Town boards seek volunteers
BRATTLEBORO - Several Brattleboro committees are looking for volunteers to serve.
The following are committees with vacancies: Agricultural Advisory Board, Conservation Commission, Council on Aging, Development Review Board Alternate, Energy Committee, Fence Viewer (by statute, must be legal voter of the town), Honor Roll Committee, Inspector, Lumber Shingles & Wood, SEVCA, Town Service Officer, and Tree Advisory Committee.
Applications and more information about committees can be found on the Brattleboro website, www.brattleboro.org. The Selectboard will make appointments at a meeting following receipt of the application.
If you are a Brattleboro resident and interested in serving on a committee, submit your application to the Town Manager's office at tmsecretary@brattleboro.org, or mail it to: Brattleboro Town Manager, Attn: Committee Vacancy, 230 Main St., Suite 208, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
Lower level of parking garage closed for repairs
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Parking Department will be temporarily closing the lowest floor of the Brattleboro Transportation center for repairs.
Effective Wednesday, Oct. 18, at midnight, the first floors of the parking garage, levels 1A and 1B, and the Flat Street entrance will be closed. Vehicles are asked to use Elliot Street to enter and exit the parking garage facility. This area will re-open at 8 a.m. on Oct. 23.
Contact Carol at the Parking Department 802-257-2305 with any questions.
Friends of the Rockingham Free Public Library host Cocktails for a Cause on Oct. 18
BELLOWS FALLS - On Thursday, Oct. 18, from 4-6 p.m., the Friends of the Rockingham Free Public Library are hosting “Cocktails for a Cause” at Popolo Restaurant in Bellows Falls. Enjoy tapas, a cash bar, and camaraderie with local library supporters.
Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at the library, Village Square Booksellers, or at the door. Membership in the Friends is not necessary to attend this event, but it is an excellent time to join. Friends of the Library membership starts at $10 and is an excellent way to show your support for the library.
The Friends of the Rockingham Free Public Library are an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to focus public attention on library services and needs, promote the use of library resources and programs, and enhance library services by providing funding and volunteers. For more information, call 802-463-4270 or email friends@rockinghamlibrary.org.
Democrats to celebrate Charlie Davenport on Friday
BRATTLEBORO - Just who was Charlie Davenport?
That is the question on the lips of Windham County Democrats as they prepare to assemble for their biennial Davenport Day Dinner on Friday, Oct. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the American Legion on Linden Street.
With Congressman Peter Welch on hand to on bring attendees up to date on legislative affairs in Washington, D.C., attendees will honor Charles N. Davenport, a prominent lawyer and supporter of the Democratic Party who founded the Windham County Reformer - now the Brattleboro Reformer - in 1876 in part because of Republican bias in coverage by the Vermont Phoenix, the main political paper in the state.
Other local and statewide candidates will also attend.
The buffet dinner will be catered by Tristan Toleno, former owner of the Riverview Café and current Democratic candidate for representative from Brattleboro's District 3.
Tickets for the dinner are $35 per person and can be reserved by contacting John and Mary Carnahan at 802-254-8398.
Design-a-Plate workshop at Brooks Library
BRATTLEBORO - Don't miss the 31st annual Design-a-Plate workshop on Friday, Oct. 19 at the Meeting Room of the Brooks Memorial Library. Stop in any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to make a 10-inch melamine plate, 20-ounce melamine bowl, or both,
Each item costs $6. Cash and checks made out to Brooks Memorial Library are accepted. Children draw on a special piece of paper which is sent away to the Makit factory and molded into a plate or bowl. Plates and bowls will be ready for pickup in early December, just in time for holiday gift giving.
Design-a-Plate is great for children of all ages and a fun measure of your child's changes through the years. Some favorite design ideas include tracing your child's hand and writing his/her name and the date; making a special plate for a family member or pet; or marking a special event of the past year.
For more information, call the library's Children's Room at 802-254-5290, ext. 110.
Methodists host community tag sale
BRATTLEBORO - Join First United Methodist Church of Brattleboro, 18 Town Crier Drive, for a community tag sale on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 7 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Members and others from the community are welcome to set up tables to sell items. A donation of $25 is requested for a 15x15 space and a table, which you can share with a friend if you need to split the fee.
The event will be held outside, with a rain date of the following Saturday, Oct. 27. Call 802-254-4218 or email fumcob@gmail.com to reserve your space.
