Mushroom foraging workshop series begins
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Food Co-op is sponsoring a series of mushroom-foraging trips in the local area this summer. Participants will learn the basics of safely identifying and cooking wild mushrooms.
Justin Garner, a clinical herbalist with Sweet Flag Medicinals, will lead the trips and identify local mushrooms and their culinary, medicinal, and other characteristics.
The dates are Aug. 26 and Sept. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $30, ($25 for BFC shareholders). Pre-registration is required through BFC's Shareholder Services desk: 802-246-2821. For more information, call Tad Montgomery at 802-251-0502.
'Takin' It to the Streets' in downtown Wilmington
WILMINGTON - Downtown Wilmington is Takin' It to the Streets on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 2 to 6 p.m.
You'll be taken with downtown's sidewalk sales and street food. Shop inside the stores to find more treasures. Several downtown restaurants will offer street food options for snacking.
Musician Peter Miles is slated to perform in River Bank Park from 2 to 4 p.m. Bartleby's Books will host an event with photographer Edward Rubin at 6 p.m. Stick around for dinner at one of downtown's great restaurants.
This event is hosted by Wilmington Works and sponsored by the Town of Wilmington. For more information about Wilmington Works, visit www.wilmingtonworksvt.com.
Town seeks to fill committee vacancies
BRATTLEBORO - The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following boards and committees:
Agricultural Advisory Board, ADA Advisory Committee, Arts Committee, Citizens Police Communications Committee (CPCC), Conservation Commission, Development Review Board (alternate), Energy Committee, Fence Viewers (by statute, must be legal voters of the town), Honor Roll Committee, Recreation & Parks Board, Senior Solutions Board, SEVCA Board, and the Traffic Safety Committee.
For applications and more information about various committees and boards, visit www.brattleboro.org or call the Town Manager's office at 802-251-8151.
If you are interested in serving on a Brattleboro committee or board, please submit your application online, write the Town Manager's office at tmsecretary@brattleboro.org, or mail or deliver the application to the Brattleboro Town Manager's Office, Attn: Committee Vacancy, 230 Main St., Suite 208, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
The Selectboard will make appointments at its next meeting on Sept. 1 and at regularly scheduled meetings thereafter.
F.E.E.T. Neighbors host block party
BRATTLEBORO - There will be a block party on the corner of Elm and Elliot streets on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m., for those who live and work in the Frost, Elm, and Elliot triangle.
There will be food and ice cream, and entertainment for all ages. Meet your neighbors - and bring a potluck side dish if you can. For more information, visit F.E.E.T. Neighbors on Facebook or call 802-275-7232.
Food distribution to take place at Putney Meadows
PUTNEY - On Thursday, Aug. 27, from 9 to 9:45 a.m., a food distribution is set for Putney Meadows, the white building across from the Co-op and Fire Station.
The Vermont Foodbank, along with the Putney Foodshelf, will bring a truck of fresh produce and other non-perishable items. Everyone is welcome to come to select items for their use. Please bring your own shopping bags.
The food distribution is open to the whole community, no questions asked.
Brattleboro Toastmasters pontificate
BRATTLEBORO - “Pontificate” was the word of the day when BrattleMasters convened Aug. 13 for an evening of improving speaking techniques.
Drew Adam of Brattleboro was the evening's master of ceremonies; Chris Estes of Brattleboro was in charge of table topics (extemporaneous speaking) and also served as the meeting's grammarian; Carolyn Handy of Putney was the “ah” counter and general evaluator; Lee Ives Tice of Dummerston was timer.
Every speaker is assigned an evaluator. Lisa Sieverts of Harrisville, N.H., gave a speech titled “Selling Project Management,” which was evaluated by Suzanne Bansley of Brattleboro. “The Press Conference” was the project for Annamarie Pluhar of Dummerston. She was evaluated by Tim Maciel of Brattleboro.
During table topics, three volunteers were prompted to share a brief, humorous story. When the votes were tallied, the winner of best table topic was the newest member, Vicki Wayne of West Chesterfield, N.H.
BrattleMasters, affiliated with Toastmasters International, meets twice a month at the Marlboro College Graduate Center in downtown Brattleboro and is open to all. The next meeting is Thursday, Aug. 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. There is no charge to visit.
For more more information, visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org/directions.html.
Solarize Dummerston presents 'Solar Financing 101'
DUMMERSTON - Solarize Dummerston invites area residents and local businesses to learn more about financing for solar projects on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Evening Star Grange in Dummerston Center.
This is a free event with food and drinks. Come learn about solar economics from professionals in the field. Seasoned tax advisers and loan officers will present common scenarios for making solar projects work and will be available for questions.
