Sheriff's Dept. plans safety checkpoints
NEWFANE - The Windham County Sheriff's Department will be hosting multiple seat belt checkpoints in Windham County in the coming weeks. The department says the checkpoints are targeted at increasing occupant protection and the usage of seat belts by all people in a vehicle.
The checkpoints are being held as part of the “Click It or Ticket Task Force” initiative in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Governor's Highway Safety Program and area law enforcement agencies.
Help Brattleboro map Japanese Knotweed and join efforts to control its spread
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Conservation Commission is seeking volunteers to help conduct a Japanese Knotweed survey over the summer. Participants will also learn about the plant's biology, how to identify it, and management options.
Japanese knotweed is a non-native invasive plant. Knotweed invades river and stream banks, affecting native plants, fish and wildlife. Dense infestations clog drainage ditches and obscure visibility along waterways and roadways. Unwanted populations are also nuisances to landowners.
“This is the start of a multi-year effort to address invasive plants in Brattleboro. We want to first determine the extent of the knotweed problem - to try to identify where it is and how far it extends along waterways,” said Sue Fillion, Planner for the Town of Brattleboro and staff to the Conservation Commission.
“This activity will help us bring attention to the problem with the ultimate goal of creating a community-driven effort between volunteers and landowners to tackle the problem,” she added.
People of all ages and skill levels are welcome to add observations to the real-time online website on iNaturalist. Don't have an iNaturalist account yet? Sign up for an iNaturalist account in advance of the workshop at www.inaturalist.org, then download the app for your iPhone or Android device.
For more information about the Conservation Commission and events, visit www.brattleboro.org or the Town of Brattleboro Conservation Commission Facebook page. Contact Fillion at [email protected] or by phone at 802-251-8112 with any questions.
Townshend Farmers' Market opens for season
WEST TOWNSHEND - The Townshend Farmers Market opens for the 2017 season on Friday, May 26, from 4 to 7 p.m., on the lawn of the historic West Townshend Country Store on Route 30.
The market will be held every Friday through Oct. 6, and locals and visitors alike will enjoy a wide variety of products while supporting local agriculture and meeting the farmers who grow their food.
From 4 to 7 p.m., the market will be serving its famous wood-fired pizza with a selection of local seasonal toppings. There will be a maypole event at 6 p.m., and activities for kids to bring in the new season. Music for the evening will be Michael Donahue, Sally Newton, and friends.
The market accepts 3SquaresVT and EBT cards, as well as Farm to Family coupons. And, don't forget, the Thrift Shop upstairs is open until 7 p.m. on Fridays.
Bellows Falls Fish Ladder Visitor Center opens this weekend
GRAFTON - The Nature Museum, in partnership with Great River Hydro, will open for the summer season at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder Visitors Center on Friday, May 26. This nature education center is open each weekend Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sept. 3.
The Visitor Center, located at 17 Bridge St. in downtown Bellows Falls next to the Post Office, is home to a series of hands-on environmental programs and exhibits. Admission and programs at the Visitor Center are always free.
Visitors and residents alike are encouraged to learn more about the Connecticut River watershed, the salmon and other fish that use the fish ladder, and the river's many plants and animals.
The Nature Museum's Jay DeGregorio, a popular naturalist and environmental educator, is on hand to answer any questions and deliver free, environmental programs throughout the summer. He will present family programs each Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. The family programs are recommended for children ages 4 and up.
West Brattleboro Association hosts chicken barbecue
WEST BRATTLEBORO - On May 27, the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will host another of its popular chicken barbecues in the front of the First Congregational Church on Western Avenue in West Brattleboro.
The barbecue will feature half chickens, baked beans, and cole slaw, available from 11 a.m. until sold out. This year the chicken is being supplied by the good folks at the Guilford Country Store. Its owner is a fellow resident of West Brattleboro.
