Sign-ups begin for Rec. Dept.'s fall youth sports
BRATTLEBORO - The Recreation & Parks Department is now accepting registrations for fall youth sports until Friday, Sept. 4.
Call the office at 802-254-5808 to schedule an appointment to register at the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St. (Don't forget to wear a mask.)
Visit Brattleboro.org to complete the online registration form, along with the COVID-19 release form, and then email them to recreation@brattleboro.org. Or you can print the forms and mail them to Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department, Attention: Fall Registration, P.O. Box 513, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
Applications and payment must also be received by Sept. 4. Checks should be made payable to “Brattleboro Recreation & Parks.”
Register in person at Living Memorial Park Pool, 61 Guilford St., on Tuesday, Aug. 25 and Wednesday, Aug. 26, from noon to 6 p.m. Masks will be required, and registrants must socially distance while waiting.
To make arrangements for special needs or for more information, call 802-254-5808, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
'Load the Latchis' returns on Aug. 27
BRATTLEBORO - Load The Latchis returns this year on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., when 92.7 BrattFM will be collecting grocery items and cash to support Foodworks, the food-shelf program at Groundworks Collaborative.
The goal is to fill every seat in the Latchis Theatre with a bag of groceries to help our neighbors in need, either with donations of food or with a $20 donation to represent one seat in the theater.
Bags of food items may be dropped off at a donation area on Flat Street for a contact-free contribution.
A donation of money (groundworks.rallybound.org/loadthelatchis2020/Donate/Tickets) makes a greater impact, as Groundworks is able to purchase large quantities of food from the Vermont Foodbank at prices well below grocery store cost.
Every dollar raised is leveraged by Foodworks' ability to accept large donations of free, high-quality food rescued from local grocery and convenience stores.
Free produce distribution in Putney
PUTNEY - The Vermont Foodbank and the Putney Foodshelf co-sponsor a monthly food drop of free produce and some non-perishables on the fourth Thursday of every month.
The next monthly drop is Thursday, Aug. 27, from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., at Putney Meadows, 17 Carol Brown Way (the white building across from the Putney Co-op and Putney Fire Station).
All are welcome. Because of COVID-19, drive-up service will be offered and bags will be provided.
Vernon Historians present annual Mums & More Sale
VERNON - The Vernon Historians will hold the organization's annual Mums & More Sale on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Vernon Historical Museum on Route 142.
The fundraiser features a selection of chrysanthemum plants from Griffin Gardens, as well as pottery, jewelry, and other craft work, plus jams, jellies, and baked goods.
All are asked to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
Monies raised by the sale help to pay for producing booklets and programs and for supplies related to the presentation and preservation of local history.
In addition to the artifacts and other historical contents of the Vernon Historical Museum, the organization also owns and maintains the historic (1860) Pond Road Chapel, and some funds from the sale are used to pay maintenance expenses, insurance, and utilities for that building.
Online auction benefits county historical society
NEWFANE - The Historical Society of Windham County's annual silent auction will be held online from noon on Aug. 28 until noon on Sept. 4. Visit historicalsocietyofwindhamcounty.org for full details and to place bids.
The auction, originally scheduled for last March, was cancelled due to COVID-19.
A selection of donations from local businesses and individuals will be available.
Proceeds will support the Historical Society and the West River Railroad Museum, which are open weekends from noon to 5 p.m. through mid-October.
Putney Mountain Hawkwatch: Self-limiting for 2020 season
PUTNEY - This fall, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Putney Mountain Hawkwatch will be posting only a limited number of observers on the mountain for any given day.
Over the years, many “Friends of the Watch” have also spent time with the designated watch crew. This year, due to the pandemic and the overall narrow scope of the summit clearing itself and the trails, the Hawkwatch is asking others to not visit to let watchers maintain social distancing while monitoring raptor flights.
Each day's volunteers will be exclusively from those who are on their roster of long-time qualified personnel. They will work from a very limited, roped off, watcher-only area.
The Putney Mountain Hawkwatch has done an annual fall raptor count since 1974. Data collected at the site is part of the Raptor Population Index, a study of raptor population trends in the Northeast. Since 2003, monarch butterfly flights have also been recorded.
Watch results will be posted daily at hawkcount.org.
Free trees for Brattleboro residents
BRATTLEBORO - Want to save money, beautify your surroundings, and stay cool? A single mature tree can save a homeowner up to 20 percent on energy costs, and helps your home and community stay cooler, lowering your health risks when it's hot outside.
Residents can sign up to receive up to two free trees from the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program and Brattleboro Tree Advisory Board, which are giving the trees away through Energy-Saving Trees, an Arbor Day Foundation program.
Visit vtcommunityforestry.org/est to reserve your trees from a list of available tree species, and learn how plant them to receive the greatest energy benefit for your home.
You must live in town to be eligible, trees will be available on first-come, first-served basis, and you will need to reserve them online.
Trees in containers will be available for pick-up at the Department of Public Works Building on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.