Property tax, utility bills due Nov. 15
BRATTLEBORO - The second installment of the 2019 Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on Friday, Nov. 15, by 5 p.m. Payments made after Nov. 15 will have an additional 1 percent interest added to the unpaid balance.
The utility billing is also due on Nov. 15 by 5 p.m. Payments made after Nov. 15 will have an additional 1 percent interest, as well as an 8 percent penalty added to the unpaid balance.
Payments can be mailed to Town of Brattleboro, 230 Main St., Suite 111, Brattleboro VT 05301. An official postmark of Nov. 15 will be considered an on-time payment. Include the quarterly payment stub to ensure your payment is applied properly.
Electronic Bank Checks must be received in the office by the due date. E-Checks dated for the due date, but received after the due date, won't be considered an on-time payment - check with your bank for payment schedule.
Payments slipped in the mail slot after hours on the due date won't be considered on time. Also, you may choose to make your payments via a credit card or debit card via www.brattleboro.org. Click on “bill pay” at the bottom of the home page. There is a fee for this service. Credit card payments aren't accepted at the office or by telephone.
If you choose to pay in person, the Treasurer's Office hours are Monday thru Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Room 111 of the Municipal Building.
Stroll hosts Windham County media panel
BRATTLEBORO - How well are state and local media outlets serving our community? Join the discussion at a special Brown Bag Series event from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, at the River Garden, 157 Main St.
Strolling of the Heifers will host a Windham County media panel to discuss Vermont media coverage as it relates to our community. Topics will include collaboration among media groups and shifts in how our community members access local, regional, and world news.
Kate O'Connor, executive director of the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce, will moderate the panel. Representatives from the Brattleboro Reformer and The Commons; radio stations WKVT, WTSA, WVEW, and Vermont Public Radio; online outlets iBrattleboro.com and VTDigger.org, and BCTV will contribute.
The public is welcome and encouraged to participate at this free event.
Meeting to discuss planning for Emerald Ash Borer
MARLBORO - It was recently reported that the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect from Asia that has decimated ash trees across the U.S., has reached Windham county.
The Marlboro Conservation Commission in partnership with the Vermont Departments of Agriculture and Forests, Parks, and Recreation and the Vermont Land Trust, will present a public forum on planning for the destructive green beetle.
The forum will be held at Ragle Hall in the Serkin Center for Performing Arts at Marlboro College, 2528 South Rd., on Thursday, Nov. 14.
Vermont was the 32nd state to have an emerald ash borer infestation (there are now 35 such states). Because of this, meeting organizers say Vermonters can benefit from all the research, learning, and experience prompted by earlier outbreaks.
United Way seeks volunteers for VITA program
BRATTLEBORO - The United Way of Windham County is seeking volunteers for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The VITA program helps families keep more of their earned income through free federal and state tax-return preparation by trained volunteers.
Volunteers don't need to be financial wizards: help is needed in their office to schedule appointments and to greet participants during tax clinics.
The VITA program runs weekly in Brattleboro from February to April 2020, with daytime volunteer shifts available. Volunteers are vital to the success of the program. No previous experience is required, and free training is provided.
A VITA Open House will be held Friday, Nov. 15, at noon. Free Tax Preparer training begins Friday, Dec. 6, at the United Way offices in Brattleboro. VITA Appointment Scheduler and Site Greeter training is on Jan. 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
To learn more, or to RSVP, contact 802-257-4011 or ruben@unitedwaywindham.org.
United Church presents Country Kitchen Bonanza
BELLOWS FALLS - The Women's Fellowship of the United Church of Bellows Falls, 8 School St., will hold a luncheon and sale on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with lunch served starting at 11 a.m.
The menu includes a choice of corn chowder or two soups, finger roll sandwiches, chips, apple crisp, and beverages. Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12. An a la carte menu and take-out are available.
There also will be a food and baked-goods sale, a raffle, theme baskets, dried-flower arrangements, and costume jewelry. The hall is accessible to all.
Harvest potluck, winter coat drive/giveaway in Townshend
TOWNSHEND - On Saturday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m, all are invited to a free community dinner at the Townshend Town Hall. This event is sponsored by Community Hope and Action. If you wish, bring your favorite potluck dish, appetizer, or dessert to share with your friends and neighbors.
This event is open to people of all ages from all towns. Folks are also encouraged to bring gently worn winter coats and take gently worn winter coats. To learn more, call 802-365-7355.
Greek supper benefits Carry Me Home
BRATTLEBORO - A Greek supper fundraiser to benefit Carry Me Home, a local nonprofit providing clothes and other necessities to refugees internationally and locally, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m., in Memorial Hall, in the basement of Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St.
Admission is $15 for ages 12 and over, $8 for ages 6-11, free for ages 5 and under, and maximum of $35 for a family. Vegetarian and gluten free options available. Email carrymehomecampaign@gmail.com, call 802-355-2256, or visit www.facebook.com/CarryMeHomeWithLove for more information.
Annual turkey supper served in Halifax
HALIFAX - The annual Halifax turkey supper is Saturday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Halifax community hall, 20 Brook Road.
On the menu is roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, stuffing, vegetable, rolls, and pie for dessert. Adults $12, children 12 and under $8, and children age 5 and under eat free. For more information, call Patty at 802-368-7390. Everyone is welcome.
Local families seek global impact through Operation Christmas Child
BRATTLEBORO - Green Mountain Chapel, 480 Western Ave., will be among 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations collecting shoebox gifts for children overseas during Operation Christmas Child's National Collection Week, Nov. 18-25.
This project partners with local churches across the globe “to deliver these tangible expressions of God's love to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty, and famine.” Families, churches, and groups transform empty shoeboxes into gifts filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items. For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.
This year, Brattleboro-area residents hope to collect more than 4,813 gifts to contribute to the 2019 global goal of reaching 11 million children. Donations may be brought to Green Mountain Chapel between Nov. 18 and 25. Call 802-254-5258 for donation times.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham.
Senior Center offers Thankgiving luncheon
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Senior Center and Brattleboro Senior Meals will host their annual Thanksgiving luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 21. The menu will include appetizer trays, roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, butternut squash, assorted bread, and assorted pies.
Appetizers will be served at 11:30 a.m. Suggested donation for seniors over 60 is $4.50. All other diners are welcome. There will be a charge of $7.25 per meal for those under 60.
Make your reservations early, as seating is limited to the first 150 callers. Reservations required by Tuesday, Nov. 19: Call 802-257-1236 or 802-257-7570.
Grafton Public Library hosts gingerbread house extravaganza
GRAFTON - Grafton Public Library seeks gingerbread house makers, expert and beginner alike, for participation in the upcoming Gingerbread House Extravaganza. Whether you are looking for a fun family project or want to show off your culinary skills, the library says it is delighted to display your creation.
You may choose to loan your house to the library, or donate it to the library for a Silent Auction to be held during the Extravaganza, with proceeds to benefit the Grafton Public Library.
For more information about submitting a gingerbread house, visit www.graftonpubliclibrary.org, email librarian@graftonpubliclibrary.org, or stop by the library at 204 Main St. in historic Grafton. Submission forms are due by Nov. 20.