Windham County Republican Committee to meet
BRATTLEBORO - The Windham County Republican Committee will hold a reorganizing caucus on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., at the Brattleboro Savings & Loan Community Room.
Delegates recently elected by their town committees will meet to elect county officers and state committee delegates. Positions to be filled are county chair and secretary, as well as members and alternates, if needed, to the state committee.
Republican voters of Windham County who are not Town Committee delegates are invited to attend and offer guidance and support.
Pinnacle Association's Bald Hill hike on Oct. 19
WESTMINSTER - Fall leaf colors should enhance the views on this free hike at the Bald Hill Reserve on Saturday October 19, 1-3:30 PM. Randy Major, a Trustee of the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association and member of the Bald Hill Committee, will guide hikers through the Association's open space and adjoining Bellows Falls Union High School Forest trails to the Bald Hill summit area, Twin Falls, and historic earthworks of disputed or unknown origin.
Read more about the many natural features of the Bald Hill Conservation Project, its Pinnacle reserve and High School Forest lands, and interlocking trail system on Pinnacle's website, www.windmillhillpinnacle.org. See Bald Hill under Trails & Maps on this newly redesigned website that is the graphic work of Laurie Indenbaum. Look under Events for additional information about past and future programs.
Participants should bring water and a snack, and dress for possibly chilly weather. They should meet at the trailhead at 232 Covered Bridge Road in Westminster and contact Randy Major at 802-387-5737 or majorrandy71@gmail.com for information and registration.
Masons to host open house on Oct. 19
BRATTLEBORO - Have you ever wondered about the secret society known as the Freemasons and what they do behind closed doors?
It is the oldest fraternity in the world and claims several Founding Fathers among its members including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hankock, Robert Livingston, 13 United States Presidents, world leaders such as Winston Churchill, captains of industry such as Henry Ford, and Hollywood entertainers such as John Wayne.
You now have the opportunity to find out more about this society. The Brattleboro lodge will host an open house on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 196 Main St. It will include a tour of the lodge, an audio-visual presentation, and a question and answer period regarding the fraternity.
Annual Deerfield Valley Quilt Show is Oct. 19
WILMINGTON - The second annual Deerfield Valley Quilt Show will be held at the Historic Memorial Hall in downtown Wilmington on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 20, from noon to 4 p.m.
There will be antique and contemporary quilts on display. Many of the antique quilts are from the Wilmington area. There will be contemporary quilts from Bethany Morelli, prize winning quilt artist from New York. Vendors will be offering quilts, crafts, quilting supplies, quilting kits and knitted items. There will also be clothing and furniture for 18 inch dolls.
Sharon Shorey, owner of Mini Traditions in Bennington, will be demonstrating paper piecing. Jean Levitt from Wardsboro, Vermont will have handouts on Early American Quilting. She will be demonstrating the Cathedral Window Pattern and various kind of puff quilting. Admission by donation with proceeds benefiting the Historical Society of Wilmington. For further information, email sue@nortonhousequilting.com.
State office building open house in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - The state office building at 232 Main St. re-opened in September after being closed for renovations.
Members of the community are invited to an open house to see the improvements to the building on Monday, October 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. State employees will be available to provide tours of the various departments.
For questions, contact Sadie Fischesser, AHS Field Services Director, at sadie.fischesser@state.vt.us or 802-257-2573.
Fall Osher lectures continue
DUMMERSTON - The third entry in the fall series of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) lectures will take place on Monday, Oct. 21.
In the morning session, Amer Latif, professor of religious studies at Marlboro College, will discuss how different religious traditions view divine qualities of patience and forgiveness.
In the afternoon program, “American Politics through Film,” Michael Krasner, a member of the political science faculty at Queens College, SUNY, will discuss “Bullworth,” and money in U.S. politics.
Morning lectures run from 10 a.m. to noon; afternoon lectures, from 1 to 3 p.m. All lectures will be held at the Southeastern Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 Vermont Route 5, Dummerston. Parking and handicapped access are available, and light refreshments will be served at the lectures.
For further information, including concerning cancellations, call 802-257-8600 or toll-free 866-889-0042.
AARP offers driver refresher courses
BRATTLEBORO - Classroom driver refresher courses will be offered at different locations around Windham County during the month of October.
The course, offered by the AARP Driver Safety Program, is focused on the needs of older drivers. Its content provides all drivers with valuable information addressing changes that occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time as we age. It provides useful driving safety tips for handling these changes as well as the challenges of varying road conditions and reviews changes in vehicles and roadways that impact driving safety.
