Toastmasters Speech-a-thon set for Thursday, Jan. 30, at Marlboro Grad Center
BRATTLEBORO - BrattleMasters, the Brattleboro-based chapter of Toastmasters International, is packing an extra meeting, a Speech-a-thon, into January. This is members' chance to work an extra speech into the calendar, earn more credit toward their educational goals, and have even more fun connecting with audiences. This meeting is lean and mean: no “ah” counter, grammarian, or table topics.
The meeting is Thursday, Jan. 30, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., on the second floor of Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St.
BrattleMasters typically meets on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at that time and location. The club next meets Thursday, Feb. 13. 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.
Early literacy program offered in Bellows Falls
BELLOWS FALLS - The Rockingham Free Public Library and the WNESU Early Education Center are teaming up to present “Little Lit,” a free, fun evening with books, toys, and early literacy on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m., at the WNESU building located at Cherry Hill.
Families with children aged birth through 5 are welcome to take part in this free program. Each family will receive four free books, a toy, and lots of activities to help their children develop early literacy skills. Free dinner and childcare will also be available during the program; families needing childcare should call in advance.
The program is sponsored by the WNESU Early Education Center and the Rockingham Free Public Library. For more information and to arrange childcare, call the library at 802-463-4270, write [email protected], or visit rockinghamlibrary.org/littlelit.html.
CCV in Brattleboro to host VSAC workshops
BRATTLEBORO - VSAC counselors and college aid professionals will be available on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Community College of Vermont's Brattleboro center, 70 Landmark Hill, to help with filing online FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid) and Vermont grant applications.
Students and parents should each bring the following (students born before Jan. 1, 1991, do not need to bring parent information): Social Security number, most recent federal tax return, most recent W-2 or year-end pay stub, untaxed income records, bank statement(s), business and investment records, home equity and farm equity information, and an alien registration card (if not a U.S. citizen).
Walk-ins are welcome from 10 a.m. until noon.
ACWC 'Breaking Into Business' arts scholarship funds available
BRATTLEBORO - The Arts Council of Windham County (ACWC) is again providing scholarships for Windham County artists and craftspeople for a two-day professional development workshop.
The “Breaking Into Business” workshops presented by the Vermont Arts Council focus on business and marketing planning tailored to the needs of artists. The program is open to Vermont artists of all disciplines (visual, performing, media, literary, crafts, and traditional) and is facilitated by Maren Brown and Dee Boyle Clapp from the Arts Extension Service at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
One session is offered this year: Feb. 22-23 in Montpelier. Space is limited, and those interested should apply to the Vermont Arts Council (www.vermontartscouncil.org). The deadline for applications in Feb. 3. ACWC will reduce the fee for the workshops to $50 for Windham County residents and will help to organize carpooling.
“Our experience has been that these workshops are excellent and can make a huge difference in the business success for creative folks in our county,” said Doug Cox, president of ACWC. “The local folks who attend the workshop not only return with a stronger business model for themselves, but also support and inspire other creative workers in our area.”
For more information, contact Cox at [email protected], 802-257-1024, or visit www.acwc.us.
AARP driver safety class offered at Brattleboro Senior Center
BRATTLEBORO - The AARP Smart Driver program, a classroom driver refresher course, is offered at the Brattleboro Senior Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
The session begins at 9:30 a.m. and involves approximately four hours of class time. A lunch break will be taken, and participants may either purchase a meal at the Senior Center or bring their own food. The fee for this program is $20 for the general public and $15 for AARP members.
Program content addresses the changes that occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time as we age, and provides useful driving safety tips for handling these changes. The course also reviews how changes in vehicles and roadways affect driving safety. Some insurance companies offer reduced premiums to participants, but interested persons should contact their carrier to see if such a discount is available.
This course features new research-based content and information regarding Vermont motor vehicle laws. Updated content includes discussion of health and mental acuity as well as approaches to limit the need to drive in order to accomplish necessary tasks.
