Final Merry Mulch tree pickup day is Jan. 24
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Union High School Music Department is preparing the final week of the Merry Mulch Christmas tree collection service.
This program, in its 23th year, is endorsed by the Vermont Department of Agriculture as well as the New Hampshire/Vermont Christmas Tree Association. For a $10 donation, members of the band and chorus will transport undecorated trees from homes in Brattleboro to a community garden in West Brattleboro where they will be chipped into mulch to be used by the gardeners.
The final pick-up date is Saturday, Jan. 24. All pick-ups must be prearranged by calling one of the following numbers by Thursday, Jan. 22: 802-246-1220, 603-828-8639, or 802-254-5624. Proceeds will benefit travel opportunities for the chorus, Madrigals, and band.
Brattleboro Area Techies kick off new year
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Area Techies, the fast-growing networking group for technology users, will host its first meeting of 2015 on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the office of Mondo Mediaworks at 139 Main St, Suite 701. Everyone who works with technology in the Brattleboro area, from programmers to designers to makers, is invited to attend. There is no cost.
Brattleboro Area Techies was formed as a networking group to bring technology people and makers together in an informal setting to discuss common issues and provide people with an excuse to get out from behind their computers.
The development of shared working space in Brattleboro will be discussed, together with other trending topics, but most of the meeting will be devoted to introductions and informal networking.
For more information, contact Caleb Clark at 917-703-5580 or cclark@gradschool.marlboro.edu, or Bob Lawson at rb@sover.net.
Greater Falls Connections to host monthly coalition meeting
BELLOWS FALLS - Join Greater Falls Connections for the monthly coalition meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at Parks Place in Bellows Falls.
The meeting will take a deeper look at recent drug trends in the Greater Falls area and plan action steps. Come learn, share, and be part of the solution. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch. Light refreshments will be provided. Visit www.greaterfallsconnections.org to learn more.
Putney Mountain Association hosts annual meeting
PUTNEY - The annual meeting of the Putney Mountain Association will be held on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m., at the Putney Community Center in Christian Square.
The guest speaker will be Kimberley Hagen, a grazing specialist for the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Vermont Extension. The topic is the use of livestock and mechanical means to control invasive species - such as buckthorn, Japanese knotweed, multiflora rose, honeysuckle, bedstraw, goldenrod, knapweed, etc. - rather than herbicide treatments.
Hagen will share examples of implementing this work in Vermont. There will be discussion and time for questions about the grazing project on the Putney Mountain summit - what the Association is trying to do, what's been accomplished so far, and what's next.
Brattleboro Time Trade holds annual meeting
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Time Trade will host it's annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St., in Room 2E.
Founded in 2009, Brattleboro Time Trade is growing connections between more than 300 current members, Come learn about time banking, hear highlights from 2014, and join in a discussion about next steps, including proposed changes to the annual dues policy.
The featured speaker will be Gwendolyn Hallsmith, founder and executive director of Global Community Initiatives and co-founder of Onion River Exchange. All are welcome; attendance by donation. For more information, contact 802-246-1199 or brattleborotimetrade@gmail.com.
Learn how to make graphics for your website
BRATTLEBORO - “Make Cool Graphics for Your Blog or Newsletter” will be held at the Marlboro College Graduate and Professional Studies Center, 28 Vernon St., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The workshop is free, but register by visiting www.marlboro.edu/hotmix.
Participants will learn the basics of editing photos and making cool graphics for their blog, newsletter, website or Facebook ad using Picmonkey, a free online software program. This is a hands-on tech class for beginners, so bring your computer and get ready to make your first graphic.
Desha Peacock will lead the workshop, which is presented by Marlboro College Graduate School's EdTech Program, which offers master's degrees, certificates and individual classes in educational technology.
Climate Change Cafe meets Jan. 27
BRATTLEBORO - The Climate Change Cafe will host its monthly gathering on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m., at Brooks Memorial Library on Main Street. As always, the event is free and light refreshments will be available.
This month's Cafe will be a community conversation that will consist of two parts. The first will be an update of ongoing projects, as well as proposals for two new ones. The purpose is to engage all participants in a conversation with suggestions and ideas, and to invite anyone who is interested to become involved in a project that appeals to them.
The topics to be covered include: the TD Bank weekly protest vigil, a study group on Naomi Klein's “This Changes Everything,” SIT and state government fossil fuel divestment campaigns, pro-democrcy amendments for Brattleboro's Annual Town Meeting in March, and Post Oil Solutions's “The Art of Climate Change” event,
New topics include Neighborhood Mutual Aid Association conversations and the Edible Landscapes project.
The second half of the evening will return to our discussion about the controversial film, “Cowspiracy,” that was screened last month and generated a variety of comments and opinions.
The Climate Change Cafe is a project of Post Oil Solutions, and convenes on the fourth Tuesday of each month. For further information, contact Tim at 802-869-2141 or info@postoilsolutions.org.
Quit smoking classes start Jan. 29 in Bellows Falls
BELLOWS FALLS - Classes to help you or someone you know quit smoking will start on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m., at Parks Place in Bellows Falls.
Greater Falls Connections (GFC) and Springfield Medical Care Systems (SMCS) are partnering to provide these classes. The program consists of four weekly one-hour sessions, starting on Jan. 29 and finishing on Feb. 19.
Participants will learn how to beat the addiction to nicotine, skills for coping with cravings, and learn about medication and effective approaches to quitting. Participants will also receive counseling to build problem-solving skills, moral support from a VT Quit Partner and fellow classmates, and access to nicotine replacement therapy.
To register, contact Scott Sharland at 802-463-9927, ext. 213, or at scott@greaterfallsconnections.org. Registration can also be done online at www.greaterfallsconnections.org.
New group to discuss aging, and living well
BRATTLEBORO - Beginning this month, in Brattleboro, a new group will discuss the realities of being age 60 and up. It will meet the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Gathering Place, 30 Terrace St.
The goal is to provide a comfortable, fully-accessible place to listen and talk about dreams, wishes, and concerns that relate to living fully, aging well, and befriending death. It's fine to attend just once, or regularly, or occasionally.
The group is facilitated by Joanna Rueter, LICSW. Joanna has been immersed in this topic for the past four years. Personally, and as a family member, a hospice volunteer, and a Respecting Choices Advance Care Planning facilitator and instructor, she knows the importance of open discussion.
This is not a therapy group. At each meeting, participants are welcome to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences regarding the joys and challenges of aging. They are also encouraged to bring and share poetry, excerpts from articles and books, music, and video segments.
There is no fee for attendance. Donations will to go toward the heating bill at the Gathering Place. Go to www.Sustainable-Aging.com, or call Rueter at 802-380-0301 for more information.