'Paint and sip' fundraiser benefits Gerda's Animal Aid
NEWFANE - Gerda's Animal Aid, a nonprofit horse rescue group based in Townshend, will have a “paint and sip” fundraiser at the Four Columns Inn, 21 West St., on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 3 to 5 p.m.
The cost is $40 and the event is limited to 20 painters. No previous painting experience is necessary. Appetizers and cocktails will be available for purchase. For more information, contact Lisa Dupuis at ldupuis47@comcast.net.
Vernon Rec salutes Beverly Current with BBQ party
VERNON - The Recreation Department invites the public to a barbecue party at the town pool on Saturday, Aug. 13, to celebrate longtime employee and volunteer Beverly Current.
Current has worked with the department for the last 16 years. One of her notable jobs is training the town pool's lifeguards.
“In addition to the Recreation Department,she has been an extremely involved volunteer in countless ways for the previous 29 years,” Seth Deyo told The Commons. “She rarely takes a full paycheck for any of her work.”
The party, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m., is free and all are welcome, Deyo said. He and his crew will grill hot dogs and hamburgers, and attendees are welcome to bring snacks, drinks, and sides. The town pool is located at 607 Pond Rd. For more information, call Seth or Ian at 802-254-9251.
VFW Auxiliary hosts 'Bingo for Cancer'
BRATTLEBORO - The VFW Auxiliary #1034 will host a “Bingo for Cancer” fundraising event on Sunday, Aug. 14 at the VFW, 40 Black Mountain Rd.
Doors open at 11 a.m., with games starting at 1 p.m. Refreshments will be available.
Admission at the door is $40, which includes all games, 50-50 raffles, and the jackpot, or you may buy an advance ticket before Aug. 12 for $35 (50-50s and jackpot not included). For pre-buy tickets, call 802-579-3710.
AARP chapter to meet
BRATTLEBORO - AARP Chapter 763 members and guests will meet Tuesday, Aug. 16, at noon, at the Senior Picnic Area (lower level) at Living Memorial Park for their annual summer picnic.
Bring your own plates, silverware, and a dish to share.
Storytelling and free books at Wardsboro Public Library
WARDSBORO - On Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m., the Wardsboro Public Library will be welcoming a Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) storyteller, Sarah Stewart Taylor.
The program will be a fun and entertaining event for the entire family. After the storytelling, every child who attends (ages birth to 14 years) will be able to select two brand new books to keep.
This program is sponsored by the library, thanks to a Summer Readers Grant from CLiF. Grants are awarded by CLiF to prevent the “summer slide” in literacy skills. Research shows that children who don't read over the summer vacation tend to lose literacy skills while children who do read improve their reading abilities.
Everyone is welcome to stay after the storytelling program and join Children's Librarian Jenn Finaldi for Board Game Night at 7 p.m. Both programs are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Wardsboro Public Library at 802-896-6988.
SEON seeks applicants for Sustainable Home Tour
BRATTLEBORO - The Sustainable Energy Outreach Network (SEON) is now seeking applications for homes to feature on its inaugural Sustainable Home Tour planned for Oct. 15.
The purpose of the tour is to raise awareness and enable the public to see, firsthand, homes in Windham County built or renovated with consideration to energy efficiency, durability, comfort, indoor air quality, and renewable energy.
SEON encourages submissions from a variety of home sizes, budgets and types. New homes, additions, deep energy retrofits, and staged retrofits (those home renovations in process of a long-term plan) are eligible and projects must have been built or renovated within the last five years.
Applications can be submitted by a homeowner or by a construction team with homeowner approval. The application includes the requirements and criteria and requests details of the improvements. Applications are due at SEON's office, 532 Putney Rd, Suite 204, Brattleboro, VT 05301, or via email admin@seon.info no later than noon on Friday, Aug. 19.
A selection team will review all applications and make a final decision as to which homes will be included in the tour by the end of August. For further information or to obtain the Sustainable Home Tour Application, visit www.seon.info/HomeTour.
Marlboro College hosts Bridges conference
BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, Aug. 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Marlboro College Master's of Arts in TESOL program will host its annual Bridges Conference at the Marlboro Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St.
Second-year students will facilitate interactive presentations that integrate leading theories in English Language Education with their personal theories of teaching practice.
This is a great opportunity to network with a global community of fellow practitioners. MATESOL students join us from all over the world including: Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, Morocco, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Chile.
This event is free and open to the public. Join us for the morning, or stay for the whole day. Faculty and Admissions staff will be available for questions. There will be light refreshments and free parking. Visit their registration page for the full schedule and to reserve your spot at www.eventbrite.com/e/marlboro-college-matesol-bridges-conference-tickets-26811712554.
Fraud prevention class offered in Wilmington
WILMINGTON - Wilmington Aging in Place, in cooperation with AARP Vermont's Fraud Watch Network, will host a timely presentation entitled “Scams, Fraud and Con-Artists” on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 3 p.m.
The program will identify the current scams and tactics being used today and provide helpful tips on staying out of the grip of con artists. The presentation, by Vermont Fraud Watch Network Coordinator Elliott Greenblott, has been seen by hundreds of Vermonters over the past year.
According to Greenblott, “Consumer fraud of every type is on the increase. From the imposters claiming to be IRS agents to the computer tech support scams, to the bulk-mailed contests, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of attempts to defraud the public.”
The presentation provides clear examples of scams and concrete protection steps for all ages.
Greenblott urges those who are concerned and want to do something to become active volunteers in the program to contact him by phone at 413-219-9778) or email at egreenblott@aarp.org. In addition he notes that any community group can contact him for a free presentation.
The program is free and does not require preregistration, and is appropriate for all ages.
Storytellers gather for historical society meeting
NEWFANE - All are welcome to an evening of great food and great stories at the Historical Society of Windham County's annual meeting event on Friday, Aug. 19 at the NewBrook Fire Station on Route 30.
Following the Society's brief annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. will be the pot-luck dinner at 6 p.m. Bring a dish to share, drinks will be provided.
At 7 p.m., four residents of Windham County will share their stories of “days gone by” in Vermont: Bill Holiday of Brattleboro will share stories on the impact of Interstate 91's construction almost 60 years ago, Marilyn Loomis will share reminisces of growing up in Putney, Bill Toomey of Grafton has a multitude of “believe it or not” stories from the Grafton Inn, and Larry Clark will share anecdotes from Gageville and Bellows Falls.
Admission is free. For more information, call 802-348-7891 or visit www.historicalsocietyofwindhamcounty.org.