Merry Mulch tree collection program returns
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Union High School Music Department is once again offering the Merry Mulch Christmas tree collection service to Brattleboro residents.
This program, in its 26th year, is endorsed by the Vermont Department of Agriculture as well as the New Hampshire/Vermont Christmas Tree Association. For a $10 donation, members of the band and chorus will transport undecorated trees from homes to a community garden in West Brattleboro where they will be chipped into mulch to be used by the gardeners.
Since the town doesn't offer curbside pick-up of trees, the service saves residents the hassle of transporting their own trees. Saturday pick-up dates are Jan. 14 and 21. All pick-ups must be prearranged by calling one of the following numbers at least two days prior to your desired date: 802-258-7020 or 802-275-4403. Proceeds will benefit travel opportunities for the chorus and band.
2017 dog licenses now available
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro dog and wolf-hybrid licenses are available for the 2017 licensing period. Vermont dogs and wolf-hybrids 6 months of age and older must be licensed on or before April 1.
Renewal licenses may be obtained in person at the Town Clerk's office, through the mail, or online at www.brattleboro.org. Dogs being licensed in Brattleboro for the first time may be licensed in person or through the mail by printing the license form from the website listed above.
Vaccination against rabies is required by Vermont statutes before licensing. If an animal has been spayed or neutered, the certificate issued by the veterinarian must be presented when licensing the animal for the first time. A current rabies certificate issued and signed by a veterinarian must be filed with the Town Clerk.
The licensing fees, due by April 1, are $19 for neutered animals and $29 for unneutered animals. Specially trained assistance dogs may be eligible for a reduced licensing fee.
Dogs and wolf-hybrids licensed after April 1 will be charged a penalty. In addition, any person failing to license a dog or wolf-hybrid may be fined up to $100 and the dog or wolf-hybrid may be impounded. If an animal licensed last year has died or been given away, contact the Town Clerk's office at 802-251-8157, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brattleboro Area Hospice to offer six-week grief support group
BRATTLEBORO - A new Six-Week Bereavement Support Group for adults begins Jan. 18, and will meet each Wednesday from 4:30-6 p.m., ending Feb. 22. This group is sponsored by Brattleboro Area Hospice and will meet at the hospice office at 191 Canal St.
Interested individuals must meet with the facilitator, Connie Baxter, prior to the first session. Call her at 802-257-0775, ext. 104, by Jan. 13, for a pre-group appointment. The group size is limited to 8 people.
Participation is free of charge and open to anyone in the community grieving the death of a loved one, no matter when or where the loss occurred.
Bereavement Support Groups offer a safe, mutually supportive environment for sharing experiences through discussion, readings, simple activities, and suggestions for moving through grief. No prior connection with hospice is necessary in order to participate. Visit www.brattleborohospice.org for more information.
Community events celebrate Rev. King's legacy
BRATTLEBORO -Two events in Brattleboro this weekend will honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
On Saturday, Jan. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m., in the main room of the Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro Solidarity along with the Brooks Memorial Library will present “Speak Out! Celebrating MLK Jr.”
The goal of this event is for people to come together to remember Rev. King's legacy and the work that still needs to be done. There will be a community open-mic, music, speakers, and collective organizing, plus soup and bread.
This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. To learn more, contact brattleborosolidarity@gmail.com.
On Sunday, Jan. 15, at 4 p.m., the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Clergy Association's annual celebration of Rev. King's life and work takes place at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St.
The service will include readings from Rev. King, musical offerings by jazz vocalist Samirah Evans and Friends, and a community choir. The celebration will end with the traditional lighting of a candle by everyone in attendance. Singers of all ages and abilities who want to sing in the community choir are asked to come to the church at 3 p.m. to rehearse songs for the service.
Admission is free, but a free-will donation will be taken with proceeds shared between the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity and the Root Social Justice Center.
A spaghetti dinner and community gathering will follow the celebration on the lower level of the church. The dinner is a fundraiser for the interfaith youth service trip to work with the Cheyenne River Sioux in La Plant, S.D. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
After the supper, the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity, the Root Social Justice Center, and Black Lives Matter Vermont will all have information and make short presentations on how people can be involved locally to work against racism. For more information, contact Guilford Community Church, U.C.C. at 802-257-2776.
Planning meeting set for Women's March on Washington
DUMMERSTON - A group of women and men from the Brattleboro area will attend the Women's March on Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Jan. 21. Others are choosing to attend sister marches that day being held in Montpelier, Greenfield and Northampton, Massachusetts, and other locations.
A planning and discussion meeting for local participants will be held Sunday, Jan. 15, from 4 to 5 p.m., at the Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 Route 5, Dummerston.
Organizers of the march say it is intended to remind the incoming administration that the U.S. and its Constitution supports the rights of all people, that democratic principles must be followed, and that the rights of women, children, people of color, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, the disabled, the poor, the environment, and others often without a voice must be upheld.
