West Brattleboro Association meets July 10
WEST BRATTLEBORO - The next monthly meeting of the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) is at the New England House on Thursday, June 10, at 6 p.m.
After a review of sessions planned for this fall concerning the re-use of Melrose Terrace and progress on the Association becoming a Vermont nonprofit, the Association will weigh locations for the welcome signs planned for the Route 9 corridor. The group also will review Route 9 transportation/safety issues and consider situations where the WBA might make a monetary contribution.
Coming up July 17: a village movie night; July 31: a Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce/WBA community mixer at the New England House.
Also on the agenda are a discussion of possible new village events such as movie nights for August and September; West Brattleboro beautification efforts; a Columbus Day weekend chicken barbecue; and the possibility of roadside historic site markers in the village.
There is no monthly meeting in August.
Toastmasters public speaking takes center stage July 10 at Grad Center
BRATTLEBORO - BrattleMasters, the Brattleboro-based chapter of Toastmasters International, meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the second floor of Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St. The club's next meeting is Thursday, July 10, at the same time and location.
Three speeches are planned, as is the ever-popular one- to two-minute “table topics” challenge. Guests are welcome, and refreshments are provided. There is no pressure to speak. Members progress at their own pace with assigned mentors - and are backed by a dramatically effective educational program - to reach real-world speaking and leadership goals.
BrattleMasters also is proud to announce it has earned Toastmasters International's “select distinguished” club designation for excellence in its 2013-2014 year, just ended. This club, its many members say, gets results and has fun doing it. For more information, visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org.
Japan's double summer festival celebrated in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - Asian Cultural Center of Vermont (ACCVT) presents Brattleboro's Tanabata-Obon Festival at Pliny Park, at the corner of Main and High streets, during Gallery Walk on July 11, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
This festival, a Japanese tradition, celebrates the double festivals of summer in a single evening's observance. Obon is a celebration of ancestors and remembrance of loved ones and the departed. Tanabata is a star festival for communities to make wishes for the future (which happens each year when the apparent paths of Vega and Altair, two of the brightest stars, meet in the sky).
The public is invited to walk a lantern-lit path to the Table of Remembrance. Free for all ages; donations appreciated. For more information, visit accvt.org or call ACCVT Executive Director Adam Silver at 802-579-9088.
Guilford Fire Auxiliary to hold bake sale
GUILFORD - The Guilford Fire Department Auxiliary will hold a coffee break/bake sale at the Vermont Welcome Center on Saturday, July 12.
Anyone with baked goods to offer for the sale is asked to to either bring them to the Fire Station on July 11 from 6 to 8 p.m., or to drop them off at the Welcome Center on Saturday morning.
Pinnacle Association plans 'Over the Hill' hike
WESTMINSTER WEST - The Pinnacle Association's “Over the Hill” hike is Saturday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The hike will cover about 3.5 miles, north to south, and will be led by Tony Coven, a Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association (WHPA) board member.
The hike features Latham Trail, which starts out from Old Athens Road, a Class 4 road that is no longer formally maintained. The journey passes an old beaver pond, meanders to the shelter at the Pinnacle, then heads back via Holden Trail - the Pinnacle Association's most popular trail.
Latham Trail is named for Jamie Latham, whose early death gave the impetus for the purchase of the Pinnacle lookout and inspired the Pinnacle's trail system and land-acquisition activities.
Wear long pants to ward off ticks and bring water, bag lunch, snack, insect repellent, and sunscreen. Meet at Westminster West Church, 44 Church St., to carpool.
For information and to register, call Coven at 802-387-6650. For directions to the church, visit the program link under events at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org.
Public invited to 'Trail Talk' on I-91 bridge project
BRATTLEBORO - The PCL+FIGG Team conducts the next on-site “trail talk” on Saturday, July 12.
These talks take up the status of the I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project and allow the public to ask questions. They originate at the West River Trail near The Marina. The talk is led by Caleb Linn, project manager for PCL (lead contractor), and Garrett Hoffman, design manager for FIGG (bridge designer).
Meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail trailhead on Saturday at 8 a.m. The talk begins at 8:15. Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, so wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
The project's website, www.i91brattleborobridge.com, features updates, construction photos, and live traffic cameras.