According to the Solarize Dummerston team, more than 110 people have signed up for the town's community solar initiative. The more people who go solar the less expensive the program will be for all.
For more information, visit solarize.dummerston.com.
Historical Society of Windham County hosts potluck, storytelling time
NEWFANE - The Historical Society of Windham County holds its annual meeting on Friday, Aug. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at the NewBrook Fire Station on Route 30.
The meeting, open to interested members of the public as well as Historical Society members, is traditionally followed by a potluck supper at 6 p.m. Bring a dish to share. Drinks are provided.
Storytelling, which begins at 7 p.m.m is presented by Richard Hamilton of Marlboro, Forest “Zip” Jacobs of Townshend, Barbara Moseley of Vernon, and Fred Humphrey of Guilford. They'll offer stories of days gone by from all corners of the county. For more information, call 802-348-7891 or write info@historicalsocietyofwindhamcounty.org.
Dummerston Community Potluck and Singing in the Pines on Aug. 28
DUMMERSTON - Transition Dummerston and the Dummerston Conservation Commission invite you to a community potluck supper at the Dutton Pines State Park for an evening of “Singing in the Pines” on Friday, Aug. 28, from 5:30 p.m. to dusk.
Join local singer Peter Siegel and others to make music (or just listen) and to share a meal and celebrate community, the end of summer, and the rejuvenation of our local state park.
Bring a potluck dish (local food is encouraged), camp chairs or picnic blanket, instruments and songbooks, and bug spray.
At 5:30 p.m. participants will gather to build a campfire and hike the Myron Dutton Memorial Nature Trail. The potluck-picnic begins at 6:30 p.m. From 7:30 to dusk, there will be a campfire with singing, conversation, and marshmallow roasting.
Dutton Pines is on Route 5. If you haven't yet experienced the charms of this under-utilized local resource, you're encouraged to come, explore, and enjoy, and bring your neighbors. The picnic runs rain or shine. A comfortable picnic shelter is available.
For more information, call Fred at 802-387-2681 or Susal at 802-275-7449.
Healing Walk at Manitou
WILLIAMSVILLE -The Manitou Project will hold a Healing Walk on Friday, Aug. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. This meditative walk on Manitou's Sanctuary Trail, led by Ryan Murphy, will include poems or other readings and chances to share about the experience.
The Manitou Project seeks to foster community with nature on its 245-acre land preserve at 300 Sunset Lake Rd. Meet at the parking lot at 4 p.m.
For more information, write Ryan Murphy at ryan.murphy@bratleborohospice.org.
Monthly Red Cross blood drive is Sept. 1
BRATTLEBORO - September is National Preparedness Month, and the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to give blood to help ensure a stable, diverse blood supply is available during emergencies.
Whether blood is needed for a chronic condition such as sickle cell disease, a surgical procedure, or a large-scale emergency, it's the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives.
The Red Cross encourages donors of all types to give blood. Those with types AB, O negative, A negative, and B negative are especially needed.
The monthly First Tuesday blood drive in Brattleboro is set for Sept. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Carl M. Dessaint VFW Post 1034, 40 Black Mountain Rd. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org, or call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).
Economist James Galbraith to speak on Greek crisis
BRATTLEBORO - The Windham World Affairs Council's “Hot off the Press” series presents Professor James K. Galbraith on “The Greek Drama: An Inside View,” on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m., at 118 Elliot St. (across from the fire station).
Coffee, tea, and conversation precede the talk at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
James K. Galbraith (brother of local foreign policy analyst Peter Galbraith and son of famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith) is chair of Government/Business Relations at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
He also is the recipient of numerous honors for his astute economic analysis and has written the books The End of Normal, Inequality and Instability, and the forthcoming Inequality: What Everyone Needs to Know, to be published by Oxford University Press later this year.
For more information, visit www.windhamworldaffairscouncil.org.
Brattleboro Area Hospice hosts Death Café in Bellows Falls
BELLOWS FALLS - Brattleboro Area Hospice hosts a Death Café at the Flat Iron Exchange, 51 The Square on Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This free event, part of an international movement begun in Europe, is dedicated to taking death out of the closet in order to discuss it publicly.
A Death Café is neither a support group, a counseling session, nor even a workshop: It is a gathering of people sharing conversation about living and dying in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere while enjoying warm beverages and tasty treats.
This is southern Vermont's eighth Death Café and Bellows Falls' second. Other Death Cafés held in Windham County were marked by tears and raucous laughter. Participants said the events were easy, respectful, thought-provoking, and life-affirming.
The public is welcome to attend. Space is limited to 25. Doors to the event will close at 6:10 p.m.
