Condos brings open government tour to Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - Secretary of State Jim Condos will bring his open government tour to the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center, 230 Main St., on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 6-8 p.m.
Condos launched the 12-town tour to discuss Vermont's public records and open meeting laws with municipal and state employees and citizens who serve on local government boards. The public is invited and encouraged to attend these events.
“This tour allows me to assist Vermont's public officials who must abide by these laws every day. We recognize that these laws are not always clear and we need to hear from [municipal employees] regarding the challenges they face and the questions they have,” Condos said.
The following organizations participated in the organization of the tour: Vermont League of Cities and Towns, Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association, Vermont School Boards Association, Vermont Press Association, Vermont American Civil Liberties Union, and Vermont Common Cause.
To find out more information and to RSVP, contact Nancy Lynch at 802-828-2148 or by email.
Woman's Club holds bake sale
BELLOWS FALLS - The Bellows Falls Woman's Club will hold a food and bake sale at the Walpole (N.H.) Middle School gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 30, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., in conjunction with the Friends of the Walpole Library book sale.
A raffle of a chance to win one of three bags of eco-friendly products will also be held. Proceeds from the food sale and raffle will benefit the club's scholarship fund.
'Occupy Brattleboro' rallies to continue
BRATTLEBORO - There will be another “Occupy” rally/protest meet-up at the Wells Memorial Fountain at the corner of Main and Linden streets on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Present plans call for the rally to recur each Saturday afternoon. Also, a “General Assembly” meets each day at 6 p.m. at the Bandstand on the Common.
For more information, contact Anthony Gilbert at 802-258-8645.
Brattleboro presents annual 'Horribles Parade' on Oct. 31
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department will hold the annual Horribles Parade on Monday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m.
All ghosts, goblins, witches, scarecrows, and what-have-yous should meet in the Brattleboro Food Co-op parking lot at 5:45 p.m.
At 6 p.m., the parade will begin up Main Street to the Gibson-Aiken Center for costume judging, prizes, goodie bags, and more.
This event is co-sponsored by the Brattleboro Police Department. For more information regarding this event, call the Recreation and Parks Department at 802-254-5808.
UVM lecture series features discussion on farming post-Irene
GRAFTON - The University of Vermont and the Windham Foundation welcome Dr. Doug Lantagne, dean and director of extension at the University of Vermont (UVM), who will present “From Hurricane to Harvest: How Vermont's Farmers and Food Systems Will Recover Post-Irene.”
Lantagne, a fellow from the first class of the Food System Leadership Institute (FSLI), spent 14 years at Michigan State University in an extension/research position before moving to UVM.. Under his leadership, UVM Extension is a strong proponent of the food systems Spire of Excellence, a transdisciplinary research, education, and outreach program recently embraced by the faculty and leadership at the University of Vermont.
The free presentation will take place at the Inn's at Grafton's Phelps Barn Pub. The inn is located at 92 Main St. in Grafton Village.
Smith, Lisle to give talk on beaver engineering
WEST DUMMERSTON - Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center naturalist Patti Smith will take participants on a vicarious trip to the valley inhabited by Willow, Bunchberry, Snowberry, Ducky, Dewberry, and Sundew, the beaver family that she has been studying for the past four years, on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Dummerston Community Center on West Street.
Smith will take the audience on a photographic journey through the seasons and lives of these exceptional engineering mammals, and then pass the reins to human engineer Skip Lisle, who will talk about the beavers' ecological role as creators of wetlands and as an important keystone species throughout their range.
The same activities that make beavers so important to other wildlife often fail to endear them to people. Lisle will also talk about the technologies he pioneered to reduce human/beaver conflicts. The audience will discover how these methods can be used to restore beavers to places where they have been unwelcome, and to keep them in places where their welcome is wearing thin.
The presentation is sponsored by the Dummerston Conservation Commission and the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center. Call Mary Ellen Copeland at 802-257-0012 or Smith at 802-257-5785 for more information.
Knife sharpening clinic benefits TARPS
ROCKINGHAM - Thyme to Cook, 660 Route 5, will hold its second annual knife sharpening clinic on Friday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, as a benefit for TARPS, The Animal Rescue and Protection Society in Chester.
Get your first knife sharpened free, and bring two more and pay $2 each. (“No serrated knives, please!” organizers implore.)
All proceeds will go to the shelter.
Call Lisa or Leslie at 802-428-4077 for more information.
International Restorative Justice Week marked with literary event
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Community Justice Center (BCJC) and Write Action invite the community to join in a celebration of International Restorative Justice Week during the November Gallery Walk.
Members of both organizations will be working together to facilitate writing activities on the evening of Friday, Nov. 4, at the River Garden.
Restorative justice emphasizes healing in victims, meaningful accountability of offenders, and the involvement of citizens in creating healthier, safer communities.
From 4 to 6:30 p.m., there will be an opportunity for expression through writing, using prompts on the topic of restorative justice. Write Action members will be available for coaching. BCJC volunteers will be leading a prayer flag activity with similar prompts. At 7 p.m., all will be invited to perform their written pieces, in any style, at a “coffeehouse,” where coffee and refreshments will be provided.
For more information, contact Eliza Baker at 802-251-8143 or by email.
