Athens Town Office Volunteers sponsor raffle
ATHENS - There is still time to get tickets in the raffle being sponsored by the Town Office Volunteers (TOV) of Athens.
The TOV, a group of citizens that came together to help save the town money and provide much-needed repairs to the old one-room schoolhouse that serves as the Athens Town Office, is holding this fundraiser to help fund the renovation efforts.
They have saved the town considerable money to date, and have installed a new entrance ramp and handicapped-accessible bathroom, all made possible with money from a federal grant and the help of volunteers.
A long list of prizes in the drawing range from beautiful landscape paintings or a gourmet dinner for six, to a chainsaw or spa visit. Tickets are $5 apiece and will be on sale at the town office the night of the community supper Friday, Oct. 3, right up to the time of the drawing. Winners will be drawn following the community supper next door at the town office or outside if the weather allows.
For more information, a list of prizes, or to purchase tickets, contact Mae Hopkins at 802-869-3390.
Newfane Garden Club meets Oct. 2
NEWFANE - The Newfane Garden Club will hold its October meeting Thursday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m., in the Newfane Congregational Church. Guests are always welcome to attend.
Dot Lenhart is coming again to talk about “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Successful Indoor Gardening.” Her topic will focus on new and familiar plants for your home, from A (Aspidistra) to Z (Zebra Plant), including succulents and cacti.
Lenhart, who has worked for several area garden centers and has a bright green thumb, will speak about soil requirements, watering schedules, feeding, and placement of indoor plants, and then answer questions.
Guilford church hosts NEYT's Theatre Adventure troupe
GUILFORD - New England Youth Theatre's Theatre Adventure presents “Courageous!” on Friday, Oct. 3, at 11:30 a.m., at the Guilford Community Church.
The Thursday Theatre Adventure Troupe will be presenting a slate of characters developed by the students that bespeak power, gumption, creativity, and passion. These are the same qualities that Auggie, the main character in “Wonder,” embodies and as a result changes his community.
Theatre Adventure is NEYT's theater arts program designed and created for youth and adults with disabilities and a few typically developing peers - people who have a variety of challenges in addition to a wonderful store of talents.
The troupe spends time exploring and playing with new ideas and new characters, and then generates a storyline from this creative process. Theatre Adventure actors create courageous theater that turns heads, sparks ideas, and shows our community that there is a place at the table for everyone.
This is an event of Guilford Reads…“Wonder,” supported by the Vermont Council on the Humanities. Copies of the book “Wonder” are available to borrow from the Guilford Free Library, the Guilford Community Church, the Guilford Country Store, and the Guilford Town Office.
There is no charge to attend this event. Call Laura Lawson Tucker at 802-257-7024 for more information.
Rummage, tag sale to be held in West Dummerston
WEST DUMMERSTON - There will be a benefit rummage and tag sale on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. until noon, at the Dummerston Community Center, located at 150 West St. (off Route 30).
Items for sale include books, dolls, toys, games, kitchenware, clothing, footwear, bedding and many miscellaneous items. The sale will be held rain or shine event.
The sale will benefit the center's operating and maintenance cost. The building is handicapped-accessible. For information, call 802-254-9212 or 802-254-2415.
Chili and chocolate served in Chesterfield
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - Who will earn the title of “Chesterfield Chili Champion”? Come to the Town Hall on Route 63 on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m., for a choice of delicious chili prepared by local community and church members battling for bragging rights at this inaugural event.
A $10 ticket includes your complete meal - chili with all the fixin's/toppings, green salad, beverage, and homemade chocolate desserts! The chili champs will be announced and prizes awarded during dinner. For more information, email chesterfieldchili@gmail.com.
Grafton Cornet Band presents annual Foliage Concert
GRAFTON - On Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2:30 p.m., the Grafton Cornet Band performs its annual Foliage Concert on the Library Lawn, in Grafton (or in the White Church in case of rain).
If you've never seen the 147-year-old group in action, then you've missed part of the Grafton experience. It's an informal, hour-long mix of familiar and upbeat music for the whole family in beautiful surroundings.
The concert is free, but donations are welcome. Bring chairs or a blanket and maybe a picnic. If you're a band player of any instrument, you're always welcome to sit in and sight read. More information can be found at www.graftonband.org.
Blessing of the Animals is Oct. 4
BRATTLEBORO - Bring your animals and join with the Windham County Humane Society and St. Michael's Episcopal Church to celebrate God's gift of animals at the annual Blessing of the Animals.
Meet on the Brattleboro Common at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. If it rains, meet at St. Michael's Episcopal Church on the corner of Putney Road and Bradley Avenue.
There will be music and blessing and fellowship for all creatures. If your animal is not comfortable in such a setting, bring a picture to be blessed. All animal-loving friends are invited!
Jamboree benefits Toys for Kids
BRATTLEBORO --- It'll be Christmas in October as Marine Corps League Detachment 798 holds its first fundraiser to kick off the annual Toys for Kids Campaign Sunday, Oct. 5.
Carl M. Dessaint VFW Post 1034 and auxiliaries are hosting a jamboree from noon to 6 p.m. to help the Marine Corps League raise funds to help supply Christmas gifts for area needy children. The event will be held at the VFW Post, 40 Black Mountain Rd., with a donation of $5 at the door.
Marines of the Detachment and Auxiliary Unit 798 members will help conduct the program with raffles throughout the afternoon, offering prizes and services supplied by caring local businesses. There will also be a silent auction, with high bidders to be announced near the end of the program.
Music for dancing or listening will be offered by host band Changing Times. Last year, more than 1,400 gifts were supplied to area children.
Fall Osher lectures begin
DUMMERSTON - The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) will begin its 12th series of autumn morning and afternoon lectures on Oct. 6 with programs on the nature of comedy and the meaning of economic well-being.
