Street closures announced
BRATTLEBORO - Strand Avenue will be closed to through traffic tentatively until Aug. 6 while BUR Construction performs drainage and retaining wall construction.
Crosby Street will also be closed to through traffic from the intersection of Crosby and Strand to 65 Crosby St. tentatively until Aug. 6. Access will still be provided for emergency services and local traffic.
Motorists are advised to use alternate routes. If there are questions or concerns, contact the Department of Public Works at 802-254-4255.
Elder driving issues addressed at Wilmington workshop
WILMINGTON - How do you tell a friend or family member that they should no longer be driving a car; that it is no longer safe for them or for others?
The Town Nurse of Wilmington, Jennifer Fitzgerald, and the Wilmington Police Department are offering a free seminar on Thursday, May 30, at 5 p.m., entitled “We Need To Talk” to address this issue.
Wayne Cooke, an AARP Safe Driver Educator, will provide materials, guidelines, tips, and reassurance enabling seminar participants to have a sensitive and successful conversation with the driver about whom they are having concerns.
The 90-minute presentation will be held at St. Mary's in the Mountains Episcopal Church on East Main Street in Wilmington. Register by leaving your name and phone number at 802-464-8321.
Youth Market Day at the BF Farmers' Market
BELLOWS FALLS - Friday, May 31 will be Youth Market Day at the Bellows Falls Farmers' Market. They will be handing out plant starts and seeds to the first 50 kids.
Enjoy an evening of entertainment with Gus Bloch. The farmers' market runs Fridays from 4-7 p.m. at the Waypoint Center on Depot Street in Bellows Falls next to the Amtrak station.
The Youth Market, which has happened annually since the market's inception in 2004, is held in conjunction with the regular Friday market. This year each child will receive plant starts donated by Guerilla Grown Produce and Harlow Farm. They will have a chance to bag their own compost which is donated by AlpineGlo Farm. Other activities will include face painting and various crafts.
The first Youth Market of the season is to get the kids set up and get them going and growing. It is hopeed that all the children will return in the fall for their second Youth Market of the season, Sept. 13, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their own product and a chance to enter “the best in grow” contest.
For additional information about the Bellows Falls Farmer's Market, contact market manager Rachel Ware at [email protected] or 802-463-2018.
Take a Kid for a Hike Day is June 1
WESTMINSTER WEST - On Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association will hold its popular Take a Kid for a Hike Day.
Tony Coven will guide this special summer walk for children and their families to the Pinnacle. At 1,683 feet, the panoramic Pinnacle is Westminster's highest peak in a 16-mile-long ridge that stretches from Athens to Dummerston; and the lookout offers spectacular views to Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain over 20 miles away.
To mark this favorite annual event, the Pinnacle Association will provide program participants with both a mid-hike snack and a special sticker.
Hikers should wear sturdy sneakers or walking shoes, and long pants to ward off ticks, and should bring water, a bag lunch, insect repellant, and sunscreen. They should meet at the Westminster West Church to carpool to the start at the Holden Trail kiosk, where there is limited parking.
Reference to the location of the Westminster West Church may be found under directions to trailheads #5 and #6 on the downloadable WHPA Access Points Map found at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org. The website also lists information about other upcoming Pinnacle Association programs and projects. For registration and additional information about this particular hike, contact Camilla Roberts at 802-869-1388 or [email protected].
Grafton Fire and Rescue hosts open house
GRAFTON - The Grafton Rescue Squad and Fire Department invite residents to meet their fire and rescue first responders and learn how these volunteers prepare for emergencies of all kinds during an open house on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be activities for all ages. Climb in the trucks, try on the turnout gear, handle a hose line, meet Horatio the computerized trainer, check your blood pressure and blood sugar, see how an AED works, and much more.
The safety trailer from the Mutual Aid District will also be there with its various exhibits and hands-on displays. The grills will be on and hamburgers, hot dogs, and other refreshments available.
Explore the salamanders of Vermont in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - On Tuesday, June 11, herpetologist Jim Andrews will lead an afternoon field trip and give an evening slide presentation on the salamanders of Vermont, focusing on their identification, natural history and conservation.
From 2 to 5 p.m., Andrews will help participants locate and learn about as many local salamanders as possible - with perhaps a few frogs, snakes and turtles in the mix - at Salmon Brook in Dummerston. Reservations for this field trip are required. Contact Lynn Levine at 802-254-4717 or [email protected]. A $10 donation is requested.
At 7 p.m., Andrews will give a PowerPoint presentation covering all the salamanders found in Vermont and ways residents can help survey for and conserve these species. It will take place at The Learning Collaborative on Route 5 in Dummerston, 1.5 miles north of the Exit 3 rotary. This evening program is free and reservations are not necessary.
Both programs are sponsored by the Dummerston Conservation Commission.
Putney garden tours scheduled for June
PUTNEY - Earth, Roots, Petals, & Paths, a tour of seven perennial and vegetable gardens, will be held the weekend of June 15 and 16. The tour will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
The tour includes seven private perennial and vegetable gardens in Putney - the Putney School gardens and farm, the Putney Central School garden and orchard, and the renowned four-acre garden created by Theodora and Peter Berg on Rice Mountain with the assistance of garden designer Gordon Hayward and dry stone waller Dan Snow.
