Town seeks to fill board, committee vacancies
BRATTLEBORO - The town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards: Arts Committee, Brattleboro Housing Partnerships Board of Commissioners, Cemetery Committee, Citizen Police Communications Committee, Conservation Commission, Design Review Committee (Alternate), Development Review Board (Alternate), Energy Committee, Fence Viewers, Inspector of Lumber, Shingles & Wood, Planning Commission, Recreation & Parks Board. Senior Solutions Advisory Council, and the Tree Advisory Committee.
Applications and more information about various committees and boards can be found on the Brattleboro town website, www.brattleboro.org, or by calling the Town Manager's office (802-251-8151).
If you are a Brattleboro resident and interested in serving on a Brattleboro committee or board, please submit your application online, send the application by email to the Town Manager's office at tmsecretary@brattleboro.org, or mail or deliver the application to: Brattleboro Town Manager's Office, Attn: Committee Vacancy, 230 Main St., Suite 208, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
The Selectboard will make appointments at its meeting on Aug. 6 and at subsequent meetings, if necessary. Please submit your application 10 days prior to the Selectboard meeting.
National 'Live Well Die Well' tour comes to Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, July 18, Kimberly C. Paul, author of Bridging the Gap: Life Lessons Learned from the Dying and host of the Death by Design podcast, will speak at 5 p.m. at All Souls Church at The West Village Meeting House, 29 South St., on her National Live Well Die Well Tour.
Presenting symposiums about hospice and end-of-life planning at a national, state, regional, and local level, Paul addresses many topics on the subject of death and dying. “The more I talk about death, the more boldly I feel I'm living life to the fullest,” she says.
Paul is making her way around the country to connect with people and communities, sign books, and share how she learned to live life boldly at the bedside of hospice patients. Topics include: pre-planning, how to discuss end-of-life wishes with loved ones, and alternatives for those stricken with potentially life-ending illnesses.
The event, co-sponsored by Brattleboro Area Hospice, Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire, and Bayada Hospice, is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event. For more information, visit deathbydesign.com.
Halifax senior meal is July 19
HALIFAX - The monthly Halifax senior meal is Friday, July 19, at the Halifax Community Hall, 20 Brook Rd., in West Halifax.
The meal will be served at noon. On the menu are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, rolls, macaroni salad, homemade baked beans, potato chips, and dessert. Call Joan at 802-368-7733 to reserve a seat.
RFPL screens 'One Town at a Time'
BELLOWS FALLS - The documentary film One Town at a Time will be screened at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St.,, on Saturday, July 20, at 10:30 a.m.
This film tells the story of one young man's exploration of Vermont. Inspired by the 251 Club, Michael Leonard visited all 251 towns in the state in 2006. Twelve years later, he did it again - returning to some of the same places and re-interviewing some of the same people.
Learn how Vermont has changed, how it has stayed the same and how a humble wayfarer's club shaped Leonard's identity. This coming-of-age film is firmly rooted in the community spirit that makes Vermont's towns so special and includes diverse voices such as former Gov. Jim Douglas and Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Rockingham Library, this event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-463-4270, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.
Rockingham Meeting House concert to feature traditional tunes
ROCKINGHAM - The Rockingham Meeting House will continue its “Third Sunday” musical series on July 21 at 3 p.m. These hour-long concerts feature traditional music from earlier times, from the popular to the sacred.
The July 21 concert will feature Claremont, N.H., residents Andy and Lois Buchan performing music for fife and drum. The couple has been playing fife and drum music for more than 30 years, first as part of a corps and more recently as a duo. Much of the music is drawn from the Revolutionary and Civil War eras, although there is a sizable repertoire of more modern tunes as well.
All performances are held at the Rockingham Meeting House, on Meeting House Road off Route 103, a few miles north of Bellows Falls. Admission is free. Donations to both the musicians and the meeting house restoration fund will be greatly appreciated. Learn more at www.rockbf.org.
Castle Freeman to read at Putney Library
PUTNEY - Vermont author Castle Freeman Jr. will read at Putney Public Library, 55 Main St., on Thursday, July 25, at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Castle will read from his most recently published novel, The Devil in the Valley (2016) and from a series of short essays he wrote for the Old Farmers' Almanac. There will be a question-and-answer period and Castle will sign books that people bring. No books will be for sale at this event.
Freeman is the author of eight novels, 80 short stories, two story collections, one full-length work of Vermont history, and more than 100 other essays, articles, and op-eds - most related in some way to Vermont.
Co-op to host ice cream social
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Food Co-op will host the third annual Ice Cream Social on Saturday, July 27, from noon to 3 p.m., on the Whetstone Pathway across from the Co-op (Rain date is Sunday, July 28). Everyone is welcome.
Once again, the Co-op is partnering with KidsPLAYce and many other local family-based organizations. Visitors can chat with representatives of Groundworks Collaborative, 350.org, Mother-Up, and other organizations, as well as help make an art project with the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
Also present will be a clown making balloon animals, kids' activities, face-painting and, of course, free gelato from the Co-op's producer of the month, the Vermont Gelato Company.
This event is held to celebrate summer, family, and community, and everyone is welcome. For more information, visit www.brattleborofoodcoop.coop/event/ice-cream-social-2.
Westminster West School to dedicate Major Pavilion
WESTMINSTER WEST - Everyone is invited to attend the dedication and celebration of the completed pavilion honoring Beverly Major at the Westminster West School on Saturday, July 27, beginning at 4:30 (heavy rain date, July 28).
The ceremony will begin with speakers recounting tales and contributions of Bev Major, for whom the pavilion will be named, followed by a sit-down pot-luck celebration with music, a bonfire, and a variety of activities for young and old.
Also being celebrated is the community effort to build the 16 x 16 open-air structure, which will be used by all Westminster elementary students at Studio Y, fostering integrated arts and nature-based learning. The program has been a huge success, and widely recognized as a highlight of each student's academic year.
Volunteers are sought to assist in any way possible. All are encouraged to bring a dish. Further information can be obtained by writing to westminstercommunitygroup@gmail.com. Financial support for the pavilion, and for the group's endeavors, should be made payable and mailed to Lauren McDowell, 1844 Westminster West Rd., Westminster West, VT 05346.