USDA designates several counties as primary natural disaster areas
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated four counties in Massachusetts and two counties in Vermont as natural disaster areas because of losses caused by unseasonable late frost and freeze that occurred between April 28 and May 17.
All qualified farmers in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties in Massachusetts, Bennington and Windham counties in Vermont, and Cheshire County in New Hampshire will be eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from Sept. 29 to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA also has a variety of other programs to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.
Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
Introduction to Braille class 0ffered in Brattleboro, Whitingham
BRATTLEBORO - A free three-session class to introduce the Braille code will be offered in Brattleboro and Whitingham from October through December.
This class is designed for parents, family, educators, and friends of Braille readers, or those who are just curious and is funded by a grant from the Vermont Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Participants will experience using their other senses using blindfolds or low-vision simulators as well as a chance to read and write Braille. They will receive several free books, Braille playing cards, a slate and stylus, and other materials.
The classes will take place in Whitingham at the Whitingham Elementary School on Route 100 and Brooks Memorial Library on Main Street in Brattleboro. The dates for the Whitingham classes are Thursdays, 4-5 p.m.: Oct. 7, 14, and 21. The Brattleboro class will meet on Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 on Oct. 28, Nov. 18, and Dec. 2.
Braille is a code developed by Frenchman Louis Braille in the 1700s using six dots to express each letter of the alphabet. The Braille code gives children and adults with visual impairments the ability to read and write. Ninety percent of legally blind children don't have access to Braille. Those who are learning Braille benefit immensely when family and friends understand the code and can read, at least by sight, and write Braille. In addition, knowing something about Braille will help you to understand more about living with visual impairment.
For more information or to register, contact Melinda Underwood at 802-254-8761 or munderwood@vabvi.org.
Post Oil Solutions hosts lacto-fermentation workshop
SAXTONS RIVER- Continuing with its theme of eating out of our gardens 12 months of the year, Post Oil Solutions will conclude its fall series of (Re)learning to Feed Ourselves workshops of teaching various ways to to preserve and put food by with its annual lacto-fermentation workshop.
This event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m., at Christ's Church on Main Street. The fee is a $10/$70 sliding scale, with no one refused for lack of funds. They request, however, that people be as generous as possible to help support Post Oil's projects. Pre-registration and payment are required: call 877-886-7397. Payment at the door is $20, firm, and only if there is room. For this workshop, they will have no more than 15 participants.
Lacto-fermentation happens when the starches and sugars in vegetables and fruit convert to lactic acid by friendly lactic-acid producing bacteria. Using seasonably available produce, participants will prepare some vegetables to take home and ferment. Participants will also leave with some simple recipes. Cabbage, salt and canning jars will be provided. Vermont's Local Banquet publishers, Meg Lucas and Barbi Schreiber, will conduct the workshop.
Brooks Library to host health care reform panel
BRATTLEBORO - On Tuesday, Oct. 12, Brooks Memorial Library will present a program called “The Affordable Health Care Act & You.” The program is part of the Fall 2010 Wellness in Windham County series put together by Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, Grace Cottage Hospital, Brooks Memorial Library and Brattleboro Area Hospice.
The program will feature a panel made up of representatives from Vermont's Congressional delegation who will present information on the practical impact of health care reform for individuals, families, and small businesses. Participating in this event are Susan Elliot, community liaison for Congressman Peter Welch; David Reynolds, senior health policy advisor for Sen. Bernie Sanders; and John Tracy, advisor in the office of Sen. Patrick Leahy. Prudence MacKinney will serve as moderator of the panel, which has presented this program in numerous venues.
These members of our Vermont representatives' offices will explain important features of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and will answer questions about health care reform and how this new legislation is likely to affect Vermonters.
The program will be held in the Library Meeting Room at 224 Main St., and is free and open to all. For more information, contact the Library reference desk at 802-254-5290, ext. 109.
'Digestion for Health' program at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - It is said that digestion is the foundation of health. On Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 5 p.m., come to the Rockingham Free Public Library to find out more about this basic health topic. This free presentation is part of RFPL's series “Feel Great! Nutrition and Your Health” with educator Cindy Hebbard, and sponsored by Post Oil Solutions.
Digestion equates to good health and vitality, while bad digestion sets us up for chronic poor health. We may think that digestive issues are just nagging little problems, but they can be warning signs of more serious health issues. These signals may indicate nutrient deficiency, lack of assimilation, dehydration, poor elimination of toxins-- all of which can burden our body's organs and systems, making them more susceptible to disease.
Learn to choose and use herbs and nutritional supplements for many digestive disorders including acid reflux, ulcers, stomach ailments, IBS, constipation, gas, bloating and bowel disease. Space is limited, so register by calling the library at 802-463-4270.
'Listening to Your Business' workshop in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) with sponsorship provided by TD Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Building a Better Brattleboro, is presenting a dynamic half-day workshop “Listening To Your Business” for business owners, managers and key employees on Thursday, Oct. 14, from 6 to 10 p.m., at TD Bank Conference Room at 215 Main St.
The workshop will help participants evaluate and measure personal as well as business strategies. It will guide you in answering the question, “What do I really want from my business and how do I get it?” Learn how to assess, plan and manage your business to achieve your long-range vision. The workshop highlights the four steps necessary to maximize the growth and profitability of your business, through hands-on activities and facilitated interactive discussions.
If you are a downtown business owner, this course is offered at no cost. Other interested business owners, managers and key employees may attend for a special reduced price of $125. To register, contact Heather Gonyaw at hgonyaw@vtsbdc.org or call 800-639-5861.