Naturalist to give talk on wildflowers of Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Naturalist John Anderson will give an illustrated talk on the “Wildflowers of Dummerston” on Monday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at the Learning Collaborative, 471 Route 5.
Anderson has been cataloging the wildflowers of our region for many years, and generously shares his knowledge through guided nature walks, formal presentations, and regular posts to Dummerston Sightings.
Sponsored by the Dummerston Conservation Commission. For more information, visit www.dummerstonconservation.com.
Senior Solutions presents Medicare 'Boot Camp'
SPRINGFIELD - A free Medicare Boot Camp is offered at the Springfield Senior Center, 139 Main St., on Wednesday, July 16, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Senior Solutions staff will provide unbiased information about the Medicare system and enrollees' responsibilities. Medicare has strict enrollment periods, and this session will help participants make timely decisions about drug plans, supplemental plans, and many other issues.
The class is appropriate for those enrolled in Medicare and those who plan to sign up presently. To register or for more information, call the Senior HelpLine at 800-642-5119.
Beatlemania comes to Brooks Library
BRATTLEBORO - The Friends of the Brooks Memorial Library present a free lecture, “The Beatles: Band of the Sixties,” by scholar Aaron Krerowicz on Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. at the library. This 60-minute presentation includes a film, audio clips, and excerpts of interviews with the band members.
The lecture starts with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg from 1960-62, continuing through Beatlemania in 1963-65. Krerowicz will also review the Beatles psychedelic experimentation, their trip to India to study Transcendental Meditation, and the subsequent “White Album” in 1968. He will conclude his presentation with “Let It Be” and “Abbey Road” in 1969. The aim is to provide historical and cultural context, a sense of growth, and a fuller appreciation of the Beatles' catalog.
Blueberry supper served in Chesterfield
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - Asbury Church in Chesterfield holds its annual Blueberry Supper on Saturday, July 19, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the old Chesterfield Town Hall on Route 63.
This is a traditional New England supper with baked ham, homemade baked beans, summer salads, and delicious blueberry desserts. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children aged 6-12, and free for children under 5.
Applicants sought for Rockingham ZBA vacancy
ROCKINGHAM - The Town of Rockingham seeks to fill a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission. Candidates should be willing to participate in subcommittees and work groups and to vote impartially on all applications. Duties include review of conditional use applications, site plan reviews, subdivision reviews, and Town Plan preparation. The ZBA-PC meets approximately every three weeks on Wednesday evenings at the Town Hall.
The Zoning Board/Planning Commission application form is available from the Planning-Zoning Office (802-463-1229, ext. 101) and at www.rockbf.org under the Zoning Planning Office application forms. It is to be submitted to the Town of Rockingham, Planning-Zoning Office, P.O. Box 370, Bellows Falls, VT 05101, no later than July 30.
RFPL has passes for Vermont's museums and parks
BELLOWS FALLS - Looking for something fun, educational, and free to do with the family? Have guests coming into town and want to show off Vermont's cultural highlights? Rockingham Free Public Library offers cardholders passes to museums, parks, and institutions throughout the state and in nearby communities.
Passes can be reserved in a month in advance and provide free or greatly reduced admission. Each pass can be checked out by library cardholders age 18 and older for three days at a time.
Parks and museum passes available at the RFPL include Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Nature Museum at Grafton, Vermont's History Museum in Barre, The Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown, N.H., the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Queechee, Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, plus Vermont's state parks and historic sites.
This service is provided through the financial support of the Friends of the Rockingham Library, the Vermont Department of Libraries, and individual institutions. For more information, call the Library at 802-463-4270, write [email protected], or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.
Saxtons River Montessori accepting applications
SAXTONS RIVER - The Saxtons River Montessori School is accepting applications from families interested in applying for the 2014-15 school year. The school's high-quality preschool program has earned five stars from the state of Vermont's Step Ahead Recognition System.
SRMS was established in 1991 to provide a quality education for children ages 3 to 6 using the Montessori Method. It is a nonprofit parent cooperative, partnering with the school districts of Rockingham, Westminster, Springfield and Two Rivers to provide quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten education.
To learn more about SRMS, visit the school at www.SaxtonsRiverMontessoriSchool.com. To schedule an observation, contact School Director Nan Mann at 802-869-3349 or [email protected].