Friends of Brooks present evening of Cuban culture, cuisine
BRATTLEBORO - Author, educator, and chef John Verlinden will speak in the Brooks Library Meeting Room on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m., about his new book, To Cook is To Love: Nuevo Cuban: Lighter, Healthier Latin Recipes.
Admission is free and the event is sponsored by the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library.
This work is a multigenerational cultural tapestry of Cuban history, life, food, wine, and music. Verlinden will prepare and share “tasting samples” with the audience.
Verlinden will talk about his travels in Cuba, its history and culture. He will share excerpts from his book that include a collection of pre-revolutionary Cuban memorabilia, vintage family photographs and original illustrations.
Seating is limited to 50 in the Meeting Room. Those who plan to attend should register in advance by calling 802-254-5290.
Grace Cottage Weight Watchers open to public
TOWNSHEND – The Grace Cottage Weight Watchers Program will hold an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Grace Cottage hosts an “At-Work” group for employees, and this group is also open to community members associated with Grace Cottage (i.e., spouses, patients, etc.).
A new 12-week session will run on Wednesdays, Sept. 23 to Dec. 9, with weigh-in beginning at 3:45 p.m., and the meeting 4:15-4:45 p.m., in the Grace Cottage Hospital Community Wellness Center, 133 Grafton Rd.
These meetings follow the same format as other Weight Watchers meetings. The fee for the 12-week session is $156. Register on site at the Open House on Sept. 16.
To sign up or learn more, contact Weight Watchers leader Kathleen Smith at gramsmi@hotmail.com.
Ghouls and unsolved mysteries at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - On Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., the Rockingham Free Public Library's Book Club will take a walk on the spine-tingling side with a discussion of Joe Citro's Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved Mysteries.
Participants can read the whole book or just the tales that hail from their neck of the woods. Organizers advise not to skip the “Alien Skies” section, which features Rick Sharp.
Sharp, a retired environmental lawyer will join the evening's discussion (via Skype) to talk about his brush with UFOs as a 14-year-old near the Gageville Covered Bridge in Bellows Falls. The photos he snapped in 1966 were recognized by the scientific community and published in Time magazine.
Sharp has never forgotten his Bellows Falls roots. Each year, he awards one BFHS graduate with the Sharp Scholarship - $1,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study, totaling $4,000. News articles about Sharp's early claim to fame, his fight to save Lake Champlain's waterfront and his successful family business, Burlington Segways, will be on display at the library. This event is free and open to the public.
The illustrations for this book were created by Vermonter Bonnie Christensen. A collection of other books she illustrated and/or wrote will be on display as well.
For more information, call 802-463-4270, email anne@rockinghamlibrary.org or go to www.rockinghamlibrary.org.
Wellness in Windham Health Festival set for Sept. 19
BRATTLEBORO - The fourth annual Wellness in Windham Health Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the front lawn of the Brattleboro Retreat.
Presented by Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and Grace Cottage Hospital, this fun, free, family-friendly event is open to the public and will feature wellness activities, fitness demonstrations, dance, prizes, giveaways, and food.
Fitness demonstrations including Tai Chi, Zumba, and boot camp, will be offered along with interactive activities for people of all ages.
Learn about nutrition, mind-body techniques, and area services to help improve daily living. Plenty of healthy, affordable lunch items prepared by Sodexo Foods will be available. Dozens of organizations will be exhibiting and sharing information about the numerous health and wellness services and programs available in the local region including fitness programs and activities, stress management, programs for area teens, and eldercare.
For more information, visit www.wellnessinwindham.org/health-festival. No pets allowed.
Pinnacle Association's Accessibility Day program is Sept. 19
WESTMINSTER WEST - Once a year, those who need some physical help in getting to a most spectacular view of Vermont can take advantage of the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association's Accessibility Day.
Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10:45 a.m. or 11 a.m. (depending upon which of two start locations is chosen) to 4 p.m., in order to allow enough time for the logistics, this is a rare opportunity for a vehicle ride via the often-rough road leading to Paul's Ledges.
There participants will gather for lunch and a most outstanding view of the countryside. The popularity of this free program and the need for several four-wheel-drive vehicles to transport participants make advance registrations a must for riders. Hikers do not need to pre-register.
Participants should bring water, a bag lunch, snack, and sweater or jacket for possible chilly weather. They should meet promptly at Westminster West Church at 10:45 a.m., or at the Athens Dome Trailhead on Route 35, opposite Sleepy Valley Road in Athens, at 11 a.m., to carpool.
All riding participants must register in advance with Bev Major at 802-387-5737. See the Access Points Map on the Pinnacle website for directions to the Route 35 trailhead. Directions to the Westminster West Church and information about other upcoming Pinnacle programs may be found under Events at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org.
Climate Change Café Hosts 350VT Leader
BRATTLEBORO - The Climate Change Café will host the coordinator of 350VT, Maeve McBride, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m., at Brooks Memorial Library.
As always, the Café is free and light refreshments will be available.