Four-hour classes are scheduled for the Whitingham Municipal Center in Jacksonville at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, the Brattleboro Senior Center at 9 a.m. on Oct. 24, Winhall town offices at 5 p.m. on Oct. 24, and Grace Cottage Hospital at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 26. Some major auto insurance carriers offer discounts to participants in the program. Interested persons should contact their carrier to see if such a discount is available.
Participants may also wish to register for AARP Carfit. A proper fit greatly increases the safety of the driver and others. In a Carfit check, a trained technician will complete a 12-point checklist, and offer community-specific resources to enhance safety and mobility.
Persons interested in taking the course, participating in Carfit, or having questions regarding the AARP Driver Safety Program should call or email Elliott Greenblott at 802-254-4489 or egreenblott@gmail.com.
Brattleboro announces fall leaf collection schedule
BRATTLEBORO - The following dates have been scheduled for Brattleboro's curbside fall leaf collection. Whereas, in the past, leaf pickup was determined by scheduled day of rubbish pickup, all locations will be picked up on Friday, Oct. 25 and Nov. 8.
These will be the only days scheduled for curbside leaf pick up. There will be no Saturday pickup.
All leaves and clippings must be in brown paper leaf bags and at the curb by 7 a.m. on scheduled leaf collection days. Acceptable waste inclues leaves, grass, clippings, garden waste, and twigs. No branches larger than 1” in diameter and 2 feet long are allowed. and no other household trash is to be included.
No plastic bags or other containers will be accepted. Brown paper leaf bags are available for purchase at local businesses.
Post Oil Solutions hosts October community meeting
BRATTLEBORO - Post Oil Solutions will host its 4th Tuesday community meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m., at the Brooks Memorial Library community room.
They will screen “A Place at the Table,” a film that addresses our nation's hunger crisis and features the stories of three Americans who maintain their dignity while struggling to eat. It also shows how the issue can be solved once we, as a nation, decide that ending hunger is in the best interests of us all.
A discussion about the growing food insecurity crisis in our own region, and the efforts to deal with it, will follow. Light refreshments will be available. While the event is free, Post Oil will do its usual custom of passing the hat for donations to help cover expenses. Contact Tim Stevenson at 802-869-2141 or info@postoilsolutions.org for further information.
Talk examines geology of Windham County
DUMMERSTON - Roger Haydock will present “The Geology of Windham County” on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at The Learning Collaborative, 471 Rte. 5, Dummerston (1.8 miles north of Exit 3 rotary). He will illustrate his talk with an informative and entertaining slide show on the geological history of Windham County, condensing the last 450 million years into one hour.
The rocks we see today at the surface in our region started out in the southern hemisphere, later moving into the Northern hemisphere. Our rocks have been in the tropics and in the temperate zone. This slide presentation will show that Windham County has been underwater, at times under a mile of ice, at times above water, and occasionally visited by volcanic eruptions.
A resident of Dummerston, Haydock is an amateur geologist who worked for many years on the Nova science program. The program is sponsored by the Dummerston Conservation Commission. Information: 802-254-1343 or visit www.dummerstonconservation.org.
Grad School offers class in online training
BRATTLEBORO - Marlboro College Graduate School's EdTech Program presents “Online Training Tools and Learning Management” at the Grad Center on Vernon Street on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The workshop will cover free and low cost tools for making online classes and training units. Included will be learning management systems such as Moodle, and training tools to make screencasts such as Camtasia. Simple screen capture and annotation software for making quick tutorials and cheat sheets will also be covered.
This workshop is good for anyone being asked to help train and educate using technology. Leading the workshop will be Caleb Clark, chair of the EdTech program at the Grad School, where he also teaches.
This workshop is provided by Marlboro College Graduate School's EdTech Program as part of its community-focused HOT (Hands On Technology) Workshop series. The workshop is free, but pre-register at gradschool.marlboro.edu.
Put healthy food on the table with 3SquaresVT
BRATTLEBORO - The high cost of food, fuel and health care is making it tough for many elders to make ends meet. Since good nutrition is extremely important, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers the 3SquaresVT program to help eligible Vermonters access dollars for healthy food.
3SquaresVT is open to individuals, families, seniors, and people with disabilities who qualify, based on household income and household composition.
The benefits come on an EBT card that looks like other credit or debit cards used at stores; there are no “stamps” anymore. If everyone in the household is 65 or older or gets SSI, then the benefits may be distributed as cash, deposited directly into the family's bank account.
Applicants can maximize their benefits by claiming every applicable deduction. Anyone who is over 60 or who has a disability will be allowed to claim many medical expenses. For more information on 3SquaresVT, call the Vermont Senior HelpLine at 1-800-642-5119.