Ground-breaking for new West Brattleboro fire station is Aug. 4
WEST BRATTLEBORO - The town of Brattleboro invites citizens and interested persons to attend a ground-breaking ceremony celebrating the rebuilding of the West Brattleboro Fire Station on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 4 p.m., at the West Brattleboro Fire Station.
Elliot Street entrance to Transportation Center to close for repairs
BRATTLEBORO - The Elliot Street entrance to the Brattleboro Transportation Center will be closed temporarily from Thursday, Aug. 4, to Friday, Aug. 5 to allow for regular maintenance of the expansion joint on the bridge from Elliot Street to the garage.
The work will be performed by Nicom Coatings Corp. of Barre.
The closing is expected to begin Aug. 4 at 8 a.m. The work will continue until complete, with an anticipated completion date of Aug. 5. While the Elliot Street entrance is closed, the public is asked to use the Flat Street entrance.
The parking of vehicles in the Brattleboro Transportation Center won't be affected by the closure of the Elliot Street entrance, nor will the closure affect pedestrian access.
Direct questions or concerns to the Town Manager's Office at 802-251-8151, or to the Parking Department at 802-257-2305.
Senior lunch served in Townshend
TOWNSHEND - The Community is invited to dinner at noon on Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Townshend Church. Sponsored by Senior Solutions, the meal is prepared by Chef Stephanie of the Townshend Dam Diner.
Suggested donation for people 60 years and up is $3.50; all others $4. Take-outs will be available. Everyone is welcome.
BMAC marks 100th birthday of Union Station
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center is throwing a 100th birthday party for its historic home, Brattleboro's Union Station, on Friday, Aug. 5, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free and open to the public, festivities will include live music on the museum's front lawn, art activities, exhibit tours, and train-shaped birthday cake.
Constructed of stone mined across the Connecticut River on Mt. Wantastiquet, Brattleboro's Union Station opened to the public on Aug. 12, 1916.
Noting the occasion, local author Charles E. Crane wrote, “There isn't a city or town on the whole route that has as clean and sightly, commodious and efficient a railroad station outfit as has Brattleboro today. The station spot may be so beautiful that it will rival Hollywood as a background for the movies.”
The 100th birthday party will include performances by Brattleboro-area bands Jazzberry Jam at 5:30 p.m., The Bluebird Orchestra at 7 p.m., and Nomad vs. Settler at 8:30 p.m. Birthday cake will be served at 6:30 p.m., and art activities and exhibit tours will take place throughout the evening.
Journalist and Brattleboro native Kevin O'Connor, who co-curated the exhibit “Union Station: Gateway to the World,” will be on hand to discuss the history of the building. For more information, call 802-257-0124 or visit www.brattleboromuseum.org.
Transition Dummerston celebrates the Life of Susal Stebbins-Collins
DUMMERSTON - Transition Dummerston invites the community to a celebration of the life of Susal Stebbins-Collins, one of its leaders and founding members, who died July 15. The celebration on Friday, Aug. 5, will be part of Transitions' monthly potluck: supper at 6 p.m. (local food encouraged); celebration from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
This is a chance for all who knew Susal to honor her with music, memories and stories, and celebrate her many gifts to Transition Dummerston and the other communities she loved and served, including SIT, Hampshire College, and local meditation groups.
Susal was a founding member of Transition Dummerston, and a leading presence in its Initiating Group. She brought to Transition Dummerston a wealth of background in the International Transition movement, a lifetime of spiritually-based activism, and a deep understanding and commitment to the process of community building. Her graceful presence gave a deeply felt dimension of spirit to all our gatherings.
The Dummerston Grange is located in Dummerston Center at the intersection of East-West and Middle Roads. For more information, contact Fred at 802-387-2681.
Downtown Wilmington hosts Blueberry Block Party
WILMINGTON - Get ready to get your blueberry party hat on when the Blueberry Block Party rocks downtown Wilmington on Saturday, August 6, from 5 to 8 p.m., on South Main Street.
The Blueberry Block Party will have something for everyone. Get to the block party right at 5 p.m. for a puppet show by Lindsay and Her Puppet Pals on the Pettee Memorial Library lawn.
The Jacksonville Blues Band will be grooving all evening at the intersection of South Main and Route 9 on a flatbed truck provided by Greene's Service Station.
The famous blueberry pie eating contest starts at 6 p.m. Space is limited and sign-ups are first come, first served for each age group. There will also be hula-hooping, face painting, an animal exhibit, food vendors, crafters, sidewalk chalk and more!
The Blueberry Block Party is hosted by Wilmington Works and is part of the Deerfield Valley Blueberry Festival. Thanks to the Town of Wilmington for the sponsorship for this event. For more information, see www.wilmingtonworksvt.com or www.vermontblueberry.com.
Southern Vermont Astronomy Group to meet
CHESTER - The first in the new series of Southern Vermont Astronomy Group workshops will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Chester Whiting Library, 117 Main Street, and will feature a hands-on presentation on the very basics of getting started in simple, celestial photography as well as how to move beyond the basics when ready.
This will include a short review of light and how cameras work, then a series of near-foolproof steps in creating simple but awesome night sky images. It will be a hands-on, all-weather, primarily indoor event. If the skies cooperate, attendees will be assisted in taking their own celestial images.
Nothing is required, but attendees are encouraged to bring their cameras, tripods, cell phones, and something to take notes with if they wish. This event is free and open to the public.
Duck Derby fundraiser benefits Boys & Girls Club
BRATTLEBORO - The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro and the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department will present the 23rd annual Duck Derby on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at Living Memorial Park.
All events start at 4 p.m. There will be face painting, cardboard boat-building and racing, free swimming, music, dinner provided by The 99 Restaurant, and the Duck Pluck just before 6 p.m.
You can “adopt” your ducks at Brattleboro Savings and Loan and The Boys & Girls Club on Flat Street. You can also “adopt” that afternoon at the park. Ducks are $5 each, or five ducks for $20, or 50 ducks for $100.
For further information, contact The Boys & Girls Club at 802-254-5990, ext. 4.
Guilford Library hosts ice cream social
GUILFORD - In conjunction with Vermont Reads, a statewide community reading program, the Guilford Free Library, 4024 Guilford Center Rd., will inaugurate the summer's events with a free ice cream social on Thursday, Aug. 11, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Vermont Reads theme for this year is Shackleton's journey to Antarctica 100 years ago.
Come join fellow readers, enjoy an icy snack in the spirit of Antarctica, and visit the recently updated children's room and back garden at the library. RSVP to the library (helpful, but not mandatory) at 802-257-4603.
The books for this summer's reading program were provided by a grant from the Vermont Council on the Humanities.
Rockingham Library hosts children's art show
BELLOWS FALLS - VSA Vermont, the state organization on arts and disability, will hold a children's art show during the month of August at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St., during normal library hours. The art show features the work of children from Amy Tuttle's home childcare program in Bellows Falls. The public is invited to this free exhibit.
The children's art exhibit is part of VSA Vermont's Start With The Arts Early Childhood Program.
For more information about VSA Vermont and its Start With The Arts Program, contact Peggy Rainville at peggy@vsavt.org or 802-871-5418.