Next WBA meeting is April 26
WEST BRATTLEBORO - The next monthly gathering of the West Brattleboro Association will be held Thursday, April 26, at 6 p.m., at the New England House, 254 Marlboro Rd. Although some people may order food or drink, individuals may also choose not to do so.
There will be discussion of how to support Green-Up Day in West Brattleboro on May 5, as well as planning for the annual Memorial Day weekend chicken barbeque.
The coming demolition changes at Melrose Terrace will be reviewed. Several potential uses of the Sign Fund will be discussed, including historic site markers and utility pole banners in the village center. There will also be some talk about West B economic development issues and underutilized commercial spaces. For more information, call Michael Bosworth at 802-258-6475.
Author Kathy Leo, Hallowell to perform at Putney Library
PUTNEY - Join Kathy Leo on Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m., at the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St., as she and other members of Hallowell, the Brattleboro Area Hospice choir, read from her new book, On the Breath of Song: The Practice of Bedside Singing for the Dying.
The group will also sing from their repertoire, share stories, and answer questions. In a news release, Leo said she hopes that this gathering and other planned area readings will “inspire some interesting community conversation and sharing - another way for Hallowell to 'hold sacred space' in this time of so much uncertainty.”
On the Breath of Song “offers guidance and insight ... through the telling of true stories” that Leo gleaned from “over a decade of experience in song and spirit.” Most of the stories are ones that she tells, but she also expertly weaves in the voices of families who were recipients of Hallowell's music and those of other Hallowell singers as well.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 28
TOWNSHEND - West River Valley Thrives invites community members to take advantage of Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28, and take some time to clean out medicine cabinets of all extra, unused prescription medication.
Many drugs are addictive or can have adverse effects for someone not prescribed the drug. Proper prescription drug disposal can help keep them out of kids' hands and prevent pollution of our waterways.
To dispose of your medication safely, drop them off at one of the local permanent drop box locations at the Windham County Sheriff's Office in Newfane, and at the Brattleboro, Winhall, Wilmington, and Bellows Falls Police Departments.
Annual used book sale benefits Guilford church
GUILFORD - The Guilford Community Church, UCC, will hold its annual used Book Sale on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An extensive selection of current books will be for sale. This fundraiser aids the church in supporting many human service organizations, both locally and globally.
Guilford Community Church is located at 38 Church Drive, Guilford. From Exit 1 on Interstate 91 take Route 5 south 1 mile (just past the Guilford Country Store) turn left onto Bee Barn Road, and bear left onto Church Drive.
Contact Pat Haine at 802-257-0626 or at [email protected] for more information.
Spend 'Day in the Dirt ' to increase food access
Join hundreds of volunteers across the state for the Vermont Community Garden Network's sixth annual Day in the Dirt on Saturday, April 28, to prepare community and school gardens for spring.
Volunteer registration is open for two local sites - Bellows Falls Middle School and the Groundworks Drop-in Center and Food Shelf in Brattleboro.
Day in the Dirt is a community and school garden work day to kick off the growing season as the Network brings hundreds of volunteers together to prepare gardens for planting, introduce more people to the joys of community gardening, and celebrate how these sites nourish and connect so many people.
For more information about Day in the Dirt and volunteer registration, go to www.vcgn.org/dirt.
Brattleboro Solidarity celebrates May Day at Brooks Library
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Solidarity is hosting a reading of Howard Zinn's Voices of a People's History at Brooks Memorial Library, Tuesday, May 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and soup will be served.
Community members who will represent historical figures include Dottie Morris, Edward Dowd, Nicholas Biddle, Ezlerh Oreste, Anneke Dunnington, Chris Lievense, and Amar Langsdorf. They are also inviting community members and people from the audience to share their stories of working conditions and labor struggles.
Brattleboro Solidarity will lead a discussion connecting people's stories to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Poor People's Campaign in 1968, the ongoing teacher's strikes in Oklahoma and West Virginia, gun violence, and evictions.
This event will be part of a string of events that will lead up to Diversity Day at Brattleboro Union High School, an event that allows teachers and students to engage in meaningful learning around topics related to curricula and becoming lifelong learners. Topics have included food security, biodiversity and diversity, Malian cooking, media and diversity, the power of perspective, and the road to marriage equality.
Hospice to offer memorial flag-making event
BRATTLEBORO - On Wednesday, May 2, from 4 to 6 p.m., Brattleboro Area Hospice will offer an opportunity to make a memorial flag to honor someone who has died. Creating a memorial flag can be a valuable activity to help individuals with grief.
Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult. No special talent is needed and all materials will be provided.
The flags will hang at the Hospice Memorial Garden on Guilford Street during the coming year, or participants may take their flag home with them.
