American Legion Dinner/Discussion
BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m., Chris Day will share thoughts from his 2010 deployment on how Vermonters balanced mission demands in Afghanistan with concerns from back home. Come listen or share your own experiences of deploying with the military since 2001. The herb roasted chicken dinner will start at 6 with discussion during the meal. Reservations: 802-257-1872. Tickets: $10.
Brattleboro sets dates for leaf pickup
BRATTLEBORO - Friday, Oct. 21, and Friday, Nov. 4, are curbside leaf pickup days. Leaves and clippings must be in brown paper leaf bags and waiting at the curb by 7 a.m. Acceptable waste includes only leaves, grass, clippings, garden waste, and twigs (no household trash). No branches larger than 1 inch around and 2 feet long are allowed. Brown paper leaf bags are available for purchase at local businesses.
Halifax senior meal
WEST HALIFAX - The next Halifax Senior Meal is on Friday, Oct. 21, at the Community Hall in West Halifax at 20 Brook Rd. at noon. The meal features chicken, gravy, and biscuits, plus potatoes, veggies, and dinner rolls, with gingerbread with whipped cream for dessert. All seniors are welcome. A call to Joan is appreciated at 802-368-7733.
Old-fashioned hymn sing
WEST HALIFAX - There will be an old-fashioned hymn sing in West Halifax on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., at West Halifax Bible Church at 137 Branch Rd. Pastor Bob DiSalvio of Amwell Church of the Brethren will lead the hymn sing. All are welcome. Light refreshments to follow.
Fall Osher lectures continue
DUMMERSTON - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's autumn series of morning and afternoon lectures continues Oct. 24. The morning lecture, examining humanism and the arts, will be given by Jerry Levy. The afternoon series, presented by Felicity Ratte, will consider figurative imagery in the history of Islamic art. Both presenters are on the faculty of Marlboro College. The Osher Lectures are held on six successive Mondays. Morning lectures run from 10 a.m. to noon; afternoon lectures, from 1 to 3 p.m. All lectures are held at the Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 U.S. Route 5, Dummerston. Parking and handicapped access are available. For further information, contact Julie Lavorgna at 802-365-7278 or julielavorgna@gmail.com.
Putney Cares hosts monthly luncheon
PUTNEY - Putney Cares invites the community to its next congregate lunch at 54 Kimball Hill on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from noon to 1 p.m. The menu will include chicken pot pie, cole slaw with carrots and apples, warm whole wheat rolls with butter, tea or coffee, and blueberry cobbler for dessert. The suggested donation is $3.50. Contact Abby in the Putney Cares Activity Barn at 802-387-5593 or putneycares@svcable.net to reserve your seat. They are also in need of volunteers to help set up, clean up, and to provide rides to those unable to drive themselves to the luncheon.
Climate Change Café tackles 'Grief and the Planet'
BRATTLEBORO - The October Climate Change Café will host Connie Baxter, the Bereavement Program Coordinator at Brattleboro Area Hospice, who will talk about grieving and its importance in coming to terms with climate change. This presentation will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m., at Brooks Memorial Library on Main Street. As always, the Cafe is free, and light refreshments will be available. For further information, contact Tim Stevenson, bereal@vermontel.net or 802-869-2141.
Windham County Maple Association plans annual meeting
BRATTLEBORO - This year's annual Windham County Maple Association meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 6:30 p.m., at the Brattleboro Savings & Loan meeting room (221 Main St., use the rear entrance - if locked, ring bell). Guest speakers include Jim Esden, a forester with the Vermont Department of Forests, who will discuss the Forest Tent Caterpillar. Jack Dix of the Vermont Sugarmakers Association will offer an update, and Rod Chase will present an overview of this year's Maplerama.
Powerwall battery workshop
BRATTLEBORO - A free workshop about an option for on-site battery storage for solar energy systems, Tesla Powerwall Pilot Program from Green Mountain Power, will be offered Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Marlboro College Graduate Center at 28 Vernon St. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information, contact Michael Bosworth at mlb@sover.net or 802-258-6475.
Flood relief volunteers head for Baton Rouge
BRATTLEBORO - From Oct. 22 to 29, a work crew sponsored and supported by St. Michael's Episcopal Church will gut houses ravaged by August's massive flooding in the entire area surrounding Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To help with donations of tools or funds, contact St. Michael's through the church office at 802-254-6048 or at info@stmichaels.com.
