Brooks Memorial Library has Trustee vacancy
BRATTLEBORO - The Board of Library Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library seeks an enthusiastic and dedicated library user to fill an open position on the Board.
Candidates for this position should have an interest in maintaining a strong and visionary library in Town. Trustees must be residents of Brattleboro.
The Board, which numbers nine trustees, meets at the Library from 4:45 to 6:45 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.
For more information on the library, visit brookslibraryvt.org, and click on “About Brooks,” where library history, the most recent strategic plan, summary, Trustee agendas, minutes and committees are available.
Applicants should send a letter or email and resume describing their interest in serving on the Library Board no later than Jan. 30, at 5 p.m.
Woodlands Association hosts forest tour
GUILFORD - On Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10 a.m. to noon, Windham Regional Woodlands Association will present a tour led by Trustee and Consulting Forester Willem van Loon of a five-year-old oak plantation and an active white pine harvest on the woodlot of David Snyder and Sara Coffey in Guilford.
Heavy deer browse prevents the regeneration of valuable hardwoods in our region. Come see what happens when deer are prevented from browsing a patch of woods. White and Burr Oak are uncommon in our region and you will see what it takes to establish a young plantation of these interesting species.
What does an active winter timber harvest look like? Participants will also tour a cable skidder-based white pine logging job and discuss logistical challenges, markets, silvicuture, ecological impact, and more.
Please bring snowshoes and weather-appropriate clothing. The walk will not be long, but will include some moderate hill climbing. No dogs, please. Carpool if possible, and park at Guilford Sound, 542 Fitch Rd., which is off Guilford Center Road and is approximately 3 miles from the Guilford General Store. For more information, contact van Loon at 802-258-0364 or wvl.emf@gmail.com.
Genealogy workshop for beginners at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - On Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wayne Blanchard offers a beginners workshop on researching your family tree at the Rockingham Free Public Library.
“In researching a family tree, we need to start with the known in order to reveal the unknown,” explains Blanchard. “To do this, we must be organized and keep track of what we find.”
Blanchard will cover topics to include: choosing an organizational system that works for you, tracking families with a family group sheet and multi-generational chart, keeping a research log, and planning for future research.
This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-463-4270, email anne@rockinghamlibrary.org or go online to rockinghamlibrary.org.
Disaster Animal Response Team forms in Windham County
BRATTLEBORO - An organizational Meeting for the newly-formed Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Windham County Humane Society, 916 West River Rd.
Come learn how you can become involved with the development of an Affiliated Regional DART for Windham County. Leadership for the group will be discussed, as well as future plans to officially charter with the statewide Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team (VDART).
If you have the desire to help animals in disasters, DART welcomes people from all backgrounds and skill levels. Team members include veterinarians, animal control officers, animal shelter personnel, veterinary technicians, business owners, and animal lovers.
The regional DART team members perform many services for their local communities, including working with their local emergency management directors to ensure that animal response plans are intertwined with human response plans, organizing and helping run emergency pet shelters to provide animal care and treatment during the disaster and its recovery period, and spreading the word about the importance of household disaster planning for animals.
RSVP to Jen Denyou at jen.wchs@gmail.com or call 802-254-2232. Light refreshments will be served.
GCH auction supports patient care
TOWNSHEND - Dreaming of warm Caribbean beaches? Your dream could come true if you are the winning bidder for a seven-night stay in St. Lucia, one of many offerings in the annual Grace Cottage Hospital “Cabin Fever” On-Line Auction.
Bidding begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, and closes at 9 p.m. sharp on Sunday, March 1. Register and bid at www.32auctions.com/gracecottagehospital.
This auction benefits the hospital's Patient Care Fund, providing free care for those lacking adequate resources. Items include Caribbean vacations, Red Sox tickets, gift certificates to local restaurants and stores, a special “Made in Vermont” category featuring local Vermont artisans, and much more.
For more information, call 802-365-9109 or visit www.gracecottage.org.
Osher lectures on American democracy conclude
DUMMERSTON - The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) announces the third and last in its annual Midwinter series of lectures, to be presented on Monday, Feb. 2. (snow day, Feb. 9).
This winter's lectures are collectively titled “Is the U.S. a Democracy?” The series asks whether our government is democratically responsive to the people, or has become predominantly a government favoring the rich and powerful?
The lecturer is Michael Krasner, of Westminster, a member of the political science faculty at Queens College, SUNY, and an experienced Osher presenter.
The lecture runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Southeastern Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 Vermont Route 5. Parking and handicapped access are available. Light refreshments will be served. The per-lecture fee, for OLLI members and nonmembers both, is $6.
The Osher Institute is a membership organization sponsoring programs for people aged fifty and over who wish to continue their education without tests, papers, or grades. For more information call 802-257-8600 or toll-free 866-889-0042.
AARP Tax-Aide Program now available
BRATTLEBORO - Free tax assistance through the AARP Tax-Aide Program is once again available in Windham County starting early February and continuing through the week of April 13.
AARP Tax-Aide is the nation's largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service available to all low and middle income taxpayers, with a special emphasis on those aged 60 and older.
This year, tax assistance will be offered at the Bellows Falls Senior Center, the Brattleboro Senior Center, VFW Post 1034 in Brattleboro, and the Community Bible Chapel on Atwood Street in Brattleboro.
Tax-Aide volunteers are trained through a joint program with the IRS and must pass a rigorous exam to qualify as a Tax-Aide counselor. Counselors are certified to assist in preparing and filing the 1040 personal income tax forms, including itemized deductions, as well as simple business forms.
All information is strictly confidential and kept using secure means approved by AARP and the IRS.
Watch for additional information on specific site locations, scheduling appointments and information to bring with you to your appointment.
Friends of the Rockingham Library plan annual meeting
BELLOWS FALLS - All are invited to the Friends of the Rockingham Library annual meeting in the library's elegant meeting room on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 10:30 a.m.
Blitz the February blues with light brunch fare, entertainment (a la library humor) and a slide show highlighting the wonderful adventures provided by the Friends of the Rockingham Library. This annual retrospective might surprise you: treasures found at the April book sale, beautification of gardens large and small throughout the area, a holiday party, and an educational bus trip that took participants back in time.
Door prizes will be drawn every half hour. This event, which is free and open to the public, offers a great opportunity to meet the Friends and share your dreams for future library programs.
For further information, call 802-463-4273 or email anne@rockinghamlibrary.org. Or stop by the Library at 65 Westminster St.