International Speech Contest March 28
BRATTLEBORO - Competitors from BrattleMasters, the Brattleboro-based chapter of Toastmasters International, are going head to head at the group's spring speech contests, and you're invited.
The event is Thursday, March 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Marlboro College Graduate Center, room 2E, 28 Vernon St. There's no charge to attend, and refreshments are provided.
Winners of both the international speech contest and “off the cuff” table topics contests held that night will represent BrattleMasters and Windham County at higher levels of competition, perhaps all the way up to the World Championship of Public Speaking.
The club meets the second and fourth Thursday of every month at the same time and location. Regular meetings are noncompetitive, and are devoted to helping members of varying comfort levels gain proficiency in speaking to inform, persuade, motivate, and inspire.
For more information, particularly for members interested in participating, please write John Snyder, contest chair and club president, at john@advancethestory.com or visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org.
Youth chess tournament planned
BRATTLEBORO- The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will hold a youth chess tournament. The tournament, run by Eric Strickland, will be meeting in the Gibson-Aiken Center Senior Center on Saturday, March 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. This program is for participants in kindergarten through grade 8.
The program costs $3 for participants who preregister or $5 at the door. Depending on the number of entrants, contestants will be divided into appropriate groups.
The tournament uses the Swiss System, where no players are ever eliminated. Game boards will be provided.
For more information, call the Recreation & Parks Office at 802-254-5808.
Mary's Closet hosts final winter rummage sale
WEST BRATTLEBORO - Mary's Closet thrift shop, located at First Congregational Church, 880 Western Ave., will hold its final winter sale on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All clothing will be on sale by donation, and includes sweaters, slacks, jeans, blouses, shirts, skirts, dresses, outer wear, and foot wear.
Mary's Closet is run by volunteers of and sponsored by First Congregational Church and all proceeds go towards the church's mission. It is open the last Saturday of each month. Starting in April, spring clothing will be for sale.
Annual Easter Egg Hunt is March 30
BRATTLEBORO - The Annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department and Price Chopper will be held Saturday, March 30, at Living Memorial Park. Children must bring a basket or container to collect eggs. The Easter Bunny will also pay a visit.
Participants will be broken down into the following age groups and times: 9:30 a.m., ages 4 and under; 9:45 a.m., ages 5 and up. There will be six stuffed animal prizes in each age group. For more information, call 802-254-5808.
This program is for Brattleboro residents only.
Rabies clinic in West Brattleboro
WEST BRATTLEBORO - A rabies vaccination clinic will take place on Saturday, March 30th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the West Brattleboro Fire Station on Western Avenue.
Pets from all towns are welcome, but dogs should be on leashes and cats should be in carriers. Vaccinations are $10, and proceeds from the event will benefit the Brattleboro Police Cadets. Call 802-257-7950 for more information.
VTC nursing students sponsor food drive for Drop In Center
BRATTLEBORO - The Chi Chapter of Alpha Delta Nu at Vermont Technical College, an honor society for second-year nursing students, is hosting a food drive from April 1-15 to benefit the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center in Brattleboro.
The Drop In Center is in critical need of the following items: canned vegetables, canned fruits, diapers, toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products.
No donation is too small and monetary donations are always welcome. Checks can be made payable to the Drop In Center. Donations may be dropped off at the Vermont Technical College Brattleboro/Thompson Campus, 11 University Way, Brattleboro (the main barn building on the VABEC campus).
For more information, contact Christina Favero at cfavero@vtc.edu or 802-254-5516.
BMH stress reduction class starts April 3
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will offer a free, introductory session for its six-week course, “Letting Go of Stress” on Wednesday, April 3, at 5:15 p.m., in Brew Barry Conference Room 2.
The multi-session class will provide participants with the theory, practice and motivation to establish and maintain an effective lifelong stress reduction program. Following the introductory course, the program will meet every Wednesday through May 15.
Call 802-257-8877 to register for the free introductory session and call 802-257-0319 to register for the class. The $150 fee includes an audio CD and handouts.
Farm to School conference convenes April 4
BRATTLEBORO - The fourth annual Strengthening Farm and Food Education Conference takes place on Thursday, April 4, at SIT Graduate Institute at World Learning
The event, hosted by the Windham County Farm to School program, is designed to inspire and inform whether you are already involved and engaged in a Farm to School program, or are interested in learning more. Workshops focus on classrooms, cafeterias, community gardens, and more.
Morning intensives feature skilled presenters from around the state including the Vermont Agency of Education, Vermont Food Education Everyday (FEED), the Vermont Community Garden Network, the Center for Sustainable Systems, and more.
Afternoon workshop sessions offer a wide variety of learning opportunities from cooking with kids, to taste tests, school garden season extension, and school buying clubs.
The event costs $40 for a full day and $20 for a half day. There is an optional $6 local lunch. Space is limited. To register, visit windhamcountyfarmtoschool.org, or contact Katherine Gillespie at 508-971-2855 or katherine.gillespie@gmail.com.
Garden Collaborative hosts 9x12 Garden workshop
BELLOWS FALLS - You don't have to be left out of the gardening scene just because you have a small lawn. In fact, you can grow a lot of vegetables and flowers throughout the season on just a 9 x 12 plot.
Come learn how to grow great vegetables on the lawn as the Greater Falls Community Garden Collaborative (GFCGC) hosts author, columnist, and garden guru Henry Homeyer on Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m., at the United Church of Bellows Falls.
Homeyer will explain how to grow lots of great, organic veggies in a 9 x 12-foot space. He will show slides of how he has created small gardens and tended them in just 15 minutes a day. Beginners and experts are welcome, and Homeyer will answer questions and have his gardening books on sale after the talk.
The workshop is free, but donations are appreciated. There will be light refreshments available. Space is limited, however, and going fast, so pre-registration is required. Call Tim at 802-869-2141.
Talk looks at how glaciers shaped Dummerston
DUMMERSTON -Professor Richard Little will give a talk, “Glaciers and Dummerston,” on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m., at the Evening Star Grange at the intersection of East-West and Middle roads in Dummerston Center, courtesy of the town Conservation Commission.
Attendees can see how Dummerston's landscape records the passage of ice and its meltwater, learn how to read a surficial geology map, and discover the geological setting of their houses.
A professor emeritus at Greenfield Community College, Little has taught at many area colleges and schools. He has written two books and produced two videos on Connecticut Valley geology. Little runs “Fantastic Landscapes” tours to spectacular destinations in North America and Iceland.
Have a specific question? E-mail Little at RDLittle2000@aol.com. His website is www.EarthView.Pair.com, where you can read more about regional geology.
Host families needed for exchange students
BRATTLBORO - PAX, the Program of Academic Exchange, is interviewing families interested in hosting the international exchange students who will be attending BUHS starting in August. This experience offers a great opportunity to learn first-hand about another culture and to share your life with a student who is eager to discover life in America.
PAX students come from more than 70 different countries, including Spain, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, and Thailand. They are between the ages of 15 and 18 and have studied English for at least three years.
Since the school deadline for exchange student applications is April 1, families who apply now will have the best selection of students. A PAX coordinator can help match students to fit a host family's interests and lifestyle.
The main requirement for host families is to be warm, welcoming and willing to share daily life with the student. Students do not need a private bedroom and they have spending money for personal expenses, as well as medical insurance. Young couples, single parents, and retirees are encouraged to apply.
Families interested in knowing more about hosting can contact Ann Newsmith at 802-257-4710 or exchangevt@gmail.com. PAX is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing mutual respect among the people of the world. More information is available at www.pax.org.