Downtown Farmers' Market now open
BRATTLEBORO - The downtown Brattleboro Farmers' Market is now open for the season. It will be open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through the end of October at the Whetstone Pathway across from the Brattleboro Food Co-op.
Enjoy fresh veggies, dairy, and cut flowers straight from local farms, along with lunch foods, including Anon's Thai Cuisine. EBT and debit cards are welcome. Contact farmersmarket05301@yahoo.com or 802-254-8885 for more information, or visit brattleborofarmersmarket.com.
Free summer lunches for children served at Brooks Library
BRATTLEBORO - Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., is a free Summer Lunch Site for children this summer.
Starting this week and running through Friday, Aug. 21, free lunches will be served Monday through Friday for children up to age 18. Lunch will be served from noon to 12:30 p.m. No registration or sign-up required. Adults can join their kids and eat lunch for a charge of $3.50.
Brooks Memorial Library is located at 224 Main Street, downtown. The lunches will be served in the Meeting Room on the third floor of the library. After lunches on Mondays, the library will be hosting the Monday Movie Matinee. For a full list of the movies, visit the Children's Room or its website at www.brookslibraryvt.org/kids.
On Fridays, come eat lunch at the library and eat with a local hero. Local community heroes will join those eating lunch to talk about their jobs as fire fighters, local police, doctors, snowplow drivers, or veterinarians. On Friday, June 26, the Department of Public Works will be stopping by at lunchtime. Other free library sponsored events will happen after lunches throughout the summer. Look online for a full schedule of library events this summer at www.brookslibraryvt.org.
Putney playgroup forms
PUTNEY - Putney Public Library, in partnership with Putney Family Services, is starting a new play group.
Parents or caregivers with children who are newborns to 2 years old can come attend short story time, hear songs, and spend time in the company of other parents and children in the library's youth department. The youth department is a separate space in the library where “library voices” aren't necessary and the bathroom is equipped for parents and young children. The play group is free and open to all families.
It meets every Friday at Putney Public Library. Story time starts at 10:30 a.m., but participants may come anytime before noon.
The library is located at 55 Main St., call 802-387-4407 or email putpub@svcable.net with any questions.
Block Party BBQ at First United Methodist Church
BRATTLEBORO - The First United Methodist Church hosts a Block Party BBQ on Friday, June 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. They will have hot dogs with a multitude of toppings and a variety of salads and desserts, including watermelon and s'mores. There will be some outdoor games available.
The suggested donation is $5. The church is located at 18 Town Crier Drive, off Putney Road, and is handicapped-accessible with ample parking. For more information, e-mail fumcob@gmail.com or call 802-254-4218.
Transition Dummerston hosts discussion on 'Back to the Land' era
DUMMERSTON - Transition Dummerston will hold its monthly Potluck and Program on Friday, June 26, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Dummerston Community Center, 156 West St., in West Dummerston.
The program will be a discussion based on the Vermont Historical Society Project on the “Back to the Land” movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Attendees can listen to memories and stories about this unique time of Dummerston's history. People who lived in the area at the time are especially encouraged to come and share their memories.
The potluck supper will begin at 6 p.m. Bring a dish to share - local food encouraged. The program will begin at 7 p.m. Transition Dummerston is part of the international Transition Town movement building local resilience and well-being in the face of climate, energy and economic challenges. For information, contact Bill at 802-257-1020 or Jean at 802-257-5089.
Healing Walk at Manitou
WILLIAMSVILLE - The Manitou Project will hold a Healing Walk on Friday, June 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. This meditative walk, held rain or shine on Manitou's Sanctuary Trail, will include poems or other readings, and chances to share about the experience.
Healing walks will be held every second and fourth Friday of each month until October. For information, contact Fred Taylor at rtaylor@antioch.edu, or 387-2681.
Strawberry supper served in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - The Dummerston Congregational Church will hold its annual old-fashioned Strawberry Supper on Saturday, June 27, at the Evening Star Grange Hall in Dummerston Center from 5 to 7 p.m.
The menu includes ham, baked beans, made-on-the-premises potato salad, tuna-macaroni salad and coleslaw, with home-made breads and various beverages. Dessert features large, old-fashioned, double-layered shortcakes made with fresh local strawberries and topped with real whipped cream.
The supper is all-you-can-eat, family-style meal with continuous servings and no reservations are needed. There is ample parking and the building is handicapped accessible. Prices for the meal are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. Take-outs are available by calling the Grange on June 27 at 802-254-1138.