In the morning series of six lectures, Stephen Stearns, founder and director of the New England Youth Theatre in Brattleboro, will consider what comedy is and how it works. In the afternoon lectures, Jim Tober, of the economics faculty at Marlboro College, will discuss the role of greed and inequality in our economic life today.
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. Parking and handicapped access are available, and light refreshments will be served at the lectures.
The lectures are produced by the Brattleboro OLLI chapter. OLLI is a nationwide membership organization sponsoring programs for people aged 50 and over who wish to continue their education without tests, papers, or grades.
Payment of full membership dues ($50) entitles members to attend all 12 lectures in the current series. Partial memberships ($30) entitle subscribers to attend six sessions in either morning or afternoon, but not both. Couples are welcome to join as full members at a discounted rate of $80 ($50 for partial membership). Lectures are also open to nonmembers for a fee of $6 per lecture.
For further information, including concerning cancellations, call 802-257-8600 or go to www.learningcollaborative.org.
Marketing expert Brad Fay to speak at Landmark College
PUTNEY - Author and word of mouth (WOM) marketing expert Brad Fay will share fresh ideas on the link between marketing and the social side of human behavior on Monday, Oct. 6, as part of Landmark College's Fall Academic Speaker Series.
Fay's talk will begin at 7 p.m. in the Brooks M. O'Brien Auditorium of the College's East Academic Building.
WOM refers to consumer buzz about products and services, and Fay's research suggests that 90 percent of consumer talk happens offline. Fay is the Chief Operating Officer of the Keller Fay Group, an award-winning word of mouth research and consulting company. He is also the son of Robert Sargent Fay, professor emeritus and an integral member of the Landmark College English Department for 10 years, who died in May 2013.
Fay's talk, which is free and open to the public, is called “The Next Social Marketing Revolution.”
Sunrise Rotary hosts Trivia Night to benefit Morningside Shelter
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club will host its monthly Charity Quiz Challenge Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m., at Ramunto's on the roundabout at Exit 3 in Brattleboro.
The Sunrise Rotary holds a trivia night at Ramunto's the second Wednesday of every month. Teams of up to four players are invited to compete each month for a cash prize. The entry fee of $15 each (cash or check) includes a dinner entrée and donation to charity to be determined by the rotary club each month. For more information, contact Linda Torunski at 603-819-8146.
The Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club meets every Wednesday morning at 7:15 at the American Legion Post 5. More than 40 members of the club work toward improving the community through business and civic partnerships that benefit area programs serving a variety of charitable causes. The public is always welcome.
Oak Meadow Open House at Brooks House Oct. 11
BRATTLEBORO - The historic Brooks House in downtown Brattleboro has a new life, and Oak Meadow is proud and excited to be a part of it. Oak Meadow was co-founded in 1975 by Lawrence Williams, a pioneer of the modern homeschooling movement, and since then, it has grown into a thriving organization serving thousands of families and hundreds of schools around the world.
The founding philosophy has remained consistent throughout Oak Meadow's years of growth, and today its progressive, experiential curriculum sets the standard for a meaningful home-based education.
Families can use Oak Meadow's curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12 independently or by enrolling in Oak Meadow's fully accredited distance learning school. The high school program offers options such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement and technology courses through Johns Hopkins CTYOnline, music courses through Berklee College of Music, and life experience credit.
Join Oak Meadow at its Annual Open House on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m., at the Brooks House, second floor, for a fun and informative celebration of homeschooling.
Oak Meadow's custom-designed space is still under construction, but visitors will be invited to imagine the possibilities the new location holds. Oak Meadow plans to develop a homeschooling resource library, expand its online bookstore, and host community events for children and families. Visit oakmeadow.com for more information.
Grafton Rescue to offer EMR course
GRAFTON - Local volunteers play an important role in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system of every community. Grafton Rescue will be sponsoring an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course starting Oct. 14, and running through March 10, 2015.
EMR is the entry-level certification in EMS and will enable you to volunteer with your community's medical first response team or ambulance service. Successful completion of the course is required to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical technicians (NREMT) computer-based and practical exams.
The course fee is $275, which includes textbook and supporting on-line resources. Nearly all classes will be held on Tuesday nights. Contact Keith Hermiz if you are interested or if you have any questions. He can be reached at khermiz@aol.com or by cell text/voice at 802-952-9593.
Whitingham library offers programs for all ages in October
WHITINGHAM - The Whitingham Free Public Library offers after-school Story Hour on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Children ages 3 and up will enjoy stories, snacks and crafts. Themes this month are Apples and Autumn. Children under 5 years need to be supervised by an adult.
On Fridays at 8:30 a.m., the library offers Hoopnotica, a fun way to lose weight and get fit. Hoops are provided and there is a small fee for this class. The library is located at the Whitingham Municipal Center in Jacksonville.
Social justice course offered at The Root
BRATTLEBORO - ACT for Social Justice of Brattleboro is offering a social justice course titled, “Creating the World We Want to Live In: People and Planet over Profit.”
This interactive and multi-dimensional eight-session workshop series, led by ACT for Social Justice (Advocacy, Consulting, Training) facilitators, will help people find ways to individually and collectively bring about change and build strong community connections.
This will be done through participants sharing and connecting their stories, historical perspective, film, creative expression, skill-sharing, and action-planning. The course is open to all. Light refreshments will be served. Childcare and ASL interpretation available upon request.
The course consists of 8 sessions on the third Thursday of the month, starting Oct. 16 and ending May 21, 2015, from 6 to 9 p.m., at The Root Social Justice Center, 28 Williams St. (ground floor). The course costs $5-$50 per session on a sliding-scale. Call 802-254-3400 or visit www.act4socialjustice.com.