Tool helps property owners, schools, towns estimate education property taxes
MONTPELIER - The Vermont Department of Taxes has created an education property tax estimator tool for the 2021-22 property tax year (FY22).
The tool was created to help taxpayers understand the impact of their budget vote on Town Meeting Day and to help school board members and district officials understand the impact of proposed budgets on taxpayers based on their combination of property value and household income.
Figures produced by the tool are estimates only and final tax amounts will depend on the Yield amount enacted at the end of this legislative session, among other factors.
Taxpayers will need information from their current year property tax bill and an estimate of the per-pupil spending amount. The estimator tool can be found at tax.vermont.gov/property/education-property-tax-rates.
RFPL offers introduction to Grace Farm
BELLOWS FALLS - An introduction to Grace Farm and its new community supported agriculture (CSA) program will be held over Rockingham Free Public Library's Zoom on Thursday, March 18, at 7 p.m.
In early 2019, Grace Mooney purchased her home and 4 acres of land in Athens. In 2020, she tilled up about half an acre of her backyard and installed a 50-ft.-by-14-ft. caterpillar tunnel to help with season extension and summer tomatoes and peppers. She's currently building the infrastructure for a small livestock operation, with pastured pigs, meat chickens, and laying chickens.
“This will be my first year of running my own farm, and I can't wait to work with my neighbors and friends to provide food for my amazing community,” Mooney said in a news release.
This RFPL program will offer the opportunity to learn more about CSAs, the bio-intensive low-till method of vegetable farming, and a young woman's passion for feeding her community.
This program is part of a series: “Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change” at Rockingham Free Public Library, sponsored by a grant from the American Library Association. Growing and purchasing food locally is but one of many ways to create community resilience in the face of future climate change related disasters.
To receive an invitation, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org or call the library at 802-463-4270. Leave your phone number and email address.
AAUW offers scholarships for female students
BRATTLEBORO- The Brattleboro Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is again offering scholarships of up to $1,000 each to qualified female candidates who are residents of Windham County.
High school seniors graduating from area high schools or preparatory schools, or who are home schooled, are eligible to apply, as are women continuing their higher education. Applications will be judged on academic performance, community involvement, and financial need.
The applicant must be accepted or enrolled as an undergraduate student in a one-year certificate or two- or four-year accredited college degree program for 2021-22.
Applicants must have been legal residents of Windham County for at least two years.
Guidance counselors in area high schools have posters and application forms. They can also be obtained from area college financial aid offices or by contacting the AAUW scholarship committee at 802-490-2310.
Applications must be postmarked by Monday, March 22, and can be sent to AAUW Scholarship Committee, in care of Melanie Crosby, 41 Harmony Place Drive, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
This year's scholarships will honor Sylvia (Hunter) Eaton and Dorothy Birge Keller, recently deceased AAUW Brattleboro members.
Now in its 94th year, the Brattleboro branch is part of a national organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.
HCRS helps bring winter clothing to Vermonters in need
Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), southeastern Vermont's nonprofit community mental health agency, raised $9,395 to provide warm clothing to people across Windsor and Windham counties.
HCRS CEO George Karabakakis Ph.D. said in a news release that “the cold, winter months can be challenging for us all; however, for those with limited resources and a lack of warm clothing, it can be especially difficult to endure the cold temperatures safely.”
Numerous staff and two business partners joined HCRS's campaign to bring winter boots, hats, gloves, jackets, and other warm clothing to people without these basic necessities.
Donations are being used to purchase gift cards to online outdoor apparel stores, which are offered to community members identified by HCRS staff in need of warm clothing.
The agency has been distributing the donations throughout the winter months.