Early voting for Aug. 14 primaries has begun
BRATTLEBORO - Early/absentee ballots for the Primary Election to be held Aug. 14 are available in Vermont town clerks' offices. Anyone wishing to vote prior to Aug. 14 may apply for an early/absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 13.
Early/absentee ballots may be voted in person in the clerk's office, mailed to the voter by the clerk's office, picked up by the voter or if a voter is in need can be delivered to the voter's residence by two Justices of the Peace.
All ballots must be received by the clerk before the polls close on election day in order to be counted. For more information or to request an early/absentee ballot in Brattleboro, call 802-251-8157. Sample ballots are available at Brattleboro.org, under elections.
Vermont has same-day voter registration. However to save time on Election Day it is advisable to get all registration forms in to the Town Clerk's office in advance, or register to vote by going online to olvr.sec.state.vt.us. If you are unsure if your name is listed as a registered voter in your town or for more information about voter registration and early/absentee voting, contact your town clerk.
Welch brings 'Congress in Your Community' to Putney
PUTNEY - Congressman Peter Welch brings his “Congress in Your Community” tour of Vermont to the Putney General Store on Thursday, July 5, at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Welch will be available to meet with constituents, to chat, catch up on the local happenings, and to hear what's on the minds of constituents.
The Congressman will also share the latest from the Capitol, and the various activities he's been involved in, including his recent trip to the U.S.-Mexican border to check on the circumstances of the border children who have been detained and separated from their parents.
Among the Congressman's committee assignments are Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
Congressman Welch can be contacted at www.welch.house.gov. For local information about Congressman Welch's visit to Putney, contact State Representative Mike Mrowicki at 802-387-8787 or mmrowicki@leg.state.vt.us.
Vernon Historical Museum presents quilt show
VERNON - The Vernon Historians are presenting a quilt show combining local history and art at the Vernon Historical Museum on Sunday, July 8, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Several quilt makers will display their handiwork, along with others who have hand-me-down quilts with their own special stories. Enjoy the exhibit and soak up some local color.
While there, explore interesting historical artifacts from Vernon and the surrounding area. This year, an anchor from one of the steamboats that traveled up and down the Connecticut River is on display. There will be interesting information about the steamboats and photos of the ferry that went back and forth to Hinsdale, N.H.
The main building includes a one-room brick schoolhouse built around 1825. It contains an original schoolroom, farmhouse kitchen, farm tools and other local artifacts, and a large collection of photographs. The adjacent annex building features farm-related equipment and tools and a portion of the last North Vernon Post Office.
The Museum is open each year from June through September, on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., and by appointment. It is located at 4201 Fort Bridgman Road (Route 142). Admission is free, and all are welcome.
Grafton Cornet Band offers summer concerts
GRAFTON - The Grafton Cornet Band invites all to its free summer concerts on the Library Lawn in Grafton on two Sundays, July 8 and August 19, at 5:30 p.m.
The community group plays traditional summer band music with a familiar and upbeat repertoire for the whole family in beautiful surroundings. Bring chairs or a blanket for comfort. In the case of rain, the band plays in the historic Grafton Community Church. The guest director July 8 is Glen D'Eon.
The band has kept its original 1867 name even though all wind instruments are now included. Any band player is welcome to play along with the band at these concerts. There are brief rehearsals starting one hour before concert time. If you wear a white shirt and make occasional mistakes, you'll fit right in. For the band's full schedule and contact information, visit www.GraftonBand.org.
Senior picnic in Chesterfield
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - The Chesterfield Senior Lunch for July will be held Wednesday, July 11, at the Ware's Grove picnic area at 12:30 p.m. Hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixings will be served.
In case of inclement weather, the lunch will be held in the town hall. For reservations, call Joanne at 603-363-8348. The nurse will be available to take blood pressures starting at 11:30 a.m.
Pinnacle hosts healing walk
WESTMINSTER - On Saturday, July 14, from 3 to 5 p.m, rain or shine, Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association Trustee John Foster of Vermont Healing will lead a meditative walk on the Dunn Nature Trails at the Stephen Martin Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary.
The reflective walk will include poems or other readings and offer opportunities for both contemplation and sharing. A guiding premise of this walk is that it is essential to be still, to quiet the everyday mind, to interrupt daily routines, and thus to be open to other dimensions for healing to begin.
Interested participants should register at John@vermonthealing.com or at 802-451-6277 and meet at the Bemis Hill Trailhead for the Martin Wildlife Sanctuary at 1522 Bemis Hill Rd. in Westminster. Because the program takes place at a wildlife sanctuary, no dogs are allowed. For maps and directions to the location, please visit Trails & Maps at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org.
AAUW awards four college scholarships
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro branch of the American Association of University Women has awarded four college scholarships of $1,000 each to Windham County students, three to high school graduates and one to a student of nontraditional age continuing work toward a college degree.
Leland & Gray Union High School graduate Kassidy Wyman of Grafton will enroll at Southern Vermont College to study radiology.
Gabrielle Rooks of Vernon, a graduate of the Stoneleigh-Burnham School, will pursue a degree in social services at Drew University.
After studying in Croatia her senior year, Bellows Falls Union High School graduate Nina King will continue hospitality studies there under the auspices of Rochester Institute of Technology.
Tana Cutting of Brattleboro, a mother of three, is working towards a bachelor's degree in nursing at Vermont Technical College's Brattleboro campus.
This year's AAUW scholarships were given in memory of four recently deceased members who were cited for their contributions to the branch's scholarship fundraising efforts: Alice Carrier, Martha J. Fenn, Barbara Madden, and Cynthia Terzariol.
Norma Shakun and Ann Wright-Parsons co-chaired the scholarship committee, with Karen Davis, Carol Corwin, Gillian Winner, Margo Neale, and Joy Hayes serving as members.
AAUW is a national organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Information about the Brattleboro branch is available by contacting Gillian Winner at 802-365-7215.
GCH Fair Day Auction seeks donations
TOWNSHEND - The Grace Cottage Hospital Fair Day Auction is held annually on Hospital Fair Day, the first Saturday in August, on the Townshend Common.
Volunteers are accepting donations of new or used items of value including: furniture in good condition, books, costume (or other) jewelry, household odds and ends, artwork, and used (or new) cars, trucks, snowmobiles, ATVs, motorcycles, and boats (donations of these items are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law).
All proceeds from the Aug. 4 auction benefit nonprofit Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital. Items that aren't accepted (because they don't sell and the hospital must then pay to dispose of them) include appliances, electronics, skis/ski boots, clothing, and exercise equipment.
For more information or to arrange pick-up of items, call Grace Cottage Foundation at 802-365-9109.