Community photo at Brattleboro Farmers' Market on Oct. 20
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Farmers' Market invites the greater Brattleboro community to a group photo opportunity on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. Join market vendors and friends in wearing your market T-shirt featuring the famous “Farmers' Market” woodcut by Mary Azarian.
The group photo will be sent to Mary Azarian in thanks for her generous donation of free use of the woodcut for all farmers' markets. Market T-shirts will be on sale at a special one-day only price.
Open from 9 a.m-2 p.m. on Route 9 in West Brattleboro, the market runs through the month of October and returns for the traditional pre-Thanksgiving Market. For more information, call 802-254-8885.
Learn about Medicare D at Grace Cottage Hospital
TOWNSHEND - Grace Cottage Hospital will provide a free program titled “What's New With Medicare D?” for the public on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 5 p.m., in the hospital's Community Wellness Center, 133 Grafton Rd./Route 35.
Presenters will include Grace Cottage Hospital Director of Pharmacy Jim Heal and PharmD candidates Matthew Clark, from Albany College of Pharmacy, and Michael Schultz, from Ohio Northern University School of Pharmacy. This program will begin with an overview of recent changes to the Medicare D program. A question and answer session will follow. Assistance with changes will be available.
For more information or to register, call 802-365-3649.
OLLI lectures continue
DUMMERSTON-The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) reaches the halfway point in this fall's six-week series of lectures on Monday, Oct. 22.
In the morning program, Meg Mott examines how food consumption and production are affected by capitalist economies. Meg teaches political theory at Marlboro College and is a popular OLLI lecturer.
In the afternoon lectures, Bob Engel, also of the Marlboro faculty and also an experienced leader of past OLLI programs, will discuss how the body produces and utilizes energy of various kinds.
The morning program begins at 10 a.m. and runs until noon. The afternoon program runs from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. All lectures take place at the Southeast Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 Vermont Route 5. Parking and handicapped access are available. Light refreshments are served at all lectures. For more information, call 802-257-8600, or toll-free 866-889-0042.
Workshop covers dementia's impact on patients, families
TOWNSHEND -- When an elder in the family begins to show frequent signs of forgetfulness, other family members naturally begin to worry. Is it Alzheimer's, or is it something else?
If you're wondering about the causes and symptoms of Alzheimer's, you'll gain helpful information by attending a talk presented by Dr. Robert Backus, who is Board Certified in Family Practice & Geriatrics and a medical staff member at Grace Cottage Hospital.
Alzheimer's is just one type of dementia; there are several. Each type has somewhat different causes and symptoms. Dr. Backus will help his audience understand these differences during his Wednesday, Oct. 24, presentation, which will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Holt Conference Room of the Grace Cottage Community Wellness Center.
The more caregivers know about the signs and common progression of the various types of dementia, the better prepared they can be to care for their loved ones and, in the process, themselves. Dr. Backus will explain the various causes and effects of dementia, and he will offer information about resources and treatments that can help the whole family cope. To register for this free program, call 802-365-3649.
U.S.-Colombia policy is subject of Mahalo talk
BRATTLEBORO - Indigenous Colombian leader Ligna Pulido will speak at the Mahalo Art Center, 972 Western Ave., at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25.
This is one stop on an extensive tour sponsored by Witness for Peace New England. Ms. Pulido will address U.S. policies toward Colombia, particularly the Colombian Consolidation Plan, and the effects of these policies on indigenous communities and, most especially, on women.
Her presentation will illuminate the connections between militarization, trade agreements, indigenous rights, women's rights, land rights, and environmental protection. She works with Plan Salvaguardia, borne from the 1991 Colombian Constitution. The Plan is comprised of representatives from 34 indigenous groups found to be at risk of extinction. It creates and implements ways that allow indigenous communities to remain in their territory while protecting their cultural and physical well-being.
This presentation is free and open to the public. Donations accepted. For additional information, call 802-387-2798.
High school girls sought for Vt. legislative internships
MONTPELIER - High-school-age girls with an interest in government service and advocacy are invited to apply for Girls Rock the Capitol (GRTC), a legislative internship led by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. No Girl Scout experience is needed.
This intensive program links girls to female legislators who act as mentors, while girls learn about and work on issues affecting the future of Vermont from inside the State House.
Through GRTC, girls become critical thinkers, work as a team to advocate for themselves and others, prepare for leadership roles in their schools and communities, and have a richer understanding of the democratic process.
To apply, contact Michelle Carignan toll-free at 888-474-9686, ext. 142, or mcarignan@girlscoutsgwm.org. Applications are due Oct. 31.