Tickets may be purchased now and during the weekend of the tour at the Putney Public Library. Earth, Roots, Petals & Paths is a benefit for the Putney Public and Putney Central School libraries. A gourmet picnic lunch, baked goods and refreshing beverages will be available along the tour route. Pets are not permitted on the tour.
For more details, visit their Facebook page, e-mail at [email protected] or call 802-387-4407.
Children's tea party presented in Chesterfield
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - The First Universalist Church of West Chesterfield will sponsor a children's tea party on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Chesterfield Town Hall on Route 63.
Children will be greeted by a hostess who will teach them about table manners and tea party etiquette. Tea, muffins, scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts will be served. In addition, there will be crafts, games and a story time.
Admission is $10 for children ages 4-10, accompanied by an adult. Children age 3 and under will be admitted for free. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Call 603-256-3293 for reservations or more information.
Local AARP chapter sponsors trip to Maine
BRATTLEBORO - On Wednesday, Aug, 14, AARP Chapter 763 is sponsoring a bus trip to Foster's Downeast Clambake Restaurant in York, Maine for a lobster luncheon and a “Best of Times” Broadway musical review.
Because there are sure to be some extra seats on the motor coach, interested members of the general public are invited to join the trip.
The bus will leaving from Browne Court at 8:15 a.m., and will arrive at 11:30 for lunch and the show to follow. The return trip will include a stop and should get back to Brattleboro by 6:45 p.m.
The cost is $96 and includes lunch, transportation, and the show. The meal includes a whole boiled 1 1/4 pound lobster, clam chowder, steamed mussels, Maine clams, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes and onions, blueberry cake, rolls, butter and beverage. Barbecued chicken is available as a non-lobster alternative.
Anyone interested in joining the trip is invited to call Bernice Murdock at 802-254-8436 for more information and registration.
FairPoint expands broadband overage in Brattleboro, Dummerston
SOUTH BURLINGTON - FairPoint Communications has expanded broadband to more than 300 homes and businesses in Brattleboro and Dummerston.
FairPoint's new fiber-based, high-capacity network provides residential speed options up to 15Mbps.
FairPoint's broadband Internet service will reach customers along all or portions of the following streets and roads in the two towns: Black Mountain, Camp Arden, Cemetery, Clay Pit, Day, Dutton Farm, East-West, Falls Brook, Fisch, Fox Farm, Green Mountain Camp, Hague, Hescock, Hill, Howland, Hughes, Lake, Leverwood, Lost Mile, Oak Hill, Old Coach, Orchard, Overlook, Penny Lane, Pond, Potter Hill, Prospect View, Quarry, Rice Farm, Sokoki Hill, Stickney Brook, Sunset Lake, Travis, Vanderwater, and Warde.
FairPoint says it has invested nearly $100 million in its network and has added 1,100 miles of new fiber, providing high-speed access to nearly 90 percent of its Vermont service areas. For additional information, call 866-984-2001 or visit www.FairPoint.com.
Recreation & Parks Department offers discounted amusement park tickets
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will again have discounted tickets on sale for Six Flags New England in Agawam, Mass., The Great Escape/Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George, N.Y., and Bromley's Sun Mountain Adventure Park in Peru.
Less than an hour from Brattleboro, Six Flags New England offers fun for all ages. For the ticket price of $36, you can enjoy access to all rides and attractions, including shows, street action, animations, plus the Kingdom Island Water Park, and park facilities. Children under 2 are free. On-site parking is available for an additional fee. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/newengland or call 413-786-9300.
The Great Escape/Splashwater Kingdom is only three hours from Brattleboro. Tickets are $35 for all ages, with children age 2 and under free. The ticket will admit you to all rides and water fun at the park. Advance on-site parking passes available for $15, a savings of $5. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/greatescape or call 518-792-3500.
Bromley's Sun Mountain Adventure Park is located six miles east of Manchester on Route 11. All-day passes are $27, (regular gate price is $34 on weekdays and $39 on weekends). For more information, visit www.summer.bromley.com or call 802-824-5522.
Save money and avoid the long lines by purchasing your discount tickets at the Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Office, 207 Main St., Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Only cash or money orders will accepted as payment.
NFI-Vermont sponsors Pitchin' for Families fundraiser
BRATTLEBORO - Northeastern Family Institute will host its first Pitchin' for Families Beanbag Tournament on Saturday, June 15, at West River Park on Route 30.
This beanbag tournament will use two-person teams in a double-elimination format and will follow official American Cornhole Organization www.americancornhole.org rules.
Sign-in, rain or shine, starts at noon, with play to begin at 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top fundraising team and top fundraising individual, as well as the Top Scoring Team.
Entry fees are $50 per team (pre-registered), with a $100 per team fundraising minimum. The entry fee includes a free sports bag for each player, use of bean bags and boards, and a guarantee of two rounds of play. Register online at www.firstgiving.com/23937.
Free food for tournament participants will be provided by Top of The Hill Grill. There will also be Subway sandwich samples and desserts by Retired Senior Volunteer Persons (RSVP) and Echo Farm Puddings. Music will be provided by Atom Planet.
Proceeds benefit NFI-Vermont, a private nonprofit human service agency specializing in community-based and residential care for youths with emotional and/or behavioral problems.