For more information, go to www.womensmarch.com. To receive e-mail updates on plans, contact VTDCRally2017@yahoo.com.
Workshop offers ways to bridge political divides
BRATTLEBORO - “Talking Across the Political Divide,” a skill-share gathering, will be held Monday, Jan. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the School for International Training, IC Dining Room, 1 Kipling Rd.
The recent election has left families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers struggling to find the words to talk about their joys, fears, or anxieties related to the election results.
In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of nonviolence and collaboration, SIT's Office of Diversity, ACT for Social Justice, 350 Brattleboro (a local group of 350VT), and The Root Social Justice Center are offering this skill share for talking across the political divide.
All are invited for this three-hour skill share. Experiential and interactive activities will help attendees learn and practice strategies for creative, compassionate, and courageous communication across the political divide.
This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments and childcare provided. Organizers ask that participants do not eat or handle any nuts before or during the event and come fragrance-free.
For more information, contact Angela Berkfield (angelaberkfield@gmail.com), Daniel Quipp (daniel.quipp@gmail.com), or Michelle Cromwell (michelle.cromwell@sit.edu).
Communication of the Heart workshop at Putney Library
PUTNEY - Join board certified health/wellness and life coach and psychosynthesis counselor Robin White for a communication workshop based on Marshall Rosenberg's “Nonviolent Communication,” at the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St., on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 6:30 p.m.
“Communication of the Heart is a forum that is both educational and experiential, in a context that is fun and nourishing, where people walk away feeling more connected to themselves and to the people they love,” White said.
White said that during the two-hour session, “we will practice the concepts of 'every action being an attempt to meet needs and that feelings point to needs being met or unmet.' Participants will experience the importance of being heard and listened to, while gathering concrete tools to continue the practice.”
Light snacks will be served. RSVP for this workshop by contacting White at refillingyourwell@gmail.com or 802-275-2682. This program is free and open to the public.
Next Stage Gallery now open
PUTNEY - Next Stage Arts Project recently celebrated the opening of its new Next Stage Gallery. Established in honor of Waew and Tim Cowles, the Next Stage Gallery opening exhibit features an exhibit entitled “Fresh Air,” an exhibition of paintings by Tim Cowles. This exhibit runs through Feb. 3. Admission is free.
Putney-based artist Tim Allen has spearheaded the creation of the Next Stage space as a gallery, and oversees the curation of all artwork at Next Stage.
Also now on display in the Next Stage community rooms is the Photobooth Project, featuring photographs by Christopher Irion, supported by a grant from ArtPlace America.
The intention of this project is to build community through the creation of this multi-disciplinary exhibit, bringing youth together with elders to examine, uncover, and celebrate our shared community.
Information about upcoming events and more is available at www.nextstagearts.org.
Landmark College gets grant for writing project
PUTNEY - Landmark College has been awarded a grant of $131,220 from the Davis Educational Foundation to launch The Landmark Writing Project. This three-year project will build on Landmark College's 31 years of experience working with writers with learning differences.
With a student population composed entirely of students with diagnosed learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and autism spectrum disorders, Landmark College's faculty and staff are experts in understanding these students' needs as learners and applying research-based best practices for teaching.
The Landmark Writing Project seeks to integrate, articulate, and apply an approach to teaching and supporting writing across the curriculum that is unprecedented in higher education and holds potential for broad dissemination.
The project will be led by the current English Department chair, Associate Professor John Kipp, who will work with and chair a steering committee composed of members of the English Department and teaching faculty from across academic departments. Sara Glennon, associate professor and former English Department chair, will co-chair the project steering committee and assist in its planning and direction.
Plans begin for yoga trip to Mexico
BRATTLEBORO - For the 17th consecutive year, Brattleboro residents Thea Lloyd and Ann Newsmith are organizing a yoga vacation in Mexico offering relaxation, yoga, and warmth in a beautiful Caribbean setting. It is planned for March 12-19, and space is still available.
The day begins with a two-hour yoga class on the beach, followed by a copious Mexican breakfast. The rest of the day is spent relaxing, swimming, or exploring the town. The trip includes an excursion to a Mayan market and cenote, along with a snorkeling trip to the world's second largest coral reef.
Participants stay at the Amar Inn, a local bed-and-breakfast on the beach in Puerto Morelos. This safe and quiet fishing village on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan peninsula offers a relaxed atmosphere, shops, restaurants, and friendly people. Located just south of Cancun, Puerto Morelos provides easy access for exploring nearby Mayan archaeological sites, as well as massage, scuba diving, and shopping.
Yoga instructor Thea Lloyd has been teaching Iyengar-style yoga for over 30 years. In Mexico, her emphasis is on gently encouraging awareness, strength, flexibility, and the potential for change. For more information visit www.yogavacationmexico.com or contact Newsmith at ann.newsmith@gmail.com, or 802-257-4710.