Pinnacle Association hosts an 'Over the Hill' hike
WESTMINSTER WEST - The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association will offer a favorite free, guided long hike on Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Led by Pinnacle Board Member Tony Coven, the hike will traverse a north-south route.
Hikers should meet at the Holden Trail kiosk and bring water, lunch, snack, insect repellent, and sunscreen. Directions to the kiosk may be found at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org, along with information about other upcoming programs. Hikers should call Tony Coven at 802-387-6650 to register or receive additional information.
Strawberry shortcake lunch served in West B
WEST BRATTLEBORO - First Congregational Church, 880 Western Ave., will be serving fresh strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream in front of the church to eat in or take out on Saturday, June 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hot dogs, chips, and cool drinks are also available to eat in or take out. Proceeds benefit kitchen renovations at First Church.
AARP driving class offered at Grace Cottage
TOWNSHEND - Grace Cottage Hospital is hosting an AARP Driver Safety Program on Saturday, June 27, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The program is a refresher course for older adult drivers, addressing changes that may occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time due to aging, and providing useful driving safety tips for handling these changes. The program also reviews the impact of changes in vehicles, including new technology, and new roadway features such as roundabouts that may impact driving safety.
Some drivers may be eligible for insurance discounts upon completing the course; residents may consult their insurance agent for details.
AARP membership is not required before taking the course. A $20 fee covers the cost of materials ($15 for AARP members). The program will be held in the Grace Cottage Hospital Community Wellness Center, 133 Grafton Rd., Townshend. Registration is not required. For more information, contact the program leader, Elliott Greenblott, at 802-254-4489 or egreenblott@gmail.com.
Asbury Church hosts strawberry supper
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. – Asbury Church kicks off the summer supper season with its annual Strawberry Supper on Saturday, June 27, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Chesterfield Town Hall, located on Route 63 near the school and library.
On the menu is baked ham, a variety of summer salads, dinner rolls, and iced tea or lemonade, followed by strawberry shortcake. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children. The hall is handicapped accessible and takeout meals are available. Visit wecares@sover.net or Putney Cares (802-387-5593, or putneycares@svcable.net.
Legion Band performs on Common
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department, as part of the Arts in the Parks Program, will present the Brattleboro American Legion Band on the town Common on Putney Road, on Tuesday, June 30, at 7 p.m.
This is the first concert of the Summer Arts in the Park series for 2015. In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street.
This performance is made possible by the Recreation & Parks Department. For more information, call the office at 802-254-5808.
Brooks Library presents program on Frederick Douglass
BRATTLEBORO - A reading of the Fourth of July speech given by the great 19th century orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass will take place on Wednesday, July 1, at 7 p.m., at the Brooks Memorial Library's meeting room.
In 1852, Frederick Douglass was asked to speak at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In his provocative speech, Douglass said, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” And he asked, “Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today? ”
Douglass's speech remains emotionally powerful and thought-provoking more than a century and a half after he gave it. Following the reading of the speech there will be a discussion about the speech's relevance for our current times. As President Obama stated, “To work for a more perfect union, we need to start to understand complexities we've never really worked through.”
The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council, Brooks Memorial Library, Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity, Centre Congregational Church, Community Change, Inc., and Brattleboro Area Interfaith Initiative. It is taking place at various locations in Vermont, as well as in Massachusetts.
For additional information, contact Claire Halverson at claireh@svcable.net or 802-254-6098.
Space still available for crafters at Bondville Fair
BONDVILLE - The Bondville Fair, Vermont's oldest fair, will take place on Friday through Sunday, Aug, 28, 29, and 30, and still has spaces open for crafters.
This is a rain-or-shine fair and is held on the Fairgrounds on Route 30. Organizers are looking for crafters who make unique items - all items must be handcrafted; no commercial items are acceptable.
The fee for a 10-foot-by-10-foot space is $65, electricity is $15 extra. Crafter's hours are from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday with setup beginning at 9 a.m.; the hours for Saturday are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and for Sunday, from 10 a.m. to closing at 5 p.m. Each crafter will receive two free passes to the grounds - the passes will be good for all three days (any other persons entering with the crafter, including children, will need to pay the entrance fee).
To receive an application, contact Estelle at 802-297-1172 or 802-375-4831 and leave a clear message with your name, address, phone number and a short description of your craft. You may also request an application by email to grandmothersjoy@gmail.com.