A celebration of squash in Westminister West
WESTMINSTER WEST - The Westminster West Public Library will hosting a festival of squashes on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to celebrate humble but beautiful squashes and help support the services provided by the library.
Why squash? Library Trustee Tatiana Schreiber said: “Because they're so beautiful for one thing: winter squashes and pumpkins come in all shapes, colors and sizes; they're also delicious – and they'll be at peak flavor and sweetness by mid-October; and, the library recognizes and values the agricultural enterprises that are so important to making our community a beautiful and vibrant place to live.”
The squash festival is the annual summer/fall fundraiser for the two-room public library that provides a range of services for the Westminster community from Internet access to book groups for adults and afterschool programs for children.
“We operate this library on a minuscule annual budget and depend on fundraising to bring in the largest portion of that budget,” Schreiber said.
At this time, the library is putting out the call for vendors who would like to participate. Vendors can have a table set up in front of the library (or in the Westminster West Town Hall in case of rain.) Vendors are asked to provide a contribution to the library in an amount they choose, or, in lieu of a contribution, donations of squash are welcome to be used for the Squash Café, “play-table,” and “best-dressed squash” kids' activities. Vendors who cannot be present themselves may also have library volunteers sell their products, for a 40 percent commission.
The library is also seeking volunteers to help with the event. Volunteers can help by preparing food for the café, serving and/or cleaning up from the café, hosting vendors' tables, helping out with the kids' activities, or in any other way you can think of! Cooks for the café are asked to prepare a soup, main dish or desert. The library will provide donated squash if needed.
To volunteer, call the library at 802-387-4682, and leave a message. If you are interested in being a vendor, contact Schreiber at 802-387-2781 or tatianas@sover.net. Enrollment is limited to 12 businesses.
Annual White Cane Awareness Day celebration is Oct. 15
BRATTLEBORO - The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) and Vermont's Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) is sponsoring it's third annual White Cane Awareness Day event on Friday, Oct. 15 , at the Brattleboro Common.
The event will begin at 3 p.m. with a brief walk using Brattleboro's newly refurbished pedestrian sidewalks on the roads near the Common. Refreshments and information about VABVI and the Vermont's Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired programs will be provided before and after the walk. A limited supply of free tee-shirts will be available to participants.
It is estimated that 109,000 of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States use a white cane, but traveling safely can be challenging when many drivers are unaware of the laws that are meant to protect these pedestrians. In addition, the silence of hybrid cars has become an increasingly dangerous prospect for sighted, as well as visually impaired, pedestrians. Come learn more about visual impairments and the power of the white cane during Brattleboro's celebration of National White Cane Awareness Day.
The public is welcome to attend. For more information, or to arrange transportation for those who are visually impaired, call De Haskell at 802-254-8761.
VABVI was founded in 1926, with assistance from Helen Keller and the American Foundation for the Blind. VABVI has offices in Brattleboro, Rutland, Montpelier and Burlington and serves children and adults, whether blind or visually impaired, to achieve and maintain independence. For more information go to www.vabvi.org or call 800-639-5861.
A celebration of squash in Westminister West
WESTMINSTER WEST - The Westminster West Public Library will hosting a festival of squashes on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to celebrate humble but beautiful squashes and help support the services provided by the library.
Why squash? Library Trustee Tatiana Schreiber said: “Because they're so beautiful, for one thing: winter squashes and pumpkins come in all shapes, colors and sizes; they're also delicious, and they'll be at peak flavor and sweetness by mid-October; and the library recognizes and values the agricultural enterprises that are so important to making our community a beautiful and vibrant place to live.”
The squash festival is the annual summer/fall fundraiser for the two-room public library that provides a range of services for the Westminster community from Internet access to book groups for adults and afterschool programs for children.
“We operate this library on a minuscule annual budget and depend on fundraising to bring in the largest portion of that budget,” Schreiber said.
At this time, the library is putting out the call for vendors who would like to participate. Vendors can have a table set up in front of the library (or in the Westminster West Town Hall in case of rain.) Vendors are asked to provide a contribution to the library in an amount they choose, or, in lieu of a contribution, donations of squash are welcome to be used for the Squash Café, “play-table,” and “best-dressed squash” kids' activities. Vendors who cannot be present themselves may also have library volunteers sell their products, for a 40 percent commission.
The library is also seeking volunteers to help with the event. Volunteers can help by preparing food for the café, serving and/or cleaning up from the café, hosting vendors' tables, helping out with the kids' activities, or in any other way you can think of! Cooks for the café are asked to prepare a soup, main dish or desert. The library will provide donated squash if needed.
To volunteer, call the library at 802-387-4682, and leave a message. If you are interested in being a vendor, contact Schreiber at 802-387-2781 or tatianas@sover.net, or Carlene Raper at 802-387-8505 or carlene@colorquilts.com.
Photoshop for Web Developers workshop offered
BRATTLEBORO - Marlboro College Graduate School is offering “Basic Photoshop for Web Developers,” a non-credit course for web developers who would like to learn and apply basic Photoshop techniques.
Topics will include working with layers to create a mockup, font effects, text effects, image effects, and creating banner ads.
Classes will meet on three Tuesday evenings: Oct. 12, 19 and 26. Each session will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and all classes will held at Marlboro College Graduate School in downtown Brattleboro, located at 28 Vernon St.
The course will be taught by local designer Meg McCarthy, a faculty member of Marlboro College Graduate School and proprietor of Meg McCarthy Design. The cost for the course is $150. For more information, visit gradschool.marlboro.edu or call 888-258-5665, ext. 209.