This free event will take place at Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St. Judy Van Wageningen and Cicely Carroll will facilitate. Work space is limited, so call 802-257-0775, ext. 105 to reserve a space.
Art dealer James Maroney looks at work of Georgia O'Keeffe
BRATTLEBORO - James Maroney, the former head of American Paintings at both Sotheby's and Christie's in New York, will offer his insight on the art of Georgia O'Keeffe in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., on May 2 at 7 p.m.
His talk, “Georgia O'Keeffe: A Critical Look,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council's First Wednesdays lecture series and is free and open to the public.
Georgia O'Keeffe lived 99 years and produced more than 2,000 works in her 75-year career. Maroney, who appraised her estate after her death, will present a critical evaluation of her best work.
Maroney is an independent art dealer, organic dairy farmer, and farm advocate living in Vermont. He is a graduate of Columbia University who started his career at Sotheby's in 1967, where he became Head of American Paintings from 1970-74.
He opened his own private gallery, James Maroney, Inc., in 1977 selling fine American paintings to museums and private collectors.
AARP to address fraud prevention
MARLBORO - AARP Vermont and Marlboro Cares will present “Weapons of Fraud,” a discussion of leading scams, con artist techniques, and steps to avoid victimization.
The program, led by Elliott Greenblott, the Vermont AARP Fraud Watch Network Coordinator, will take place at Marlboro Elementary School on Route 9 in Marlboro, on Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
'Nibble and dabble' at beginners' art session
WEST DUMMERSTON - Jamaica artist/teacher Elinor Katz will lead a painting night out on Friday, May 4, at the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West St. Participants are invited to “dabble, dribble, drip, and dot” acrylic paint on canvas to create their own original impressionist-style floral still lifes.
A $35 admission fee covers all art materials, use of easels and aprons, refreshments, and your painting to take home. Enrollment is limited and your payment in advance reserves your space. To register, stop by the Taft Library, which is open Tuesdays 2:30 to 7 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to noon. Questions? Call 802-258-9878 or email [email protected].
All Souls hosts tag sale
WEST BRATTLEBORO - All Souls Church Unitarian Universalist will hold its annual Tag Sale on Friday, May 4, from 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday May 5, from 8 to 11 a.m.
This popular sale will feature clothing for women, men, and children, household items, books, toys, jewelry, and more. The proceeds will support special projects at the church. All Souls Church is located at 29 South St. up the driveway from the West Brattleboro Fire Station.
BF Woman's Club hosts high tea
BELLOWS FALLS - Plans for the Bellows Falls Woman's Club's second annual High Tea are being finalized. This year's event will take place on Sunday, May 6, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Masonic Temple. Tickets are $15 and are available at Village Square Booksellers and at Simone's Salon. Refreshments will include assorted sweets, savories, and teas. A harpist will play background music.
Proceeds from the tea help support the club's high school scholarship, given annually to a graduating student at BFUHS pursuing education in nursing or another health care field, as well as support for the club's many community-outreach services.
The club also is conducting a raffle of a framed print of Jerry Pfohl's Vilas Bridge painting recently purchased by Rockingham Free Public Library.
The raffle is held to raise funds for the club's Community Improvement Project. This year, the club plans to place a bench on the outside ramp leading to the health center entrance. Tickets are available from club members and will also be available at the tea. The winning ticket will be drawn at the club's annual meeting on May 8.
Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival is May 6
ROCKINGHAM - Presented by Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Great River Hydro, the 19th annual Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival returns to Rockingham.
An early-morning bird walk led by expert birder Don Clark kicks off the festival at 7 a.m., along with bird banding by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, starting at 7:30 a.m. Wildlife presentations, events, and booths are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The festival will feature live birds and wildlife, programs and exhibits from local organizations doing work on wildlife and environmental projects, special programs for kids, a kids' activity tent, nature walks, and demonstrations by local wildlife artists, as well as lunch, snacks, and beverages from local food vendors. Requested admission is $2 per person, or $5 for the family. For more details, visit www.amasvt.org/herricks-cove-wildlife-festival.
Handbags for Hope event benefits early educators
BRATTLEBORO - United Way of Windham County still has tickets available for their annual event, Handbags for Hope, to be held on Thursday, May 10, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the VFW Hall in Brattleboro.
The event includes a silent and live auction, with food provided by local women-owned businesses and a cash bar available. In addition to bags of all kinds, the event features local goods, packages, and experiences such as yoga, spa treatments, and woodworking.
Select auction items may be previewed at www.facebook.com/UWWindham.
Handbags for Hope benefits the Fund for Quality Early Education, which provides grants to early childhood educators and caregivers. The Fund has made over 100 grants totaling $129,000 to providers in Windham County. Tickets are $35, with table reservations for eight available, at www.unitedwaywindham.org or by contacting the UWWC office at 802-257-4011.