Flu shots available at Grace Cottage
TOWNSHEND - Flu shots are available for the public at Grace Cottage Family Health on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Appointments are preferred, though walk-ins are welcome.
The flu shot can not be given to anyone allergic to eggs. The cost of the shot, if not covered by health insurance, is $32. Flu shots are also available during the week. For an appointment, call 802-365-4331.
For more information about flu shots or the flu in general, visit the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov, the Vermont Department of Health at healthvermont.gov, or call the Vermont helpline at 2-1-1.
Overflow Shelter in need of volunteers
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Overnight Overflow Shelter seeks volunteers for shifts covering 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., and 1 to 7 a.m.
Volunteers need not commit to weekly shifts. Some volunteers work once a month, and others every other week. They are willing and eager to work with anyone's schedule. Contact the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center at overflow.bratt@gmail.com or 802-257-5415.
Special events on tap at BAJC
BRATTLEBORO - On Saturday, Jan. 26, Brattleboro Area Jewish Community (BAJC), 151 Greenleaf St., welcomes Keene's Congregation Achavas Achim, including Rabbi Amy Loewenthal and Music Director Elaine Broad Ginsburg, for a morning service filled with joyous song.
Shabbat Shirah marks the occasion when the Song of the Sea, Shirat HaYam, which tells of the successful crossing of the Sea of Reeds by Moses, Miryam, and the Israelites, is chanted. The service begins at 10 a.m.
On Sunday, Jan. 27, from 2-5 p.m., BAJC offers an afternoon of fun family activities for Tu B'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees or “Jewish Earth Day.”
In the Middle Ages, Tu B'Shevat, the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat, was celebrated with a feast of fruits. Nowadays, the day is celebrated as a day of ecological awareness in Israel and around the world.
BAJC Spiritual Leader Kate Judd will be joined by Jewish environmental educators David Arfa and Dave Cohen. The program will include stories, food, song, study, and games for different age groups. Weather permitting, some time may be spent outside. Suggested donation for non-members of BAJC is $18.
For more information, visit www.bajcvermont.org.
Mary's Closet to hold winter clearance sale
WEST BRATTLEBORO - Mary's Closet is open on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Sponsored by and located at First Congregational Church, 888 Western Ave., Mary's Closet is a thrift shop selling gently used and new clothing for men and women. The January sale is the start of winter clearance. Sweaters, jerseys, fleece jackets, slacks, outer ski jackets, hats, and scarfs will be on sale.
Spinal Health Level 1 class at BMH begins Jan. 28
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Services offers its seven-week course, “Standing Tall Spine Health: Level 1” starting on Monday, Jan. 28 in the BMH exercise room.
Classes take place 4-5 p.m. every Monday through March 11. Registration is required and the fee is $60. Each class consists of a brief educational session followed by guided exercise. Education topics include instruction in safe movement for fracture prevention, strength and flexibility exercises, balance and fall prevention, and nutrition for bone health.
For more information or to register, call BMH Rehabilitation Services at 802-257-8255 .
Marlboro College Graduate School offers free 'Teaching Kids to Program' workshop
BRATTLEBORO - “Teaching Kids to Program” is an introductory workshop for teachers, parents, and librarians who aren't programmers. The workshop is held at Marlboro College Graduate School in Brattleboro on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Programming literacy is fast becoming part of learning in the 21st century. These aren't the same skills as “being good with computers” or being gizmo-savvy. Although not every child will become a programmer, understanding the basic logical building blocks and the conditional thinking required to program a computer are going to be a staple of a truly 21st century education.
Will DeBock facilitates this hands-on workshop and will demonstrate a number of programming platforms. Use of the participants' own computers is encouraged. This workshop is free to the public. Children under 13 require parental supervision. To register, visit hotjanuary.eventbrite.com.
Worn Again Thrift Shop has new hours
SAXTONS RIVER - The Worn Again Thrift Shop on Main Street in Saxtons River is changing its hours. The shop is open Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The shop needs donations of infant and children's clothing, queen and king-sized bed sheets, and ladies and men's jeans. The thrift shop accepts donations of clothing, shoes, boots, kitchen utensils, small appliances, blankets and sheets, towels, and knickknacks. Donations may be dropped off during store hours.
The shop is run by volunteers and sponsored by the West River Missions with local Catholic churches Our Lady of Mercy in Putney, Our Lady of the Valley in Townshend, and Chapel of the Snows on Stratton Mountain.
Folk dancing classes resume at Putney Cares
PUTNEY - Putney Cares has resumed classes in international folk dancing on Thursdays from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Putney Cares Barn, 54 Kimball Hill Rd.
“Gentle Folk Dancing” is geared for beginners and elders. Classes run through Thursday, May 23. The cost per six or seven week session is $40, and scholarships are available. Classes are $8 on an individual basis. The current session runs through Feb. 14. Additional sessions run Feb. 21-Apr. 4, and Apr.11-May 23.
Melissa Lovell Post of Chester teaches all dances, and has taught international folk dancing to community groups for the past 30 years, and enjoys sharing her knowledge of these dances, languages, and songs with others. Featured dances originate in Albania, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Israel, Macedonia, Quebec, Rumania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and the United States.
Dancing can be physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and spiritually uplifting. No experience is necessary, and no partner is needed. Wear comfortable, supportive shoes that slide easily on a wooden floor. For more information, call Anne at 802-387-4330 or Melissa at 802-875-4102.
New grief support group offered at Hospice
BRATTLEBORO - A new eight-week grief support group, open to anyone in the community grieving the loss of a loved one, begins at Brattleboro Area Hospice in February.
