Famed folk families join for Grafton performances May 4
GRAFTON - John Lomax III of America's multi-generation folk music family brings his "Lomax On Lomax" presentation to Vermont for his New England debut Saturday, May 4, 6:30 p.m. at the Brick Meeting House, 2 Main St.
Fiddler John Specker and his daughters Ida Mae and Lila (The Speckers) will perform.
Local resident George Alexander is promoting this event. "Growing up, some of the favorite songs in my grammar school songbook were 'Home On The Range,' 'The Old Chisholm Trail,' and 'Streets of Laredo,'" he said in a news release. "I was amazed to meet the Lomax family after moving to Houston, Texas, and learning that their efforts had preserved those folk songs for us. Bringing this show to my new hometown of Grafton is a real joy."
The Speckers and their triple-fiddle performance will kick off the proceedings with Lomax following after a brief intermission. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door as well as from MKT Grafton, 162 Main St., The market is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and accepts cash or checks for ticket sales.
Medicaid and health resource info available at RFPL
ROCKINGHAM - The Vermont Workers' Center is hosting drop-in informational hours on Tuesday, May 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the Rockingham Free Public Library Meeting Room. All are welcome to stop in to get updated about Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, and other health care resources.
Those who have been cut off of Medicaid and are wondering if they qualify for other programs can learn the latest information. Information about rights in the Medicaid re-determination process will also be available, as well, the option to review any communications received about Medicaid or other health insurance. This event is free. For more information, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org, call 802-463-4270, or stop by the library at 65 Westminster St.
Etzweiler gives talk on tracking lynx in the North Maine Woods
PUTNEY - For more than a decade, Bob Etzweiler has led tracking expeditions to northern Maine to find and follow the trails of Canada lynx, a carnivore uniquely designed for the deep snows and the rugged and remote environment of the North Maine Woods. The purpose of these expeditions is to learn about this carnivore, experientially, while following its trails and to connect with the landscape that it calls home.
Etzweiler lives with his wife in East Dummerston and works with Vermont Wilderness School, leading programs for children in Nature Connection. He also runs adult programs teaching wildlife tracking and hunting skills and is a certified professional tracker.
All are invited to join Etzweiler for this free event at the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St., on Tuesday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m., where he will share photos and stories from his experiences leading groups on the trail.
Senior meal served in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Senior Solutions and Evening Star Grange will present their first of two monthly meals on Wednesday, May 8, at the Evening Star Grange hall in Dummerston Center, with take-out meals available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the in-house meal served at noon.
The menu features roast loin of pork, mashed potato, marinated carrots, with pineapple/cherry crisp for dessert. The vegetarian entree will be vegetable quiche. Reservations are strongly encouraged by calling the Grange at 802-254-1138. Leave complete name, phone number, number meals desired, and whether meals are for eating in or taking out. A donation to help defray expenses of $3 for those 60 and older and $4 for those under 60 is suggested.
Legion Band presents spring concert
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro American Legion Concert Band will present a spring concert on Wednesday, May 8, at 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street. There is no admission charge.
Brattleboro Watershed Forest hosts 'BioBlitz'
WEST BRATTLEBORO - On Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. a Bio-Blitz will be held to explore the biodiversity of the Brattleboro Watershed Forest and determine how it is recovering (or not) from last winter's (2022–23) timber harvests.
A BioBlitz is a crowdsourced community science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. Everyone works together at a BioBlitz - scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members-to get a snapshot of biodiversity.
This BioBlitz is co-hosted by the Brattleboro Conservation Commission and Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center (BEEC). Participants are asked to bring water and a smartphone with the iNaturalist app installed. Binoculars or a macro lens for phones will also be helpful.
The group will meet at Yankee Dog/Mama Sezz parking area on Marlboro Road. Locations to survey will be divvied up, and groups will carpool to the Gulf Road and Pleasant Valley Road entrances from there. A wrap event will follow at BEEC to gather, help with any lingering observations or uploads, and share out the results of all the work.
Join online for free at bit.ly/763-bio and join the iNaturalist project at bit.ly/763-inat.
For those who cannot make the event but still wish to contribute, the iNaturalist project remains open and automatically adds any public observations made within the boundaries of the Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.