Absentee ballots for Nov. 5 election now available
MONTPELIER - The Vermont Secretary of State's office has mailed absentee ballots to all registered voters for the Nov. 5 General Election.
According to a news release, the Secretary of State's office exported voter mailing addresses from the Vermont Elections Management System in preparation for mailing absentee ballots to all voters between Sept. 23 and Oct. 5. Any voter registered after Sept. 3 will have their ballot mailed out by the town clerk. Each town clerk's office will also receive a supply of absentee ballot materials for mailing to those newly registered voters and to new town residents after the September export dates.
Those who prefer to vote in person should plan to bring their mailed ballot to their polling location to cast their ballot on Nov. 5, rather than mailing back their absentee ballot to the town for processing. Voters who do not bring their mailed ballot with them will be required to complete and sign an affidavit form that swears they have not yet voted in the election. Only then can they receive a ballot to cast at the polls.
If you have not received your ballot by Oct. 7, or have any questions about voting, contact your town clerk's office.
Comedian Nina G comes to Landmark College for Oct. 3 show
PUTNEY - The Landmark College Center for Neurodiversity presents "An Evening with Nina G" on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Greenhoe Theater/Fine Arts Building.
When Nina G started doing comedy 13 years ago, she says, she was the only woman in the world who stuttered and was dyslexic performing as a stand-up comic. Undaunted after battling a lifetime of stigma, Nina G pursued her dream. Her presentation will combine parts of her stand-up routine with a discussion about how she uses humor to help people confront and understand disability culture, access, and empowerment.
Nina G has performed across the country and has been part of the Comedians with Disabilities Act show, which spreads awareness and acceptance of disability. She has authored two books: Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn't Happen, and Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History, and her 2023 comedy album debuted at No. 1 on iTunes. Her comedy special, Stutterer Interrupted, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, email institute@landmark.edu.
Doug Frantz to give talk about his art on Oct. 3
WEST BRATTLEBORO - Doug Frantz, whose mobiles and photographs are currently on display at the West Village Meeting House, 29 South St., will give a talk about his work, with accompanying slides, at the Meeting House on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. Although the photographs in the exhibit were done in a variety of locations in the United States, Canada, and Europe, the talk and slides will focus on Frantz's home in West Brattleboro.
He will speak about why he began constructing mobiles and doing photography over half a century ago, why he continues, what they mean to him, and what he hopes others might find in them. More information can be found at ascvt.org/dougfrantz.
Putney School hosts Harvest Festival on Oct. 6
PUTNEY - The Putney School will host its annual fall celebration, Harvest Festival, on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There's no admission fee, and it will take place rain or shine. Note that this year's festival is one week earlier than usual.
"Every fall we come together to celebrate with food, music, crafts, games, and good cheer," organizers wrote in a news release. "Activities will include a bounce house, face painting, vendors, games and more. Harvest Festival is a tradition that dates back to the school's founding in 1935."
This year, the festival hosts a "meet the artist" event with Johnny Swing from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Swing, a 1980 Putney School graduate, is most known for his coin furniture. He focuses on nontraditional materials - coins, jars, and found items - and strives for his work "to entertain, to spark curiosity and create a dialogue with the viewer."
Any schedule updates will be posted on The Putney School Harvest Festival page at putneyschool.org/harvest-festival.
Open studio days at River Artisans Cooperative
BELLOWS FALLS -On Oct. 5 and 6, when artists and craftspeople throughout Vermont open their doors and studios to visitors, the River Artisans Cooperative, 28 The Square, invites people to make a stop there part of their tour.
In addition to a wide range of art and unique craft items, refreshments will be available. There will also be a free gift for visitors to choose from with each purchase. Artist Cindy Moses is offering silver jack-o'-lantern earrings, and book artist Deborah Stuart, one-of-a-kind bookmarks.
River Artisans Cooperative is open Thursdays through Mondays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
RFPL Cookbook Club focuses on community recipes
BELLOWS FALLS - Part book club and part potluck, the Rockingham Free Public Library invites cooking enthusiasts to their Cookbook Club. For each scheduled meeting, participants will take home copies of the same or similar cookbooks and then prepare one of the recipes to bring to the next gathering.
The next gathering is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 7, at 5:30 p.m. at the library. Mulled apple cider will be served. This meeting's pick is a community cookbook of each individual's choice.
Community cookbooks are collections of home-cooked recipes put together by religious organizations, school groups, families, booster clubs, and women's organizations, to name a few. All these books are defined by a community, with heartfelt recipes collected from them, and bound together (usually with the signature plastic comb spine) with the goal of raising money to benefit a cause within the community. Participants may pick their favorite, or find one at the library.
The club is free to join, and cooks of all skill levels are welcome. For more information, email reference@rockinghamlibrary.org.
Senior meal in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Evening Star Grange and Senior Solutions will present their next Senior Lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 9, with take-outs available between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and in-house seating at noon. The menu for this meal will be chicken salad or egg salad sandwich, accompanied by homemade corn chowder or vegetable soup, cole slaw, and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert.
Reservations are strongly suggested but not mandatory. Call the Grange at 802-254-1138 and leave name, phone number, choice of soup and sandwich, and whether the food will be for eating in or taking home. A donation of $3 for those 60 and above and $4 for the younger folk is suggested.
Design-A-Plate offered at Brooks Memorial Library
BRATTLEBORO - For the 43rd year, Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., offers its Design-A-Plate workshop. Participants should stop by the Children's Room at the library to pick up a Design-A-Plate packet and create their drawings at home, then return the packet to the library by Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m.
Plate designers choose between an 8-inch melamine plate, a 10-inch melamine plate, or a melamine bowl. The price is $7 per item for plates and bowls. Payment must be included when the completed drawings are dropped off at the library. Cash and checks payable to "Brooks Memorial Library" are accepted.
Plates and bowls will be ready for pickup in early December, just in time for holiday gift giving. For more information, call the Children's Room at 802-254-5290, ext. 1210, or visit brookslibraryvt.org/kids/DAP.
Book sale in Newfane
NEWFANE - The Friends of the Moore Free Library, 23 West St., will hold their fall book sale Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the library, just a few steps from the Newfane Common where the Heritage Festival will take place.
More than 30 categories of fiction, nonfiction, and young people's books will be offered at bargain prices. Buy a Moore Free Library tote bag for $20 or fill it with books for $25. For more information call 802-365-7948 or email julielavorgna@gmail.com.
Rock Voices begins its fall season
BRATTLEBORO - Those looking for an amazing singing experience can choose to join Rock Voices, the community chorus that sings only rock music.
There are no auditions, and ability to read music is not necessary.
This fall, the choir will be singing songs by the Monkees, Billy Joel, Toto, Taylor Swift, Foreigner, and more. Final performances will be in early January 2025. Brattleboro rehearsals are held Monday nights, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Vermont Jazz Center in the Cotton Mill building, 72 Cotton Mill Hill.
The first rehearsal was on Sept. 23, but there's still plenty of time to join. Go to rockvoices.com for more information.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.