One-on-one computer coaching returns to Brooks
BRATTLEBORO - Through the auspices of e-Vermont and a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation, Brooks Memorial Library is able to offer one-on-one computer coaching with a skilled student intern from Community College of Vermont.
These private 45-minute sessions will enable participants to learn basic computer tasks, such as setting up and using an email account, creating a Facebook account, or using a word processing program or other popular software program. The library has computers available, or participants may bring their own tablets, smart phones, or laptops to explore the capabilities of those devices; for example, downloading ebooks or other digital media.
Days and times are: Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesdays 2 to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, Noon to 2 p.m., through April or until the programs last. Sessions will be 45 minutes and will be scheduled on the hour. Reservations should be made in advance by calling the library reference desk at 802-254-5290, ext 109. Walk-ins may be served if there are no reservations waiting.
Brattleboro Area Jewish Community announces April service schedule
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Area Jewish Community will have a Shabbat morning service on April 6 that will begin at 10 a.m. and will honor Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday, April 12, begins at 6 p.m. and will observe Yom Hazikaron (Israel's Independence Day) and Yom Haatzma'ut (Israeli's Memorial Day). The service will be followed by an Israeli-style potluck supper; bring a vegetarian/dairy dish to share, preferably Israeli foods.
PJ Shabbat meets at 6:30 p.m. on April 19. Youngsters up to age 5 are welcome to come in their pajamas for a song or story and some sweets before going home to sleep.
On April 20, the Shabbat morning service, including the Torah service, begins at 10 a.m. Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday, April 26, begins at 6 p.m. and is followed by potluck vegetarian/dairy supper. For more information, call 802-257-1959 or visit bajcvermont.org.
BEEC prepares for its annual celebration at River Garden
BRATTLEBORO - Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center (BEEC) is preparing for its annual Gala at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro on Sunday, April 7. This year's theme is “A Celebration of the Art of Observation.”
The event will include an auction of art inspired by nature with work contributed by regional artists, both young and old. A portion of the funds raised will be donated to the Gary Blomgren Scholarship Fund, named for the beloved Brattleboro Union High School art teacher who died this fall and who was a master at teaching his students the “art of observation.”
Live music by “Pretty Daddy” will set the mood, and refreshments prepared by the Windham Regional Career Center will encourage conviviality.
The Paul Stockwell Conservation Award will be presented to a group or individual who has furthered the stewardship of our Vermont lands.
The keynote speaker will be Clare Leslie Walker, a nationally known naturalist, artist, educator, and author of 11 books, including The Nature Connection and Keeping a Nature Journal.
Doors will open at 3 p.m. for art viewing, Music and festivities begin at 5 p.m. BEEC invites all to come and join the fun. The event is free and open to all with a suggested donation of $5 at the door. For more information, visit beec.org.
Second Osher lecture on Broadway, Arab Spring
DUMMERSTON-The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), announces the second of its spring series of morning and afternoon lectures, scheduled for April 8.
In the morning lecture Zeke Hecker, a composer and student of music, will discuss Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and the Broadway musicals of the 1930s. The afternoon program, by Lynette Rummel of Marlboro College, will examine the birth of the Arab Spring in Tunisia.
Morning lectures will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. Afternoon lectures from 1 to 3 p.m. All will be held at the Southeast Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 Vermont Route 5, in Dummerston. Parking and handicapped access are available. Light refreshments will be served. For further information, including concerning cancellations, call 802- 257-8600 or toll-free 866-889-0042.
Intro to essential skills for 21st century leaders offered
BRATTLEBORO - In the dynamically changing global environment, leaders must be equipped with skills and tools for getting things done. What are leadership best practices? How can you learn and apply them?
Ingrid Bredenberg, a Grad School faculty member and strategic coach, will lead an interactive exploration of the behaviors and practices of successful leadership on Tuesday, April 9, from noon to 1 p.m., at the Marlboro College Graduate Center on Vernon Street.
The program is a free executive briefing and is designed for leaders in all sectors. To register, visit mixapril.eventbrite.com.
This event is part of the Grad School's Tuesday lunchtime MIX (Management Ideas Exchange) free workshop series. MIX is a free monthly networking opportunity sponsored by the nonprofit, business and healthcare managements program at Marlboro College Graduate School.
BF Woman's Club presents annual student art show
BELLOWS FALLS - Members of the Bellows Falls Woman's Club will meet at Bellows Falls Union High School on April 9 for the annual club-sponsored arts show. Women should be at the school by 11:30 a.m. to view the prejudged art and quilts on display and to vote on their favorite piece. The students in the Family and Consumer Science Department will serve a luncheon for the club members. Following this, they will go to the auditorium where the music students in the chorus and the band will entertain them. Awards, including cash prizes for first place winners in the art show, will be given.
At the club's March 12 meeting, Chris Sherwin, local glass blower and owner of Sherwin Art Glass, spoke of his background and training as a glass blower. He showed several of his fine pieces, including paperweights, animals, vegetables and fruits, and stemless wine glasses. During the business meeting, President Judy Boynton announced that $75 of her President's Project collection would be sent to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf, since the money would be matched in part by another organization during March. At the previous meeting, club members donated several boxes of non-perishable food and personal care items to Our Place Drop-in Center.
BAPC presents parenting class in Putney
PUTNEY - Parenting does not come with a handbook, but “Parenting Teens Wisely” does.
In an effort to promote positive communications between parents, caregivers and teens, the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (BAPC) is offering the Parenting Teens Wisely workshop, on Tuesday, April 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Putney Central School Library.
