Drugged driving is topic for GFC meeting
BELLOWS FALLS - Greater Falls Connections will host its monthly coalition meeting on Friday, April 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at Parks Place Community Center, 44 School St.
This month's discussion will focus on the latest state and national trends around “high” driving, which is a particular area of concern with changing social norms around cannabis use. While the number of fatally injured drivers due to drinking alcohol has been on the decline, fatally injured drivers testing positive for drugged driving have been on the rise.
To learn more, visit www.greaterfallsconnections.org.
Soil regeneration to be discussed at Transition Dummerston potluck
DUMMERSTON - Transition Dummerston will hold its monthly potluck and program on Friday, April 28, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the Dummerston Congregational Church in Dummerston Center.
This month's program theme will be “Regenerating Our Soils,” and will feature a talk with Edible Brattleboro's Marilyn Chiarello and Marlene Everingham. They will discuss the growing evidence that healthy, living soil draws down carbon from the atmosphere to help cool the planet, increases resilience to floods and drought, improves the nutritional value of food, and is a critical part of what they call the “new water paradigm.”
The potluck begins at 6 p.m., and the program will go from 7-8:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.
Brooks Library to hold open house
BRATTLEBORO - The Trustees and staff of the Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., invite you to check out our new meeting spaces, teen room, renovated reading room and children's area and more during an open house and tour on Saturday, April 29, from 2 to 5 p.m.
There will be a brief welcome at 2:30 p.m. and tour guides on hand for exploration of the new spaces. The renovations were made possible by a bequest from Brattleboro resident Ronald Read. Light refreshments and door prizes will be available. For more information, call 802-254-5290.
Launching 'Canoes' at Ashuelot Library
ASHUELOT, N.H. - The Thayer Public Library is launching a new book, Canoes: A Natural History in North America, by local author Norman Sims and co-author Marc Neuzil, who will be doing a talk and book-signing on Saturday, April 29, at 10:30 a.m.
It's true that the library's patrons could, if they chose, endeavor to launch actual canoes, because the library is located in Ashuelot Village in the town of Winchester beside the Ashuelot River, where author Sims has often paddled. It's just feet away from the put-in for the Ashuelot-to-Hinsdale run. But such patrons should think twice, because that run includes some fearsome Class 4 rapids.
The book, which opens with an essay by John McPhee, describes the canoe's origins and its thousands of years influencing life on our continent, but focuses most closely on the last three centuries. Ancient, traditional, and modern designs and technologies are covered, as well as the rich topic of how canoes have been used, with gorgeous paintings, drawings, and photographs on every page.
Thayer Library is located in Ashuelot Village, just across the covered bridge, off Route 119.
BEEC offers a photo walk-and-talk
BRATTLEBORO - On Sunday, April 30, at noon, photographer Jesse Burke will lead a walk-and-talk at the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center.
Burke is the featured photographer at the Vermont Center for Photography in April, and the exhibit, “Wild & Precious,” brings together photos from a series of road trips traveled over five years by Burke and his daughter, Clover.
On this April afternoon, participants will join Burke for a talk in the BEEC camp classroom and will then head out to the woods and fields. Topics will include how to get great photographs of kids and nature, kids in nature, and why it is important to bring the two together.
Attendees are invited to bring cameras and kids. The cameras don't have to be fancy (Burke's Instagram page features photos he took with his cellphone). A BEEC naturalist will keep kids engaged while Burke shares tips for great pictures and great parenting.
Sponsored by BEEC and the Vermont Center for Photography, this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit beec.org or call 802-257-5785.
Cemetery Association meets May 1
NEWFANE - The Vermont Old Cemetery Association will hold its spring meeting on Monday, May 1, at 10 a.m., at the Newbrook Fire House on Route 30.
Following the meeting, lunch will be served. Following lunch, there will be an outside program on James O. Follett's Stone Arch Bridges. This program will be at the Stone Arch Bridge Historic District in Townshend. Directions to the district will be available at the meeting.
To make reservations for the lunch, send $12 to Charles E. Marchant, Box 132, Townshend, VT 05353, by May 1, or call 802-365-7937 for information.