Both the barbecued chicken and the baked beans are tried-and-true local specialties with the barbecue sauce made from a recipe used by the Guilford Fair for years and the beans fashioned from a published Thurber Farm recipe furnished by Helen Robb (Marjorie Thurber's daughter).
Joe Jewett and his crew will once again get the coals going early in the day for the barbecued chicken. The cole slaw is being made by members of his Green Mountain Chapel under the direction of Rev. Bill Steele. The full meal is available for $10, or $7 if it's just the half-chicken. Proceeds of the barbecue will help fund the WBA's community activities and initiatives.
Pancake breakfast benefits Townshend food shelf
TOWNSHEND - On Monday, May 29, from 8 to 10 a.m., the Townshend Community Food Shelf will host a pancake breakfast at the Townshend Church. Proceeds benefit the Food Shelf.
On the menu: fresh pancakes with Vermont maple syrup and Riverbend Market's Hunter's Sausage, with orange juice, coffee, and tea to wash it all down. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for kids over 4, and $20 for a family.
The Townshend Community Food Shelf is a nonprofit organization which provides supplemental food to residents of Townshend and 15 surrounding towns on a weekly basis. For more information, contact Joe Winrich at the Townshend Community Food Shelf, P.O. Box 542, Townshend, VT 05353, [email protected] or 802-365-4348.
Vernon holds Memorial Day service
VERNON - The annual Community Memorial Day Service will be held at the Pond Road Chapel, located at 634 Pond RD., on Monday, May 29, at 3:30 p.m. The theme of the program will be honoring the veterans of World War II.
The guest speaker will be First Lt. Jay H. Karpin, a decorated World War II bombardier and nose gunner. Karpin flew 35 combat missions with the Eighth Air Force in Europe; his first mission was on June 6, 1944 - D-Day.
His many service decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four service stars, a Presidential Unit Citation from Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a personal citation from Gen. James Doolittle. Last year, he was presented with the French Legion of Honor.
The Vernon Girl Scout Troop will also participate in the service, singing “Thank You, Soldiers.” The Memorial Day Service is presented by the Vernon Historians.
Raffle at Brooks Memorial Library
BRATTLEBORO - The Friends of Brooks Memorial Library are holding a raffle for a 14x17 framed photo print by James Sneddon from the New York Times Photo Collection, valued at $250.00, generously donated by Mary Ide.
“The New York Public Library - 1948,” is a picture of the iconic lions at the Main Branch of the New York Public Library, Patience and Fortitude, covered in snow. This photograph was published in the New York Times on December 20, 1948.
The main branch of the New York Public Library was officially opened on May 23, 1911. The lions were sculpted by E.C. Potter and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers, who also carved the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The raffle tickets are $1 each and are available at the main circulation desk at the library. They may also be purchased at the upcoming Strolling of the Heifers Book Sale on June 1, 2 and 3.
The drawing will be held the week of July 4. The print is on display at the library. Proceeds from this raffle help the Friends purchase materials, present programs and provide services which help the library.
BUHS Class of 1977 plans reunion
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Union High School Class of 1977 will be celebrating its 40th reunion on the weekend of June 16-18. Several events have been planned by reunion organizers Brad Fenn and Judy Hunter Daley.
The main gathering will be dinner at Dalem's Chalet in West Brattleboro on Saturday, June 17, beginning at 5 p.m. The cost is $20 per person for dinner. A cash bar will be available. Class members may bring guests.
Class members should connect with the co-chairs on Facebook or by email to [email protected]. The addresses or married names of several class members are unknown, so the co-chairs hope their families or friends will notify them.
Reserve a spot for Newfane's tag sale
NEWFANE - The Friends of the Moore Free Library are reserving spaces now for their Community Tag Sale to take place on the Newfane Common on Saturday, June 24, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To reserve a space, contact Julie at 802-365-7278 or [email protected] or pick up a reservation form at the Library, 23 West St. The library is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Friends of the Moore Free Library raise funds to help support the functions and activities of the Library, a private institution that serves as a public library but without benefit of federal, state, or town money.