July 4 closures in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - In observance of Independence Day, all town offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Friday. All other violations, including extended parking will be enforced.
Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on July 4. It will be open for normal business hours on Thursday, July 3, and Saturday, July 5.
Trash, recycling and composting schedules will not be affected by the holiday. All curbside pick ups will be on the regular schedule.
The BeeLine bus will not run on July 4. It will run its normal schedule on July 3 and July 5. Any questions should be directed to The Current (formerly Connecticut River Transit) at 802-460-7433.
Old County North Road closed for repairs
HALIFAX - Old County North Road will be closed for one month, starting this week, while TH22 bridge #37 is being replaced.
At the June 23 Selectboard meeting, Vice-Chair Earl Holtz, who is co-clerk of the works for the bridge project, said that some trees have been removed at the construction site and that the project appears to be on schedule.
Holden Engineering is the primary engineer for the project.
Questions concerning this activity can to addressed to either Holtz, co-clerk of the works Ed Gay, or any of the town's Selectboard members.
BF Farmers' Market comes to Saxtons River
SAXTONS RIVER - The Bellows Falls Farmers' Market will join the Saxtons River Fourth of July festivities on Friday, July 4, on Main Street in Saxtons River.
This will replace the regular Friday evening farmers' market at the Waypoint Center in Bellows Falls. Visit them from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Saxtons River, then enjoy the holiday.
Firemen's Auction to be held in West Halifax
WEST HALIFAX - On Saturday, July 5, at 10 a.m., at the fire station in the village of West Halifax, the annual Firemen's Auction will be held.
There are items to interest bargain hunters, from box lots to old furniture. There will also be refreshments for sale. Proceeds benefit the Halifax Fire Company.
RFPL to offer genealogy workshops
BELLOWS FALLS - The Rockingham Free Public Library subscribes to several internet databases to help people research their family history and wants to help you learn how to use online resources. To help get started with your own search, bring your laptop computer or tablet and join Wayne Blanchard for hands-on sessions to learn how to use these valuable tools on Wednesdays in July from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Blanchard is not a professional genealogist, but he has done extensive research on his own family tree, and has participated in workshops offered by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. As a result he has spent many hours using the genealogy databases.
On July 2, learn how to use Ancestry.com Library Edition to search the U.S. Census records. Ancestry.com has digitized billions of family history records of all descriptions. As a result Ancestry.com has many different databases available and contains information from around the world.
On July 9, learn how AmericanAncestors.org can help you find genealogical information. The Historical and Genealogical Register has been published since 1847 and is very helpful for family genealogies, especially if you have New England ancestors.
Finally, on July 16, learn how to use Heritage Quest to research your local history. While Heritage Quest also has census records, participants will search the 28,000 family and local histories in the Books section, and also take a look at Google Books and HathiTrust - free websites that also contain local histories.
While this program is free and open to the public, sign-ups are encouraged. Contact the Library at 802-463-4270, email rockref@sover.net, or online at rockinghamlibrary.org to sign-up or for more information.
Main Street Arts offers morning Spanish class
SAXTONS RIVER – Main Street Arts is offering a morning Spanish class this summer beginning Monday, July 7, for intermediate speakers and those who want to practice their conversational skills.
The seven-week class will meet from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at the community arts center's temporary location next door to its building, which is under renovation.
The class will be led by Greenough Nowakoski, a graduate of Marlboro College who holds a teaching certificate from the Upper Valley Educators Institute in West Lebanon, N.H., and has taught at the elementary and middle school levels, as well as at Main Street Arts.
The fee for the class is $70 for members of MSA and $88 for non-members. Pre-registration is required. Scholarship assistance is available.
Further information is available by contacting Main Street Arts at 802-869-2960 or info@mainstreetarts.org, or by visiting www.MainStreetArts.org or MSA's Facebook page.
Vernon Historians to meet July 8
VERNON - The next Vernon Historians quarterly meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 8, downstairs in the Vernon Town Office Building. A brief business meeting will be from 6:30 to 7 p.m.