McBride will discuss a number of issues, including a proposal that her organization is presenting around the state for groups to become what they call “nodes” of 350VT. She will explain what is involved, the responsibilities that these nodes would have to 350VT, and how this might promote a more influential and coordinated statewide network of climate organizations.
She will also discuss the recently launched campaign, “Keep it in the Ground,” of 350.org. This is an international effort leading up to and beyond the United Nations COP meeting of world leaders in Paris this December in which it is hoped that meaningful reductions in the extraction and burning of fossil fuels will be agreed on.
This is a campaign that activists from Post Oil Solutions and the Café will help to organize on the regional level.
The Café convenes on the 4th Tuesday of each month, and is sponsored by Post Oil Solutions. For further information, contact Tim at 802-869-2141 or info@postoilsolutions.org.
Fall woodworking classes offered
WESTMINSTER WEST - Twin Birch Woodworking studio in Westminster West is offering fall classes starting the week of Sept. 21.
A favorite since 1998, the eight-week Beginning Woodworking for Women class is available either on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. The class allows women to explore their creative, practical, and problem-solving sides while learning about tools and machines in a supportive learning environment, then designing and building a small project of their choosing.
Wednesdays are scheduled for those women with some experience who want a supervised open-studio resource. There are both morning and evening offerings. New this fall is a series of individual workshops on Monday evenings that will be open to both men and women. Topics will cover table, skill, jig and band saws, drilling and routers, and joinery. Participants can take one or all in the Tools! a la Carte workshop menu.
Gail Grycel, owner of Twin Birch Woodworking has been teaching adults and children since 1994. For more information on the classes, visit twinbirchwoodworking.com.
Funding available for Brattleboro-area projects
BRATTLEBORO - Funding is now available for Brattleboro-area projects and organizations through the Crosby-Gannett Fund and the Dunham-Mason Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation.
The Crosby Foundation was founded in December 1951 by Charles R. Crosby, a native of Brattleboro, to help serve community needs in the broader Brattleboro area. The name Gannett was added to the Fund in 2012 by the Advisory Committee to honor Senator Robert T. Gannett, who guided the Crosby Foundation as secretary-treasurer for more than 50 years.
The Dunham-Mason Fund was established at the Vermont Community Foundation in 2009 with the assets of the Dunham-Mason Foundation, which was dissolved in December 2008.
The purpose of both funds is to support endeavors that contribute to the betterment and vitality of the Brattleboro area. The funds' local advisors are interested in supporting projects that rely mainly on local financial support. Eligible projects and organizations will focus on innovation, capital improvements, and historical renovation/preservation.
Crosby-Gannett Fund grants range from $250 to $1,000; Dunham-Mason Fund grants range from $250 to $500. Applications to both funds are due at 5 p.m. on Oct. 15. Eligible applicants may apply to either or both of the funds at the same time. Visit www.vermontcf.org/availablegrants to learn more.
Pratt Library to hold book sale
WEST DUMMERSTON - The Lydia Taft Pratt Library will hold a book sale at the library at the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West St., on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., there will be used books, DVDs, and CDs for sale.
Oak Meadow, local organizations partner to offer classes for homeschoolers
BRATTLEBORO - Oak Meadow Independent Learning is again joining with Brattleboro area arts and educational organizations this fall to offer special class prices for homeschoolers.
New England Youth Theatre, New England Center for the Circus Arts, River Gallery School of Art, Insight Photography, and Vermont Wilderness School are all participating. Families should contact each organization directly for details, including start dates, class schedules, and fees.
Oak Meadow is also sponsoring after-school Spanish classes to all students, ages 5 to 13, in their downtown Brattleboro community room at the Brooks House. Express Fluency is offering two six-week sessions on Wednesday afternoons: Sept. 23 to Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 to Dec. 16.
Parents are invited to attend with their child. Contact elissa@expressfluency.com or call 802-275-2694 to register. Enrollment is $75 per session and is limited to 10 students per class.
Oak Meadow moved into the newly-renovated Brooks House in October 2014, and the organization is exploring ways to share its community space for both fun and educational activities for area school children and for workshops for educational professionals and home teachers. Oak Meadow also offers its community room for not-for-profits and others to hold meetings and gatherings.
ACCVT hosts Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
BRATTLEBORO - The Asian Cultural Center of Vermont (ACCVT) presents the 17th annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Zhongqiu Jie is celebrated in China, Korea, and Vietnam. After Lunar New Year, it is the second most important festival of the year. This is a traditional time for families to gather and give thanks for the harvest and for harmonious unions. Offerings may be made to Chang'e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. This is the festival for carrying lanterns and sharing mooncakes.
Participants may celebrate this harvest festival with crafts, stories, songs, food, t'ai chi, martial arts, and the rope tug. Then watch the harvest moon rise. The celebration starts with a pot-luck at the Kiwanis Shelter atop Memorial Park Drive, Brattleboro. Rain or shine, this is a free event for all ages. For more information, text 802-579-9088, call 802-257-7898, ext. 1, or visit accvt.org.