS RIVER – With the final piece of the park real estate now in place, the Saxtons River village trustees will hold a meeting Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m., at Christ's Church on Main Street to plan the next steps forward in its goal to create a park in the village's center.
Sandri Realty Inc. of Greenfield, Mass. recently turned over the small parcel to the village, which already owns the lower portion of the site. The plan is to combine the two pieces to form an in-town park along the river.
Working with a design developed by Scott Wunderle of Terrigenous LLC, the village will now make plans to raise the funds to make it a reality. It is estimated the park will cost $600,000, half of which it is hoped will be in the form of brownfields clean up funds.
The trustees will be soliciting ideas for raising the additional funds and volunteers to develop a fundraising plan, including researching and writing grants.
Anyone with ideas who is not able to attend the meeting is encouraged to contact the trustees at SaxtonsRiverPark@gmail.com.
Senior meal served in Halifax
HALIFAX - The monthly senior meal will take place on Friday, Sept. 21, at noon, at the Halifax Community Hall, at the intersections of Branch and Brook roads, in West Halifax.
On the menu is ham, macaroni and cheese, veggies, rolls and dessert. All seniors are welcome, but reservations are appreciated. Call Joan at 802-368-7733. Sponsored by Senior Solutions.
Historical society hosts Marchant
NEWFANE - Charles Marchant, well known for his interest in local history, will present a program for the Historical Society of Windham County, “The hunt for the burials of Townshend Civil War soldiers,” on Sunday, Sept. 23, at 2:30 p.m. at the NewBrook Fire Station on Route 30.
Marchant has a special interest in old cemeteries and the Civil War. He combined the two with his decision to locate the grave site of every Townshend Civil War veteran. This project has taken years of travel throughout the United States. He will share the many fascinating stories of the soldiers as well as his own experiences in the search for their last resting places.
There is no charge for the event and the community is welcome to attend. For more information, visit http://historicalsocietyofwindhamcounty.org.
Volunteers needed to help make apple pies in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Apple pie making begins again Monday, Sept. 24, in the kitchen of the Dummerston Congregational Church.
Folks will gather to peel, quarter, core, and slice apples. Others will fill the pie shells, then top off with each baker's own identifying crust to be baked and cold-stored for the annual Dummerston Apple Pie Festival on Sunday, Oct. 7.
Many folks from the community and the surrounding area join in to make the pie-making more than just a work session. It has become a morning (9 a.m.to noon) and evening (6-9 p.m.) social gathering during which everyone gets a chance to catch up on what's going on. A highlight of each session is the testing of a pie or two, along with a cup of coffee as the session comes to an end.
Everyone is invited to come once or as many times as they would like to be a part of the annual event. Pies will be prepared Monday through Friday, Sept. 24-28, and Monday through Thursday, Oct. 1-4, in the hours listed above.
Gladys Miller is the chair of the festival committee and can be reached at 802-254-9158 for information on the pie making.
Workshop reviews resources for seniors and caregivers
TOWNSHEND - On Monday, Sept. 24, from 3-4 p.m. at the Townshend Public Library, staff from Senior Solutions (formerly the Council on Aging) will present information and answer questions about resources and services for local seniors and their families and unpaid caregivers.
There will also be information about volunteer opportunities.
Many people are unaware of all the help available for them and their aging loved ones. Whether it's planning for future care needs, or addressing current challenges such as senior depression, loneliness, caregiver stress… at this program you'll discover you're not alone.
If you help someone with daily necessities, transportation and such, then you probably fall in the category of family caregiver. If you're the primary caregiver for a qualified individual, you may be eligible for respite care to allow you to attend this program. To find out, contact the Senior HelpLine as soon as possible at 800-642-5119 or info@seniorsolutionsVT.org.
Master Gardeners host program for 'serious' vegetable growers
BRATTLEBORO - The Windham County chapter of the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will host a presentation entitled “The Serious Vegetable Gardener” on Tuesday, Sept. 25, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St.
Chapter member Steve Squires will discuss a wide range of issues in handling the larger vegetable garden. Topics will include garden planning and scheduling, soil preparation, weed and pest control, composting, and a host of tips on specific crops. This program is free and open to all members of the community.
Grace Cottage to hold public forum on community report
TOWNSHEND - Grace Cottage Hospital will hold a public forum in the Community Dining Room on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 4-5 p.m.
Hospital staff will meet with members of the public to answer questions about the Hospital Report Card, which includes information on the quality of patient care, financial information, and a description of certain medical projects currently underway at the hospital. During the event, the public will be invited to provide input into Grace Cottage Hospital's strategic planning process.
Grace Cottage Hospital's Community Report Card is available at www.gracecottage.org; click on “Hospital Report Card” at the bottom of the home page. The report shows how the hospital performs on a variety of quality, safety and financial measurements.
A behind-the-scenes tour of the hospital will follow the meeting. For more information, call 802-365-9109.
Brattleboro Retreat, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital to host joint public meeting
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Retreat and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will hold a joint public meeting at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 27, from 5-6 p.m., in the Brew Barry Conference Room.
Senior administrators from each hospital will present news from their respective organizations, including aspects of the Act 53 hospital report cards, and discuss their strategic plans. The remainder of the meeting will be reserved for questions and input from the public. The public is encouraged to attend.
Act 53, passed by the Vermont Legislature in 2003, requires that, in addition to holding the public meeting, all hospitals in Vermont make available report cards on their websites. Report cards can be accessed on each hospital's website: www.bmhvt.org or www.brattlebororetreat.org.
BASIC to host community forum with skatepark architect
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks and Brattleboro Area Skatepark is Coming (BASIC) will host a public design workshop about the skatepark design with Mike Mclntyre, Skatepark Architect from Action Sport Design (ASD) now with Stantec, at the Gibson-Aiken Senior Center on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m.
This public forum presents local skaters an opportunity to provide input into the design process, provides time for the public to discuss esthetic concerns relating to skatepark design, and will serve as an introduction of ASD+Stantec (www.ActionSportDesign.com) to the general public.
This is a design workshop, and as such, is not a time for those concerned about the skatepark location to air their grievances. The workshop will be interpreted into American Sign Language (ASL). For more information, contact the Recreation & Parks office at 802-254-5808.
Tools needed for Irene recovery projects
BRATTLEBORO - The United Church of Christ National Disaster Ministries has donated a tool trailer to the Southeastern Vermont Long Term Recovery Committee to assist with Tropical Storm Irene recovery efforts.
According to FEMA reports, over half the residents of Windham County lived on a tract of land directly affected by the storm when Irene brought devastating floods to Vermont in August 2011. While many households have recovered, the SEVT LTRC is still working on over 200 projects. These include mold mitigation, foundation repair, and decontaminating or re-digging wells. Some homeowners are still in the process of repairing or rebuilding their homes.
New or used tools in good condition are needed to fill the new tool trailer. These may be dropped off at: Guilford Community Church, First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro, Centre Congregational Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro. For a list of tools needed, go to vtcucc.org and click on News.
Building materials will also be accepted, as needed. Items include wood, drywall, nails, insulation, and other clean materials. For more information, contact info@unitedwaywindham.org or bobbypowers.recovery@gmail.com.