This free three-hour workshop teaches parents skills and techniques to help them better understand and deal with children ages 10-19. Participants will learn how to problem-solve and encourage cooperation with their teen and learn to develop fair and effective discipline skills.
Two trained facilitators will guide participants to help build understanding and communication among all members of the family. The course teaches constructive skills proven to lessen drug and alcohol abuse in youth, school and homework problems, delinquency and other problem behaviors, as well as family conflict.
All participants will receive a Parenting Teens Wisely workbook, a parent resource packet, a certificate of completion and a $25 gift card upon completion. Snacks will also be provided during the course. Space is limited. Call BAPC at 802-257-2175 for more information. This workshop is presented by BAPC in collaboration with Putney Family Services.
Annual Employment Fair to be held in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD - The second annual River Valley Employment Fair will be held on Wednesday, April 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. There are more than 25 employers and service agencies lined up to help area job seekers find work.
The employment fair is a joint effort between the River Valley Workforce Investment Board (WIB), the Vermont Department of Labor, Creative Workforce Solutions, and the River Valley Technical Center (RVTC).
Employers who will be at the fair include Black River Produce, Rite Aid, Sonnax, Springfield Health and Rehabilitation Center, Springfield Humane Society, Jeld-Wen, TD Bank, Springfield Printing, Green Mountain Traffic Control, SEVCA, Westaff, Lucas Industries, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Frito Lay/Pepsi, Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Vermont & New Hampshire, Cedar Hill CCC, Stratton Mountain Resort, Home Depot, and American Precision Museum.
Service sector participants include the Vermont Department of Labor, Vermont Army National Guard, the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, WISE of the Upper Valley, Springfield Chamber, Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, River Valley Workforce Investment Board, and Creative Workforce Solutions.
Motivate the Troops! Toastmasters meeting April 11
BRATTLEBORO - If fear and shyness around public speaking are holding you back, or are holding someone in your organization back, then Toastmasters is the answer.
BrattleMasters, the Brattleboro-based chapter of Toastmasters International, meets Thursday, April 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Marlboro College Graduate Center, room 2E, 28 Vernon St.
The theme of this meeting is “Motivate the Troops!” focusing on what it takes to build teams, run successful meetings, and produce dramatic results for your organization. Refreshments are provided.
The club meets the second and fourth Thursday of every month at the same time and location. Guests are welcome and refreshments are provided. There is no pressure to speak, and members are working at their own pace and with assigned mentors to help them meet their speaking and leadership goals.
For more information, visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org.
Community forum looks at the developing teen brain
BELLOWS FALLS - On Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m., at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St., the Greater Falls Prevention Coalition will present “The Developing Teen Brain: What Parents Need to Know.”
Tweens and teens are hardwired for risk taking. As adults, our role is to support and guide kids to make safe and healthy choices. But sometimes, we just don't understand how and why kids make the decisions they do.
Dover Police Chief Robert Edwards will lead a dynamic presentation on the developing teen brain, preventing substance use, and tools for parents. A special emphasis will be given to youth use of marijuana and synthetic marijuana, as concern about their use by youth has increased within the Greater Falls community.
A question and answer session will follow the presentation. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, go to gfpcandtheline.org.
Spring leaf collection dates set
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro's curbside Spring Leaf Collection will take place on Friday, April 12 and 26. These will be the only two days scheduled for curbside leaf pick up.
All leaves and clippings must be in brown paper leaf bags and at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on scheduled leaf collection days. Acceptable waste includes leaves, grass, clippings, garden waste, twigs, and no branches larger than 1 inch in diameter and 2 feet long. No other household trash is to be included.
No plastic bags or other containers will be accepted as the materials collected will be used for compost. Brown paper leaf bags are available for purchase at local businesses.
New program helps seniors with balance
BRATTLEBORO - Senior Solutions will offer a free, eight-week program that helps senior citizens with balance issues, starting Saturday, April 13, at 10 a.m. in the Brew Barry Conference Center at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
“A Matter of Balance” helps seniors deal with their fears of falling and creates better solutions to prevent falls. To register for this free program, call 802-257-8877.
Garden Collaborative reprises soil building garden workshop
BELLOWS FALLS - Back by popular demand, the Greater Falls Community Garden Collaborative (GFCGC) will host once again the Soil Building Garden workshop it held in January to a capacity audience.
As then, this workshop will be led by experienced gardener, farmer, science teacher, and Saxtons River resident Julie Chickering.
The class will be held on Sunday, April 14, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the United Church of Bellows Falls. Admission is free, though donations are always appreciated. Coffee, tea, and whatever else appears on the table will be available. Because space is limited, advanced registration is requested (Call Tim at 802-869-2141).
Amongst the topics that Chickering will cover will include soil texture, the importance of organic matter, soil tests - how to do them and what they mean, the macronutrients plants need and how to provide them, and the importance of pH. She will also answer any other questions.
BUHS Class of 1963 to award a scholarship
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Union High School Class of 1963, as part of its celebration of its 50th reunion this June, is awarding a scholarship in memory of its classmates who have died since their graduation.
Applicants should be seniors at BUHS who have a career goal in the health care field and have applied to two-year or four-year colleges for a degree in nursing, radiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreation therapy, social work, pharmacy, or medicine.
Since community service is an important part of the health care field, part of the application form asks about what community service was accomplished by the student and how it has impacted his or her decision on a career. Application forms are available at the BUHS Guidance Department and must be returned to the Department no later than April 8. The scholarship award will be presented at the 2013 graduation ceremonies.