VOCA is the oldest cemetery-preservation organization in the U.S. and has sponsored hundreds of restoration projects all over Vermont. VOCA is also associated with the Association of Gravestone Studies to allow for a nationwide connection to cemetery preservation and conservation.
Volunteers needed for Relay For Life
BRATTLEBORO - The American Cancer Society is seeking local volunteers to be a part of the annual Relay For Life event, scheduled for June 10 at Brattleboro Union High School.
A meeting for interested community members will be held May 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St.
The Relay For Life is the world's largest fundraising event - celebrating people who have battled cancer, remembering loved ones lost, and mobilizing for action for lifesaving change.
During Relay For Life events, members of each team take turns walking around the track. Teams participate in fundraising in the months leading up to the event. Funds raised help the American Cancer Society fund cancer research and provide free information and support for people facing the disease.
To join the Relay For Life of Windham County as a volunteer or team participant, visit www.RelayForLife.org/windhamvt or call Jessica Green at 603-336-5444.
Brattleboro Area Hospice to offer new grief support group
BRATTLEBORO - A new six-week bereavement support group for adults begins May 8 and will meet each Monday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., ending June 19 (no meeting on May 29).
This group is sponsored by Brattleboro Area Hospice and will meet at the hospice office at 191 Canal St. in Brattleboro. Londa Holsinger is the facilitator of the group. Interested individuals must meet with Bereavement Program Coordinator Connie Baxter prior to the first session; call her at 802-257-0775, ext 104, by May 3 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 loss of a loved one, no matter when or where the loss occurred. No prior connection with hospice is necessary.
Greater Falls Farmers' Market seeks vendors
BELLOWS FALLS - The Sustainable Valley Group is working with the Bellows Falls Farmers' Market, Walpole Farmers' Market, and the Great River Food Co-op Board to create the Greater Falls Farmers' Market.
Meeting weekly on Friday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hetty Green Park in Bellows Falls, this market will run June 2 through Sept. 29. The market is seeking applications for full-season vendors as well as day vendors.
Anyone interested in vending may visit gffarmersmarket.com to view the application or call Market Manager Janice Leary-Jones at 802-869-8148 with any questions.
Adult Dental Care Day is May 6
BRATTLEBORO - The annual Adult Dental Care Day, sponsored by the United Way of Windham County, is Saturday, May 6, from 7:30 to 10 a.m., at the Brattleboro Elks, 75 Putney Rd.
The event is for Windham County residents 18 or older who are without access to dental care. Volunteers from area dental offices will provide fillings and extractions for those who need it.
There is no pre-registration, and patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. A donation of $20 is suggested.
Arts, crafts show coming to Jamaica on May 6
JAMAICA - The Jamaica Town Hall will host the “Best Little Arts & Crafts Show in VT” on Saturday, May 6.
More than 45 vendors will sell their creations in both indoor and sheltered outdoor spaces from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. The event is in and around the Town Hall on Main Street (Route 30.) Admission is free.
Artists will sell woven and fabric crafts, candles, wooden crafts and toys, jewelry, wearable art, pottery, soaps, floral arrangements, photography, leather, and much more. Refreshments will be available and children's activities and crafts are planned as well.
The show is sponsored by the Jamaica Community Arts Council. More information is available on the Jamaica Community Arts Council's Facebook page.
Special edition of Climate Café presents 'Co-opera'
BRATTLEBORO - A special edition of the Climate Change Cafe will host (along with Green Up SIT) the original climate change “Co-opera,” SOS: Secret of the Seasons, on Sunday, May 7, at 5:30 p.m., in the Main Room of Brooks Memorial Library on Main Street.
As always, the event is free, and light refreshments will be available.
Based on songs written by SIT Professor John Ungerleider and Bill Conley, SOS is a reflective, participatory musical journey that engages the audience with the external and internal challenges that global climate change is bringing to our lives.
Audience dialogue between thought provoking songs is designed to move participants from fear and denial to hope and action in response to the threat of global warming.
The title song asks about the local impact of climate change: “Will it still feel like my home, when the leaves don't turn to red and gold, and the ice doesn't cover the fishin' hole?”
