Proposals are sought for Brattleboro marketing initiative
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Brattleboro Alliance recently issued an RFP soliciting proposals from marketing professionals to develop a marketing initiative for the town of Brattleboro, VT. The purpose of the initiative is to support the growth of tourism in Brattleboro.
The release of the RFP follows action by Brattleboro's Town Meeting Representatives. On March 23, 2019, Brattleboro Town Meeting Representatives appropriated the sum of $42,119 for the joint promotion of Brattleboro by the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance.
The purpose of this RFP is to identify a marketing professional that will have the ability to develop and execute a strategic and tactical marketing plan that will attract visitors to Brattleboro to shop, dine, stay, and enjoy the town.
Proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. on Aug. 19, 2019. The RFP can be found at www.brattleborochamber.org/brattleboro-marketing-initiative.
Town reminds residents to keep sidewalks clear
BRATTLEBORO - The Town of Brattleboro reminds all property owners, residents, and business operators to keep sidewalks clear and free from any obstructions.
This is necessary to maintain open and safe use of all sidewalks by all people, and it is especially important for people using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers.
Town ordinances require that owners keep vegetation from encroaching on or over sidewalks. Residents also are required to keep garbage cans, recycling bins, and compost containers off of sidewalks and to bring those items back onto their property (away from curb) after Triple-T has collected the contents at curbside.
The Town encourages everyone to practice the same level of courtesy regarding all other items that might block a sidewalk.
United Church of Bellows Falls hosts ice cream social
BELLOWS FALLS - The United Church of Bellows Falls, 8 School St., will host an ice cream social, rain or shine, on Aug. 2 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Assorted toppings will be available for vanilla and chocolate flavored ice cream and raspberry sherbet, at one scoop for $2, or three scoops for $5.
All proceeds are earmarked for the Comtois Family Scholarship Fund, established in memory of long time church members, Richard and Barbara Comtois.
Ceremony commemorates Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings
GRAFTON - A commemoration ceremony for the 74th anniversary of the nuclear destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Grafton Peace Pagoda.
The ceremony also asks all nations to forever renounce war and create a nuclear-free world.
At 6:30 p.m., a walk will begin from the Grafton Town Square to the Peace Pagoda (about 4.3 miles). A program of peace begins at 8 p.m. at the pagoda, with speakers, poetry, the ceremonial Lighting of lanterns, an interfaith prayer, and musical offerings.
This event will happen rain or shine. Wear weather-appropriate clothes and bring a flashlight, insect repellent, and a blanket for comfort. Call 518-658-9301 for more information.
Meeting House Pilgrimage features food of the Depression era
BELLOWS FALLS - Did you grow up in New England having baked beans for Saturday night supper? Does the mention of Apple Pandowdy make your eyes light up? Are chicken pot pie and boiled dinner part of your growing up memories?
Come to the 113th annual pilgrimage to the Rockingham Meeting House on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 1 p.m., where Steve Perkins, executive director of the Vermont Historical Society, will offer a talk on “Vermont Eats.”
His talk will focus on foods served up in Vermont during the Great Depression and beyond. This project draws heavily on the Works Progress Administration's “America Eats” program, which employed writers and photographers to document the various cuisines around the country from 1935 to 1943.
There will be samples of some of the vintage Vermont recipes that the WPA collected, including Indian pudding, traditional baked beans, peach (strawberry) shortcake, haymaker's switchel, and spiced currants.
The pilgrimage is the final event of Rockingham Old Home Days.
Vernon Historians host ice cream social
VERNON - To celebrate the summer, the Vernon Historians and the Southern Vermont Young Professionals are hosting an old-fashioned ice cream social at the Vernon Historical Museum on Sunday, Aug. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Delicious hand-cranked ice cream will be made and served at no charge, and the public is invited to come enjoy this treat with family, friends, and neighbors. Visitors are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and spend a relaxing afternoon exploring the museum and learning some interesting facts about Vernon's history.
The museum's main building includes a one-room schoolhouse built around 1848. It contains an original schoolroom, farmhouse kitchen, farm tools, local artifacts, and a large collection of photographs. The adjacent annex building features a buggy, lumber wagon, farm-related equipment and tools, and a portion of the former North Vernon Post Office.
The Museum is open each year from June through September, on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 p.m., and by appointment. It is located at 4201 Fort Bridgman Rd. (Route 142), one mile north of the state line. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
HMCA gathers for annual summer meeting
WILMINGTON - On Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Memorial Hall, 14 West Main St., the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association will hold its annual summer meeting.
It features Mike Clough, managing director of the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum. Clough will bring along some of the museum's live animals and birds to help illustrate his talk about how Southern Vermont's wildlife populations have changed over time.
Some birds and animals that Native Americans and early settlers encountered are no longer here, and some animals and birds we think of as common were unusual or not present at all several hundred years ago.
The museum, which sits atop Hogback Mountain, is certified to care for wildlife that is unable to survive on its own, such as hawks that have been injured and are unable to hunt. Some of the wildlife that the museum cares for have been museum residents for years.
This event is free and open to the public. Kids are very welcome. Questions? Contact the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association at hmca@hogbackvt.org, or the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum at vermontmuseum@gmail.com.