NewBrook Fire seeks silent auction donations
NEWFANE - The NewBrook Fire & Rescue Department will host its 14th Annual Peace & Goodwill Dinner and Silent Auction Saturday, Dec. 3, at its firehouse on Route 30. Dinner sponsorship (cash donations) and items for the silent auction are being solicited by the committee.
Auction donations can be in the form of handcrafted items, art/craft works, holiday items, gift baskets, antiques, and gift certificates for goods and services. Gently used items must be in like-new condition and in good working order. Pick-up of donations is available. For more information, contact Polly Casanova at PollyCas@myfairpoint.net or 802-365-7149; Cina Friend at CinaPhoto@mac.com or 802-365-4228; or Lauri Miner at ldm@svcable.net or 802-365-4194
United Way seeks VITA volunteers
BRATTLEBORO - The United Way of Windham County is seeking volunteers to prepare tax returns, schedule appointments, and greet participants for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The VITA program helps families keep more of their earned income through free federal and state tax return preparation by trained volunteers. The program runs weekly in Brattleboro from Feb. 1 to April 12, 2017, with daytime, evening, and Saturday volunteer shifts available. No previous experience is required and free training is provided. To learn more, come to a VITA Volunteer Information Session on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at noon or 5 p.m., at the United Way of Windham County's office, 1 Holstein Place. For more information or to RSVP, contact Victoria Chertok, at 802-257-4011 x111, or volunteer@unitedwaywindham.org.
Middlebury professor to discuss Centre Church history
BRATTLEBORO - Dr. Glenn Andres, Professor Emeritus History of Art and Architecture at Middlebury College, will speak on Sunday, Oct. 23, at Centre Congregational Church, at 12:30 pm as part of the church's 200th anniversary celebration.
Dr. Andres will comment on Centre Church's current building and its history, as well as other New England meeting houses. Preceding Dr. Andres' presentation will be a worship service at 10 a.m. that will highlight what a service might have been like at Centre Church in 1816. The service will be followed by an early American Pot Luck in Memorial Hall. Guests, visitors, and church members are invited to all three of these special events.
Historical Society holds Quarterly Meeting
DUMMERSTON - The Dummerston Historical Society will hold its fall quarterly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Society's Schoolhouse in Dummerston Center. The business meeting will be followed by a presentation by photographer Michael Poster, who will discuss his current exhibit “Ashmead's Kernel,” a photographic exhibit of Scott Farm apple orchard over a year's time. The public is invited, admission is free, and the Schoolhouse is handicapped accessible. Information: 802-254-9311.
Environmental Ed Center hosts Forest of Mystery
WEST BRATTLEBORO - This year's Forest of Mystery, presented by Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center is “The Invaders.” Envisioned by James and Jessica Gelter, the performance involves “crazy conspiracy theorists, British time-travelers, and maybe, just maybe, some friends who are out-of-this-world.” The performance is Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center at 1221 Bonnyvale Rd. in West Brattleboro. Rain date is Oct. 30.
Because the audience moves through in groups of 20, reservations are required. Visit www.beec.org for more information or to buy tickets, or call 802-257-5785 to make reservations. Groups move through the forest every 15 minutes starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 6:15 p.m. on Saturday. Not recommended for children under 6. Tickets are $10 adults/$6 children for members and $15 adults/$8 children for non-members.
Act 46 meeting schedule
DOVER - The next meeting for the Act 46 Elementary Study Committee for the towns of Wardsboro, Dover, and Marlboro is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the Dover Elementary School.
The agenda for the meeting is posted in advance and can be viewed on the committee's blog or requested by email. By Vermont law, all meetings of the Act 46 Elementary Study Committee are open public meetings.
Voters may sign up for email news about the Study Committee by sending their name, address, and email address to wcsu.media@windhamcentral.org, or stay informed by visiting the blog at www.wcsu-committee.blogspot.com. Visitors to the blog may submit questions by email, which the Committee will answer and may post.
Film Screening at Putney Library
PUTNEY - The Putney Public Library, in partnership with Lost River Social Justice, presents a film screening and facilitated discussion on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. The 2003 documentary, “The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion,'” tells the story of the mill town of Lewiston, Maine, and Mayor Laurier T. Raymond's open letter to the growing Somali community, predicting negative impacts on the city's social services because of Somali resettlement. The letter sparked a number of public protests, including a white supremacist group supporting the mayor and a counter-demonstration by 4,000 people at Bates College.
The film will be followed by a facilitated discussion about refugees, immigration, and resettlement. Snacks will be served. Putney Library is located at 55 Main Street in Putney. This program is free and open to the public.