'Mockingbird' still soars at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - The Rockingham Free Public Library will offer a series of programs for the 2011 Vermont Reads: One-Book-Community-Read during November. This year's title is the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
The Library will offer a community book discussion group on the four consecutive Mondays in November, from 5-6:30 p.m. There will be a showing and discussion of the 1962 classic film adaptation of the novel on Monday, Nov. 21, and a panel discussion with local adults and students on Monday, Nov. 28.
“With Mockingbird's strong, unforgettable characters, its compassionate tone, and Harper Lee's beautiful, intelligent prose, it is one of America's most enduring classics,” the library writes. “The issues of race, ethics, diversity and justice are as timely and challenging now as they were when it was published in 1961.”
Free copies of To Kill a Mockingbird are available at the Library and Village Square Books. Contact the library at 802-463-4270 or by email for more information.
The statewide community reading program is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council.
Farm-to-school programs topic of discussion
BELLOWS FALLS - The Greater Falls Great Food Community Conversation (GFGFCC) will host a community supper on Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 6-7 p.m., at the Bellows Falls Middle School, 15 School St. The menu will include both vegetarian and meat chili, rice, bread, salad, cider, and dessert.
The meal will be followed by a community conversation at 7 p.m. that will focus on farm-to-school programming in the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, and the development of school and community gardens in Bellows Falls for the 2012 growing season.
Katherine Gillespie, Post Oil Solutions' Windham County Farm to School program manager, will lend her thoughts and ideas.
Embracing the towns of Rockingham, Westminister, Athens, and Cambridgeport, as well as the villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River, the mission of of the GFGFCC is to make locally produced and healthy food more accessible to all members of the community. For more information, contact Tim Stevenson at 802-869-2141 or by email.
Ukulele lessons offered at Main Street Arts
SAXTONS RIVER -That aloha feeling will come to Main Street Arts this fall for those who enroll in Ben Carr's beginning ukulele class starting Monday, Nov. 7.
Carr will teach the basics of playing melodies, singing, strumming, and ensemble playing in a seven-week class for adults, teens, and children over age 8. The class will meet from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. through Dec. 19. The fee is $42 for Main Street Arts members and $56 for non-members. Participants can bring their own instruments or contact MSA for help in purchasing one.
Carr, a southern Vermont-based musician, focuses on performance and education of drum set, percussion, and ukulele. He appears with many local acts, including Mo Ambesa and Sunny Lowdown, as well as performing solo. Registration information is available by contacting MSA at 802-869-2960, by email, or online.
Program on lost covered bridges presented at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - One of the many poignant reminders of Hurricane Irene's devastating passage through our area is the fate of Vermont's historic covered bridges. Across the country, millions watched a video of the Bartonsville bridge sliding almost intact into the Williams River.
“The number of bridge casualties is devastating,” said Wendy Nicholas, northeast director for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “These are wonderful landmarks that everyone loves and they are major connections for communities.”
The Rockingham Free Public Library will present “Lost Bridges of Vermont” on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Bill Caswell, a vice president of the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, will give a presentation focused on the history of covered bridges in the Rockingham area, with special attention on those damaged or lost.
Caswell has visited most of the covered bridges in the United States and has led a research project documenting those in this country and Canada. His new book, Connecticut and Rhode Island Covered Bridges, will be available at the program. There will be a slide show and time for questions.
The library's 2012 calendar is a monthly showcase and tribute to local Covered Bridges. It can also be purchased at this program. Call 802-463-4270 or visit online for more information.
Windham Regional Career Center offers fall community education, training programs
BRATTLEBORO - The Windham Regional Career Center at Brattleboro Union High School announces its Community Education and Training Programs for this fall, with 12 community education and training programs to meet the needs of area employers as well as providing personal and professional enrichment opportunities.
Manufacturing and technical training courses include Introduction to ToolingU, Computer Applications, Introduction to Excel, Creating a Google Website, and Digital Photography. Career Development courses include Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) training, ServSafe Certification, and Leadership Development Skills. Other personal and professional development courses include Thriving with Adult ADHD, Organizing 1-2-3, Weatherization Skillshop, and Introduction to Woodworking.
For more information visit the Career Center's website or call 802-451-3965 to receive a brochure describing all the courses. Class sizes are limited, so early registration is suggested.
Free relaxation program offered at Grace Cottage
TOWNSHEND - Could you use a bit more relaxation in your life? Grace Cottage Hospital is offering a free “Relaxed Living” workshop, on six Monday nights, Nov. 7 to Dec. 12, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., in the hospital's Community Wellness Center, 133 Grafton Rd. (Route 35).
Naturopathic Doctor Ani Hawkinson, medical director of the HeartSong Health in Community Clinic of Putney, will lead this soothing workshop, during which participants will learn a variety of relaxing techniques to optimize health. These methods will include mind-body practices from Ayurveda, the ancient natural medicine of India, and from Yoga, Ayurveda's sister science.
The course is designed for people of all ages and abilities. Participants are asked to wear loose clothing and to bring a towel or small blanket. The class is free, but pre-registration is required. Call 802-365-3649 by Thursday, Nov. 3.
BDCC to conduct economic impact survey
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. (BDCC) is doing an an economic impact survey regarding flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
BDCC plans to use the results to inform the bigger picture in terms of quantifying business loss in addition to building loss or damage. If your business had flood related economic loss due to the storm, please take the survey.