West Brattleboro Association funds still available
WEST BRATTLEBORO - In August 2016, the West Brattleboro Association was awarded a grant from the Thomas Thompson Trust. These funds have been put to use in support of WBA's Neighborhoods Project, formed to strengthen neighborhood ties in the West Brattleboro area.
The funds are to be used to provide seed money and material support for volunteer efforts to bring neighbors together in ways appropriate to each neighborhood.
Funds from the grant have been used to fund a Christmas party, a Shabbat dinner, and the restoration of a church sign. In the past, the Neighborhoods Project has been able to fund gardens, flower beds, senior meals, tree plantings, and outdoor cinema events. Typical awards are in the range of $250.
The WBA is an all-volunteer organization that is working to promote the thoughtful and effective evolution of the community of West Brattleboro as a place that is safe, healthy, attractive, and prosperous. To contact the Neighborhoods Project, email Nancy Barber at nbarber38@comcast.net to obtain a mini-grant application or visit westbrattleboro.org.
NECCA's new building will host circus summer classes, camps
BRATTLEBORO - Enrollment is now open for the New England Center for Circus Arts' summer camps and classes for all ages.
Summer sessions will be held at the school's new location at 10 Town Crier Drive, just off Putney Road.
As a nonprofit organization, the Center's vision is to teach “to the heart,” and a variety of programs and courses help young people and adults build not only physical strength and skill, but also self-esteem, cooperation, communication, and trust.
Alongside a full-time professional training program that draws participants from around the world, students of all ages and abilities can participate in a full menu of recreational programs including classes, camps, and flying trapeze for all ages.
The new “trapezium,” located one mile north of Brattleboro's downtown, offers 40-foot ceilings, an in-ground trampoline, tramp wall, and foam pit for high-level training. The flying trapeze that was previously set up outside in the field will now be indoors.
For more information, visit www.necenterforcircusarts.org or call 802-254-9780.
Vintage camper rally returns to Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - For the seventh year in a row, the Brattleboro North KOA Campground on Route 5 in Dummerston will host two vintage camper rallies during the camping season. In 2017, the free open-house dates and times are June 10 and Sept. 23, 1-4 p.m.
Visitors can talk to the owners/restorers of about 50 Air Streams, Scotties, Shastas, and other makes, some of which date back to the 1940s. Visitors can also take exterior and interior pictures and get ideas for their own nostalgia-on-wheels project. In addition, vintage decor items and handmade crafts will be for sale outside some of the campers.
The Vintage Victuals Snack Bar will be open during the event. Dogs are welcome only if they have been socialized well, can be completely controlled by leash (mandatory), and are picked up after. For further information, call 802-254-5908 or visit brattleborokoa.com.
Vermont Days offers free fishing, free access to state parks, historic sites
MONTPELIER - Vermont Days are an annual invitation to visitors and Vermonters to explore, for free, Vermont's excellent fishing, state parks, and historic culture.
For the weekend of June 10-11, all Vermont State Parks day-use areas and all state-owned Historic Sites will be open at no charge. The Vermont History Museum in Montpelier will offer free admission on Saturday, June 10. Additionally, Saturday is free fishing day, the one day of the summer when anyone can fish in Vermont without a license. For more information, visit www.vermontdays.com.
Chesterfield Senior Lunch is June 14
CHESTERFIELD - The Chesterfield Senior Lunch for June will be held June 14 at the Chesterfield Town Hall on Route 63, beginning at 12:30 p.m.
A salad plate will be served. The suggested donation is $5. For reservations, call Joanne at 603-363-8348. The HCS nurse will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to take blood pressures.
Handbags for HOPE supports Windham County's Early Educators
BRATTLEBORO - The United Way of Windham County held its annual Handbags for HOPE event on May 25 and raised a record $16,000 for United Way's Fund for Quality Early Education, which provides grants to early educators for professional development, program enrichment, and program improvement and is administered by the Windham Child Care Association.
The Fund was established in 2008 to address the need for quality early education and to provide opportunities for Windham County providers to access continued education, collaborate with other providers, and to engage in the STep Ahead Recognition System, Vermont's quality rating. For more information or to donate to the Fund for Quality Early Education, visit www.unitedwaywindham.org.
Rec. Dept. offers discounted amusement park tickets
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department again will offer discounted tickets to Six Flags New England in Agawam, Mass., The Great Escape/Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George, N.Y., Bromley's Adventure Park in Peru, and the Killington Adventure Center.
To save money and avoid long ticket lines, purchase discount tickets at the Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Office at 207 Main St., Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Only cash or money orders will be accepted as payment.
BMC summer camp for kids focuses on music and imagination
BRATTLEBORO - Registrations are still being accepted for an imaginative, week-long summer music program for children that offers not only fun activities but also experiences that can help children develop improved reading and language skills.
Giants, fairy tales, and an octopus's garden will be among the themes explored during Camp Allegretto, presented July 10-14 by the Brattleboro Music Center for kids ages 5 to 8. It will include singing, storytelling, dancing and movement, and a related art project, says instructor Kim Wallach.
Camp Allegretto not only offers fun, but can also kick-start a child's development. Numerous studies have found that musical experiences in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills.
The BMC offers this and many other summer programs for children and adults. For more information and to register, visit www.bmcvt.org or call 802-257-4523.
Grow your own food with 3SquaresVT
WESTMINSTER - One in five Vermont children experiences hunger or food hardship. Lack of affordable housing, low wages, high unemployment, a decrease in the number of local, affordable grocery stores, and lack of public transportation all contribute to hunger and food insecurity in Vermont.
Everyone needs access to healthy food, and 3SquaresVT is there to help; in fact, 1 in 8 Vermonters get 3SquaresVT benefits. A family of four earning up to $3,746 a month may be eligible, and households can have a savings account or an asset like a car or home and still qualify.
3SquaresVT food benefits can also be used to buy seeds and plants to grow your own fruits and vegetables. Seedlings can be purchased wherever EBT cards are accepted. More than 40 farmers' markets across the state accept 3SquaresVT for starter plants as well as fresh produce. Check online to locate a participating farmers market at www.vermontfoodhelp.com/farmers-markets.
Southeastern Vermont Community Action's Family Services staff are available to assist households to apply for 3SquaresVT by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call 800-464-9951. For a list of participating stores and markets, or to apply for 3SquaresVT benefits online, visit www.vermontfoodhelp.com.