The Climate Café is a project of Post Oil Solutions that convenes the fourth Tuesday of most months. For further information, contact Tim Stevenson at bereal@vermontel.net or 802-869-2141.
Londonderry Energy Committee hosts session on solar power
LONDONDERRY - The Londonderry Energy Committee will host Grassroots Solar owner Bill Laberge, who will speak about solar energy plus storage, on Wednesday, May 10, at 7 p.m., in the Twitchell Building, the town office building.
Laberge will discuss the benefits and intricacies of battery storage systems made for residential and commercial applications by Tesla and Sonnen and others. In addition, he will talk about ways to maximize savings by avoiding time-of-use rates and demand charges, fully taking advantage of Rate 11 peak and off-peak rates.
All are welcome to attend.
The Londonderry Energy Committee has recently been established to help the town be more energy efficient and generate more in-state renewable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The business portion of their May 10 meeting will start at 6 p.m., with state Rep. Oliver Olsen scheduled to offer his perspectives on Act 174, a new law written to encourage enhanced energy planning and siting in towns.
The public is invited to join us for this important discussion. For more information, contact Will Reed at 802-376-4455 or wwreed3@gmail.com.
Book donations sought for Putney Library Book Sale
PUTNEY - While it might still be a little early to weed the garden, it's a perfect time to weed through books. The Putney Library at 55 Main St. invites residents to do their spring cleaning and support the library with a donation to the Library Book Sale.
The library seeks book donations for the annual sale, which will take place on Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21.
Books of all kinds are welcome, with the exception of encyclopedia sets, magazines, textbooks, Reader's Digest condensed books, and anything that is musty or moldy. DVDs and audiobooks are also welcome. Bring donations during library hours only.
For more information, visit the library, call 802-387-4407, or email Emily Zervas at putpub@svcable.net.
Art Guild offers bus trip to Boston
SAXTONS RIVER - Saxtons River Art Guild is sponsoring a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on Wednesday, May 17.
Of special interest are the exhibits “Matisse in the Studio,” the first major international exhibition to examine the importance of Matisse's personal collection of objects, paired with his paintings, and “Botticelli and the Search for the Divine,” the largest and most important display of Botticelli's works in the U.S., featuring 24 paintings from international lenders.
The bus will leave from Keene Airport in Swanzey, N.H. at 8 a.m. and return at about 5:30 p.m.
The cost of the trip will be $58 for SRAG members and $68 for nonmembers. This will cover the bus and admission, but not lunch. To reserve the bus and ensure enough participants to make the trip, reservations are requested as soon as possible. Contact Kathy Greve at 802-874-4403, kgreve23@yahoo.com or Nancy DiMauro at 802-257-4489 to reserve.
Applicants sought for forestry scholarship
BRATTLEBORO - The Windham Regional Woodlands Association seeks prospective or current students interested in natural-resource management to apply for a scholarship for the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters.
One $3,000 scholarship will be awarded ($1,500 per semester) to a Windham County resident attending or about to attend a two- or four-year college program in natural-resource management, forest management, or related majors. The deadline for applying is May 15.
For more information, email WRWA at windhamwoodlands@gmail.com or visit www.windhamwoodlands.org, and click on Scholarships.
USDA program supports spring home repairs
MONTPELIER - USDA Rural Development will help rural, low-income homeowners repair or improve their homes this spring through the Single Family Housing Repair Program.
This program offers loans that can be repaid over 20 years with a fixed 1 percent interest rate for home improvement projects that repair existing damages, remove health or safety hazards, or make energy-efficiency investments. Very-low-income seniors aging in place can seek a $7,500 grant to help remove health and safety hazards and increase the accessibility of their homes.
In 2016, more than 100 Vermont families improved their homes with the support of a USDA Home Repair loan or grant. Past projects include fixing broken wells, repairing roofs, and increasing home accessibility through installing a ramp or bathroom modifications.
Interested applicants should contact USDA Housing Specialist Deborah Boyde at 802-689-3023. For more information on Rural Development, visit the Vermont Rural Development website at www.rd.usda.gov/vt.