Around the Towns

Brattleboro lifts winter parking ban

BRATTLEBORO - The Parking Department says the winter parking ban has ended for the season.

Overnight parking will be allowed on all streets, except in the downtown area: Main, High, Elliot (from School to Main), Flat, Canal (from the Brattleboro Food Co-op to #63), Church, Elm, and Grove streets, and Harris Place.

L&G Players present evening of short plays

TOWNSHEND - The Leland & Gray Players present “An Evening of Short Plays” on Thursday and Friday, April 14 and 15, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 16 at 2 p.m.

Featuring plays written, performed, and directed by the Players, the group describes “An Evening of Short Plays” as a “mix of drama, comedy, romance, and cowboys that the whole family will enjoy.”

“Have you ever fallen in love with a mermaid? Did you recently break out of prison to reunite with your partner? Were you ever entered into an arranged marriage with a dead man?” they ask. “If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this is the show for you!”

The show featuring student actors Olivia Bell, Gianna Birri, Peter Broussard, Spencer Butynski, Marley Felker, Dylan Hazelton, Trevor Hazelton, Mackson Hiner, Anselm Marrow, Lilian Newton, Kianelise Pena, Catherine Shine, Stephen Shine, Andrew Tolbert, and Callie Wicker.

Student directors are Spencer Butynski, Catherine Shine, Andrew Tolbert, and Stephen Shine.

Student writers are Spencer Butynski, Kianelise Pena, Catherine Shine, and Andrew Tolbert. Student techs are Oliver Andersen, Peter Broussard, and Connor Dunham.

Tickets are by donation, with $5 suggested, and available at the door. Masks are encouraged.

Memorial tree planting to honor Helene Henry

BRATTLEBORO - On Saturday April 16, at 11 a.m., all are invited to a tree planting to celebrate the life of Helene Henry at Prospect Hill Cemetery on South Main Street.

Henry, who died on July 30, 2021 at the age of 75, “was known for her passion, commitment, and steadfast dedication to enhancing Brattleboro's green spaces,” according to a news release. “She strongly advocated for trees being a part of any landscape, if she had her say. She believed that trees were the answer.”

Henry, along with forester and eventual Town Tree Warden Dan Adams and many others, planted hundreds of trees around town and was one of the driving forces behind the town's Tree Advisory Board.

No sugar-on-snow supper this year in Guilford

GUILFORD - The Guilford Volunteer Fire Department will not be holding the organization's longstanding traditional Sugar on Snow dinner this year.

“We look forward to next season,” the department said in a news release.

War tax resisters host event on April 18

BRATTLEBORO - On Monday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Taxes for Peace New England will hold a war tax resistance information table outside of the Brattleboro Food Co-op, 2 Main St.

“The U.S. military budget for one year exceeds the combined yearly military budgets of the next 11 largest military nations,” the group said in a news release. “For many years, nearly half of the U.S. budget has funded the military.”

The group said that the U.S. “is also in the process of upgrading its nuclear weapons arsenal and delivery systems at a cost of $1.7 trillion. This is a violation of the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and the recently enacted Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons - both parts of international law that the U.S. is obligated to honor, but does not.”

The group advocates for individual taxpayers to, if they choose, “refuse to pay for this and, instead, redirect the refused war tax dollars to organizations that provide for unmet human needs.”

For more information, visit taxesforpeacenewengland.weebly.com.

Silent Vigil resumes public space of loving kindness in Brattleboro

BRATTLEBORO - The Silent Vigil of Loving Kindness will begin its 2022 season on Wednesday, April 20, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the Wells Fountain (opposite Brooks Memorial Library and the Municipal Center).

Under a banner that reads “Holding a Space of Loving Kindness for All Living Beings,” organizer Tim Stevenson said the vigil will be held every other Wednesday there from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

“Our purpose is to serve as a living reminder of the inherent goodness of each of us, as well as our natural connection with one another,” Stevenson said. “For a few minutes or the entire hour, all are welcome to join us in extending sentiments of loving kindness to all living beings: to family and friends, neighbors and strangers, kindred spirits and adversaries, human and non-human beings, alike. And to ourselves, as well.”

People may choose to stand, kneel, or sit in a chair they bring, or sit on one of the stone benches circling the fountain.

For further information and to be on the mailing list for future vigils, contact Stevenson at bereal@vermontel.net.

Free legal clinic offered for Vermonters over 60

BRATTLEBORO - On April 21, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Vermont Legal Aid is hosting a legal advice clinic by phone for Vermonters aged 60 and older.

People can call for help with health care, social security benefits, consumer debt, housing, unemployment, and more.

To book a free 20-minute appointment, call 802-318-4169 and leave a message, or sign up at vtlawhelp.org/seniors.

If you have an immediate legal problem, call the general phone number at 800-889-2047 and leave a message requesting help.

NAMI presents 'In Our Own Voice'

To commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Vermont (NAMI-VT) will offer In Our Own Voice, an interactive presentation where two people living with a mental health condition share their stories.

The program uses “the power of the story to change attitudes, assumptions, and stereotypes by describing the reality of living with a mental illness, to reduce stigma, educate and provide support,” as described in a news release.

The free online presentation is appropriate for diverse audiences, including family members, friends, mental health professionals, and people diagnosed with mental health conditions. These presentations are available for businesses, hospitals, high schools, colleges and universities, communities of faith, community organizations, and other venues.

For more information, call In Our Own Voice Coordinator Mitzi Bockmann at NAMI Vermont at 802-356-9957, or visit namivt.org/education/in-our-own-voice.

Westminster Garden Tour will return this year

WESTMINSTER - After two years of event cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Westminster Cares has announced the resumption of the Westminster Garden Tour this summer.

The event will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds support the programs and services of Westminster Cares, which creates opportunities for seniors and adults with disabilities to live with dignity and independence in the community.

If you would like to be on the Garden Tour's email list, contact westminstercaresvt@gmail.com. Visit westminstercares.org, or follow the organization on Facebook for updates on the Garden Tour.

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