As part of the meeting, Ruth Tripp and Cookie Allen will be presenting their finished work, a recently completed book titled “Voices of the Past and Present,” which consists of interviews of long time residents will be presented. Books will be on sale at the meeting.
The program with guest speaker Dennis Tier will begin at 7 p.m. He will display his original painting of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. He will tell the story of how he came to do the painting and share details about some of the techniques and tools he used.
There is no cost for admission. Refreshments will be served, and all are welcome. For more information call 802-254-2263.
Windham County Humane Society receives grants
BRATTLEBORO The Windham County Humane Society has recently been awarded two grants to further their work in the community.
The Robin Colson Memorial Foundation granted $3,000 to the WCHS for their low-cost spay/neuter program.
Residents of Windham County who are struggling to make ends meet can apply for low-cost spay/neuter at monthly clinics held at the WCHS facility on Route 30. The grant funds are used to discount the already low fees even further to ensure that every pet owner can afford to get their animal spayed or neutered.
“We love to be able to help all our pet parents avoid unwanted litters,” WCHS Executive Director Annie Guion said. “We often use the Robin Colson funds to help rural folks address the problem of barn or outdoor cats that just keep multiplying.”
Research done by the ASPCA and other national organizations shows that spaying and neutering 75 percent or more of a colony of cats will stabilize the population.
The Crosby-Gannett Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation granted $1,000 to the WCHS for the purchase of a centrifuge. This important piece of equipment will allow WCHS staff to run lab work in-house, which not only saves money, but also allows staff to diagnose and address issues more quickly.
For more information on the programs and services of the WCHS, visit www.wchs4pets.org.
'Green Mountain Mornings' debuts on July 7
BRATTLEBORO - WKVT Radio has announced the launch of “Green Mountain Mornings,” a new program airing weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. on its 100.3FM and 1490AM signals. The show will begin on Monday, July 7.
Green Mountain Mornings will be a news and talk format program, focusing on stories and individuals from the local community. There will also be news segments dedicated to state and national issues, as well as local weather and sports.
The host of Green Mountain Mornings will be Chris Lenois, currently the host and producer of WKVT's “Live and Local” program. Lenois says he plans to retain the same conversational tone that has made “Live and Local” a staple of the southern Vermont airwaves for the past 10 years.
“'Live and Local' may be going away in name, but not in spirit,” says Lenois. “We'll continue to take as much of a big-tent approach as the time and format allows, providing a forum for area organizations, artists promoting events, and local voices on state and global issues,”
Lenois adds that he will continue making entire interviews available via podcast on www.wkvtradio.com.
Social group forms for women dealing with loss
WESTMINSTER - A social group is forming for women who have lost a spouse or partner.
This is not intended to be a bereavement therapy group or formal support group, just an informal gathering to meet other women who are facing the same loss and big life changes. It can be empowering to share with others who understand, and it is hoped that participants can connect around their life transitions, problems, lessons learned and anything else, including some healing laughter.
Participants can decide the when, where, how often, and such together. If you are interested, call Patty at 802-732-8004.
Brooks Memorial Library has trustee vacancy
BRATTLEBORO - The Board of Library Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library seeks an enthusiastic and dedicated library lover to fill an open position on the Board.
The successful candidate will be appointed by the Selectboard to fill the position until March 2015, and then may run as a candidate at the 2015 Representative Town Meeting for a two-year unexpired term. Candidates for this position should have an interest in maintaining a strong and visionary library. Trustees must be residents of Brattleboro.
The board, which numbers nine trustees, meets at the Library from 4:45 to 7 p.m., on the second Tuesday of the month, September through June. Members are asked to serve on two or more committees that convene as needed.
Applicants should send a resume or CV and a letter, or email, describing their interest in serving on the Library Board no later than Friday, July 11, at 5 p.m., to Trustee Position, Board of Trustees, Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St. Brattleboro, VT 05301
Interviews will be scheduled with the Nominations Committee on July 16-18. For more information on the library, visit brookslibraryvt.org, and click on “About Brooks,” where library history, the most recent strategic plan, summary, and Trustee agendas and minutes are available.