Participants may also wish to register for AARP Carfit, an educational program that offers the opportunity to see how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. A proper fit greatly increases the safety of the driver and others. In a Carfit check, a trained technician completes a 12-point checklist and offers community-specific resources to enhance safety and mobility.
Persons interested in taking the course or participating in Carfit, or who have questions regarding the AARP Smart Driver program, should contact Elliott Greenblott at 802-254-4489 or [email protected].
Governor's Institute of Vermont accepting applications for summer 2014
BRATTLEBORO - Students in grades 9-11 around Windham County are encouraged to apply to one of the Governor's Institutes of Vermont programs.
These programs offer a fun and educational experience on a Vermont college campus this summer. They're a great way for students to meet other Vermont students and to explore subjects that they want to learn more about.
Programs are in engineering; information technology; current issues and youth activism; arts; Asian cultures; entrepreneurship; environmental science; farms, food, and your future; and mathematical sciences.
The deadline to apply is March 14. For more information, visit www.giv.org.
Brattleboro Concert Choir welcomes new singers
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Concert Choir, directed by Susan Dedell, welcomes new singers for the upcoming performance of Paul Winter's celebratory Missa Gaia.
Performances of this powerfully uplifting piece are scheduled for May 18 and 19, with rehearsals beginning the last week of February. For more information about how to join, call the Brattleboro Music Center at 257-4523.
Research your genealogy at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - Join Wayne Blanchard at the Rockingham Free Public Library to learn the basics of online genealogical research.
This five-week class covers everything from keeping organized notes on your research to using the various online databases available through the library to discover new threads of your family history. Blanchard will demonstrate different databases using his computer and a projector in the library's third floor meeting room. Feel free to bring your own laptop and follow along, or just come to take notes.
Sign up for the whole series or drop in on just one. All take place on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Classes offered include:
• Feb. 5, Organizing Your Research.
• Feb. 12, Using Ancestry Library Edition to search the U.S. Census.
• Feb. 19, Local histories - Using Heritage Quest.
• Feb. 26, Using AmericanAncestors.org.
• March 5, Creating a Genealogical Sketch.
Blanchard has pursued his fascination with family history by attending seminars at the New England Historic and Genealogical Society in Boston, and researching, writing and publishing, “From the Great Migration to the Greatest Generation,” which follows the genetic link in the paternal ancestry of George Blanchard and the maternal ancestry of Norma Ordway.
This program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the library at 802-643-4270 or [email protected].
'Introduction to Insight Meditation' course set
BRATTLEBORO - An “Introduction to Insight Meditation” course takes place Tuesday evenings in February and early March at the Vermont Insight Meditation Center.
The six-week program features meditation instructions, discussions about compassionate and mindful living, and readings from the book “Insight Meditation” by Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein.
Classes are taught by Cheryl Wilfong on Tuesdays, Feb. 4 to March 11, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Solar Hill Neighbors' Hall on 229 Western Ave.
For more information, visit www.vermontinsight.org. To register, call the center at 802-254-7077 or write [email protected].
BAH forms new bereavement support group
BRATTLEBORO - A new six-week Bereavement Support Group for adults begins on Tuesday, Feb. 11, and meets each Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 p.m., ending March 18.
The group is free of charge and open to anyone in the community grieving the loss of a loved one, no matter where you are on your journey of grief.
Bereavement Support Groups offer a safe, mutually supportive environment for sharing experiences, insight and encouragement, through discussion, handouts, and suggestions for moving through grief. This group is sponsored by Brattleboro Area Hospice (BAH) and will meet at the hospice office at 191 Canal St.
No prior connection with BAH is required in order to participate. BAH Bereavement Care Coordinator Connie Baxter is facilitator. The group is limited to eight people. Call Baxter at 802-257-0775, ext. 104, by Feb. 3 for a pre-group appointment if you are interested in joining.