This group meets on Tuesdays from 5-6:30 p.m. Feb. 19-April 16 (no meeting on March 12) at Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St. in Brattleboro.
Bereavement Care Counselor Cheryl Richards is facilitator. Depending on interest, simple expressive art activities such as writing, collages and memory boxes and introspective exercises may be included in the meetings.
Brattleboro Area Hospice offers additional ongoing bereavement support groups, which are free of charge, provide aid to individuals grieving any death loss, and are open to all.
The new eight-week group is limited to eight people. For more information on this group of others, call Richards at 802-257-0775, ext. 108. To join the Feb. 19 group, please call by Feb. 5.
It's Girl Scout Cookie time!
BRATTLEBORO - Local Girl Scouts are taking orders for Girl Scout cookies to be delivered mid-February. There are eight varieties which sell for $4 a box; all proceeds support local Girl Scouts through their programs.
Girl Scout cookies are kosher foods with zero grams of trans fat per serving. Girl Scouting is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the lemony Savannah Smiles cookie, honoring the Georgia birthplace of this iconic organization.
This annual program is the leading financial literacy program for girls in the U.S., teaching them five essential skills they'll use for life: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Girls can earn money to pay their way to Girl Scout camp and other fun and exciting opportunities.
Don't know a Girl Scout but want cookies? Call the cookie hotline: 888-474-9686, ext. 201, and leave a message including the name of your town, and someone will return your call, or visit girlscoutsgwm.org.
Turn plastic bags into crocheted masterpieces
BRATTLEBORO - Learn to make a strong, colorful, and multi-purpose carriers using plastic bags and the simple technique of crochet. No experience is necessary.
This workshop runs Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 5 and 19, and March 5 (snow date is March 19) at the Brattleboro Food Co-op community room.
The cost is $30 for three classes, with all proceeds benefiting the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center's food shelf. To register and for more information, call Jackie Abrams at 802-257-2688 or visit jackieabramsvt@gmail.com.
Television production classes offered at Main Street Arts
SAXTONS RIVER - Main Street Arts and Jake Stradling of Falls Area Community TV (FACTv) teach television production at the FACTv studios in Bellows Falls in February
Option one: meet Monday through Friday, Feb. 11 to 15, from 10 a.m. to noon. Option two: meet once a week beginning Tuesday, Feb. 5 for five weeks from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Participants will learn how to operate a video camera and get a basic understanding of how the camera functions, focusing on techniques of framing a shot and composing a scene. They will also practice the basics of creating their own movies, including putting together a crew, getting good sound, editing, filming a dialogue scene, creating graphics, and adding music.
FACTv is a non-profit Access Management Organization (AMO) dedicated to serving the public, education, and government sectors of the greater Bellows Falls region. Its studio is at 1 Hospital Court in the Health Center at Bellows Falls.
The fee for either class is a $10. Registration is required by contacting MSA at 802-869-2960 or info@mainstreetarts.org.
The Grammar School to sponsor table manners workshop for children
PUTNEY - The Grammar School sponsors a table manners workshop for children on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Putney Inn.
Educator Cindy Post Senning, spokesperson and presenter for The Emily Post Institute and great-granddaughter of Emily Post, leads the workshop.
The workshop is open to children ages 8 to 13 and will cost $48 per child, which includes the workshop fee, a four-course child-friendly lunch, tip sheets, “So you...” cards, and Table Manners booklets. Each child will receive an Emily Post Certificate of Completion.
During the meal, children learn about table manners and etiquette such as navigating a table setting and dining with confidence. Children are introduced to the principles of etiquette - consideration, respect and honesty - and how those principles help them to make and keep friends. There is a table manners quiz, pointers on how to eat tricky foods, and tips on being a good guest and host.
A parents' workshop will be offered following the children's program at no extra cost to participating families. The cost is $10 for parents whose children are not participating in the luncheon.
Space is limited to 60 children and registration will be open to the general public. For more information, contact TGS parent Nancy Brooks at nsbrooks1@myfairpoint.net or 603-256-6346.
Compass School to host open house
WESTMINSTER - Compass School welcomes prospective students and their families for an Open House Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 6-8 p.m. The Open House is hosted by current students, staff, and parents and includes a tour of the school, homemade dinner, and a presentation from Director Rick Gordon. This is an informative and fun way to get to know the school and the Compass community.
Compass School opened its doors in 1999, serving up to 100 students in grades 7-12. Compass offers a purposeful and focused learning environment with opportunity for hands-on and community-based learning.
The graduating classes have an excellent record of acceptances to a wide range of colleges such as the University of Vermont, the School of Visual Arts, Hampshire College, New York University, Brown University, and the University of Chicago. For a full list of college acceptances and to learn more about the school, visit the school's website at www.compass-school.org.
For more information, including directions and to RSVP, contact Betsy Jaffe, director of admissions and development, at 802-463-2517 or betsy@compass-school.org. The school is located on Route 5, just south of Bellows Falls.
Speaking confidently: Toastmasters meets Jan. 24 at Marlboro Grad Center
BRATTLEBORO - If fear or inexperience in public speaking are holding you back, or are holding someone in your organization back, then Toastmasters is the answer.
BrattleMasters, the Brattleboro-based chapter of Toastmasters International, meets Thursday, Jan. 24, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Marlboro College Graduate Center, room 2E, 28 Vernon St.
The club meets the second and fourth Thursday of every month at the same time and location. Guests are welcome and refreshments are provided. There is no pressure to speak, and members are working at their own pace and with assigned mentors to help them meet their speaking and leadership goals.
For more information, visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org.