For more information about Brattleboro Area Hospice or to RSVP, call Cheryl Richards at Brattleboro Area Hospice at 802-257-0775, ext. 108, or 802-460-1142, ext. 108, or write cheryl.richards@brattleborohospice.org.
Tai chi class offered in Halifax
HALIFAX - The Halifax Community Club and the Whitingham Free Public Library are co-sponsoring a tai chi class to be held on Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Halifax Community Hall, 20 Brook Road in West Halifax.
The first series of weekly classes runs Sept. 2 to Nov. 11. The instructor, Halifax resident Seth Geeslin, has been practicing tai chi for more than 20 years and teaching for about 15 years. The class is Yang style, with an emphasis on teaching beginners. That said, people of all levels of tai chi are encouraged to participate.
Tai chi is a low-impact, slow, and deliberate form of movement. Benefits include calming, better focus, sounder sleep, and overall improvement of well-being. The practice does not require special equipment or clothing. Students should wear comfortable clothing for ease of movement. Participants can go barefoot or wear shoes or slippers that will allow for good, firm placement of their feet on the floor.
The hall is wheelchair-accessible and has an accessible bathroom. The class is open to the public, and no registration is required. A suggested voluntary donation of $5 per class is welcome. All donations will be applied toward a winter heat fund to enable the club to host tai chi classes and other programs year-round.
For more information, contact Linda Lyon at LindaALyon@gmail.com or 802-368-2211.
Book sale to benefit Grafton Public Library
GRAFTON - Nearly new and gently used books will be on sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the library green in historic Grafton on Saturday, Sept. 5. Come find great deals on new titles and older gems for the book collector. Audio-visual materials and music CDs are also available.
The daylong sale is extremely important for the finances of the library and is a great opportunity for friends and visitors to stroll around the village and buy exquisite baked goods from the Grafton Historical Society's annual bake sale.
Bags and boxes will be available for you to carry home your finds. With few exceptions, prices are $2 for hardbacks, $1 for paperbacks, and $1 for audio-visual items.
BAJC hosts giant tag sale
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Area Jewish Community invites you to a giant community tag sale that will take place on the Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend.
The sale runs Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the former Curves building at 464 Putney Rd.
On offer are household goods, utensils, antiques, jewelry, objects d'art, toys and games, and all kinds of tchotchkes. They will have clean, gently used baby and toddler clothing and adult hats, scarves, and vests. No adult clothing will be available.
Have something to donate? Looking to volunteer? Bring items directly to the former Curves building on Sept. 3 or 4, make arrangements with Deb Schiller at 802-275-6124, or call the BAJC office at 802-257-1959.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers workshop offered
BRATTLEBORO - Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a free, educational series perfect for family caregivers of elders. This fall, Senior Solutions, with co-sponsor SASH, offers the six-week series starting in September in both Brattleboro and Windsor.
Family and friends helping Vermont elders will learn how to reduce stress, improve communication, find helpful resources, navigate difficult decisions, and balance their lives.
RSVP by Sept. 3. For more information or to register, call the Vermont Senior HelpLine at 800-642-5119.
Kickstarter to light up Guilford Stage
GUILFORD - Guilford Center Stage, a new project of Broad Brook Grange, is raising funds to acquire a small theater lighting system. Center Stage plans to present occasional theatrical productions on the Grange's stage beginning with a play this October.
The stage today is lit by only three recessed ceiling fixtures, of insufficient number and type for theater lighting. The group says it aims to raise $1,750 in 30 days through its Kickstarter campaign to purchase a system that will serve this production and many others in the future.
For more information or to pledge support, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/1752639722/guilford-center-stage-lights-up.
Chess class offered in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department offers a new session of intermediate chess class to begin on Friday, Sept. 4. The cost of the eight-week program is $35 for residents and $50 for non-residents.
The class will be held on Fridays at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St., from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Chess helps children develop problem-solving skills and increase attention span. The improved ability to focus and concentration gained from playing chess usually helps with schoolwork. Instruction and practice games will introduce basic principles of chess and simple strategies and tactics.
Eric Strickland is instructor. For more information, call the Recreation & Parks Office at 802-254-5808 weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon, or 1 to 5 p.m.
Nominations sought for Mother of the Year
BELLOWS FALLS - American Mothers Inc. seeks nominations for Vermont Mother of the Year.
The organization champions women by honoring, educating, and serving mothers at home, at work, and in the world. Each year, states are encouraged to nominate a mother who is exemplary in and revered for dedication to her family, her community, and her faith. Individuals and organizations are invited to submit a nomination.
For more information, visit www.americanmothers.org or contact Betty Haggerty, 2013 Vermont Mother of the Year, at 802-463-4159 or hubett@hotmail.com.