2020 dog licenses are now available
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro dog and wolf-hybrid licenses are available for the 2020 licensing period. Vermont dogs and wolf-hybrids 6 months and older must be licensed on or before April 1.
Renewal licenses may be obtained in person at the Town Clerk's office, through the mail, or online at www.brattleboro.org. Dogs licensed in Brattleboro for the first time may be licensed in person or through the mail by printing the license form from that website.
Vaccination against rabies is required by Vermont statutes before licensing. If an animal has been spayed or neutered, the certificate issued by the veterinarian must be presented when licensing the animal for the first time. A current rabies certificate issued and signed by a veterinarian must be filed with the Town Clerk.
The licensing fees, due by April 1, are $19 for neutered animals and $23 for un-neutered animals. Specially trained assistance dogs may be eligible for a reduced licensing fee.
Dogs and wolf-hybrids licensed after April 1 will be charged a penalty. In addition, any person failing to license a dog or wolf-hybrid may be fined up to $100 and the dog or wolf-hybrid may be impounded. If an animal licensed last year has died or been given away, contact the Town Clerk's office at 802-251-8157, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Youth Services' Drop-In Dinner to provide outreach for older youth
BRATTLEBORO - Starting Jan. 8, Youth Services will host a weekly drop-in dinner for older youth, ages 16-24, in the greater Brattleboro community, at the new Snow Block Community Room, at 29 Flat St., from 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday.
At the drop-in dinner, area youth are welcome to come by for a free meal, meet with and socialize with other youth and meet Youth Services staff. Occasional workshops, activities, and other projects may be offered in the future, based on feedback from attendees.
Young people facing challenges can access Youth Services staff to find out more about what Youth Services has to offer, including case management and assistance with job searches, housing applications, attaining food stamp/Medicaid applications, and providing referrals for other support as needed.
At some drop-in dinners, speakers from local agencies will present on what their services have to offer area youth.
Youth Services' weekly Wednesday drop-in dinner is being offered to provide free food for local youth - many of whom are facing food insecurity - and a safe space to connect with Youth Services staff as well as to build community.
To learn more, call Youth Services at 802-257-0361 or visit www.youthservicesinc.org.
Learn how to identify animal, plant species
BRATTLEBORO - Anyone interested in identifying local plant, animal, and fungus species and engaging with citizen science through the iNaturalist app are invited to come and learn about using iNaturalist to identify and record local plant, animal, and fungus species and help deepen the knowledge of the region's biodiversity on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at Holton Hall, third floor, at the Winston Prouty Center, 209 Austine Drive.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration isn't required.
Emily Anderson of Vermont Center for Ecostudies will explain iNaturalist and walk participants through the basics of recording their first observation. For established users, she will answer questions that have come up while out observing.
iNaturalist is an easy to use, crowd-sourced, species-identification app. It allows people to snap photos of animals and plants that experts from the iNaturalist online community then identify. It was made by students at the University of California, Berkeley and has spread worldwide.
Through iNaturalist, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies manages the Vermont Atlas of Life project, whose mission is to discover, map, and monitor biodiversity across the state. In just a few years, more than 7,000 Vermonters have added over 365,000 observations.
Osher lectures feature BMAC's chief curator
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro branch of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will offer a series of lectures on Mondays, Jan. 13, 20, 27 (snow date Feb. 3), from 1 to 3 p.m. at the New England Youth Theatre, 100 Flat St.
Join three discussions analyzing works of modern and contemporary art, “Adventures in Looking,” led by Mara Williams, the chief curator of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
Williams says artists “invest a considerable amount of their intellect, emotions, senses, and spirituality to give outward form to their inner voice. One of the great joys of viewing art is tussling meaning out of an object made by another human being.”
Central to this effort, she says, “is the object's physicality. Exploring how surface texture, formal relationships, gestural nuance, palette, or patina support the content of the artwork is a rewarding endeavor.”
The lectures are $6 per session, or $15 for all three, In case of inclement weather, listen to 96.7 WTSA-FM, consult www.wtsa.net, visit Brattleboro Area Osher Lifelong Learning Institute-OLLI on Facebook, or contact julielavorgna@gmail.com or 802-365-7278.
Dummerston forum looks at local bear population
DUMMERSTON - The Dummerston Conservation Commission is sponsoring a program on Vermont's black bears on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. (with a snow date on Tuesday, Jan. 21) at the Dummerston School. This program is free. Contributions are welcome.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Jaclyn Comeau will share information about Vermont's black bears. She will talk about what it takes for black bears to be successful in Vermont, what draws them into our backyards, and what we can do to prevent future conflicts between people and bears.
The discussion will focus on issues specific to Dummerston and its surrounding communities, with time for the public to ask questions and share their thoughts.
Child mentoring discussion offered in Townshend
TOWNSHEND - On Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Townshend Library will host a discussion on child mentoring led by representatives from 3 Generations Collaboration and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont.
Adult volunteers of all ages are needed to mentor local children. These mentorships require a commitment of one school year and may meet in school or outside of school.
Participants are asked to come fragrance-free. Winter weather cancellations for library events follow the school district closings. Those who can't attend the meeting are welcome to contact Janis at 3GC for more information at 802-428-4333 or team3gc@gmail.com.
Rec. Dept. offers parent/tot open gym
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department offers a parent/tot open gym program for parents and preschoolers' age 5 and under through April 23.
This is an unstructured program where the parent is responsible for their child(ren). The gym will be available for this program Mondays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:45 a.m.
Open Gym is a place for parents and tots to come in out of the cold and play with blocks, a playhouse, cars, toys, puzzles, a tunnel, a play kitchen, big rubber balls, and more. The fee is $1 per child per day. To learn more, call 802-254-5808.
Brooks Memorial Library seeks trustees
BRATTLEBORO - The Board of Library Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library seeks enthusiastic and dedicated library users to fill open positions on the Board.
Candidates for this position should have an interest in maintaining a strong and visionary library in Town. Trustees must be residents of Brattleboro.
The Board, which numbers nine trustees, meets at the Library from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. Members are asked to chair or serve on two or more committees that convene as needed.
For more information on the library, visit brookslibraryvt.org, and click on “About Brooks,” where library history, the most recent strategic plan, summary, trustee agendas, minutes, and committees are available.
Applicants should send a letter or email and resume describing their interest in serving on the Library Board, no later than Jan. 31 at 5 p.m., to Trustee Position, Board of Trustees, Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 05301, or trustees@brookslibraryvt.org.