Town seeks to fill committee vacancies
BRATTLEBORO - Citizens are needed to serve on the following committees and boards: Agricultural Advisory Board, ADA Advisory Committee, Arts Committee, Conservation Commission, Design Review Committee (Alternate), Development Review Board (Alternate), Energy Committee (to be determined), Energy Coordinator, Inspector of Lumber, Shingles & Wood, Senior Solutions Advisory Council, and Weigher of Coal.
Applications and more information can be found on brattleboro.org, or by calling the Town Manager's office at 802-251-8151.
Submit your application online, send it by email to the Town Manager's office - [email protected] - or mail or deliver the application to: Brattleboro Town Manager's Office, Attn: Committee Vacancy, 230 Main St., Suite 208, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
The Selectboard is expected to make appointments at its Tuesday, March 19 meeting, and at subsequent meetings if necessary. The board meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:15 p.m. in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
Westminster releases report on wetlands, forests, and flood resiliency
WESTMINSTER - The Town Plan encourages the town to evaluate areas that should be protected “in order to reduce flood damage to homes, businesses, roads, and natural areas, including floodplains, river corridors, lands adjacent to streams, wetlands, and upland forests.”
With a small grant from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, the Conservation Commission did a study that, according to a news release, would “help identify wetlands that are critical for water storage, as well as upland forests that may play a role in flood mitigation by tempering heavy rainfall, absorbing water, lowering the water table, stabilizing soil, and preventing run-off and erosion.”
On Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m., at the Westminster Institute on Route 5, ecologist Jeff Littleton will share details from the study, and the public is invited to ask questions and contribute to a discussion about flood resiliency.
The town is home to about 690 acres of wetlands; many of these provide important water storage during flooding events, but some don't have high flood storage capacity.
At the same time, more than a quarter of the town is graced with steep slopes, vulnerable to erosion. Wetlands with lower flood-storage capacity are at greater risk of losing their flood-control potential should forested areas on surrounding steep slopes be removed or significantly reduced.
The conservation commission says that “understanding the value and roles of the various wetlands and forested uplands in a community can help residents and policy-makers think through the best options for protecting the most significant and most vulnerable of these areas.”
All are welcome, and refreshments will be served. For information, email [email protected].
Toastmasters meet in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - “To communicate is to evolve” is the theme for the next Toastmasters meeting on Thursday, March 14, 6 p.m. BrattleMasters meets in Room 245 at Vermont Technical College, 41 Harmony Place.
Club president Lee Ives Tice will introduce the emcee for the evening, Michelle O'Hearn-Deblois, who will introduce, in turn, a grammarian, a timer, an “ah” counter, a snackmaster, and a general evaluator who will each explain their meeting role.
After the group listens to two speeches, an extemporaneous speaking exercise will be run. Guests may participate. All speeches are assigned an evaluator, who will give a two-to-three-minute speech mentioning the best attributes of the speech as well as something for the speaker to work on.
Guests are welcome to visit, watch, snack, and listen at no charge. For more information, visit brattleboro.toastmastersclubs.org.
Senior meal in Halifax
WEST HALIFAX - The monthly senior meal will be served on Friday, March 15, at noon, at the Halifax Community Hall, 20 Brook Rd.
On the menu is a New England boiled dinner featuring corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, beets, and Johnny cake, along with rolls and dessert. All seniors are welcome. A $3 donation is requested. Reserve a seat by calling Joan Courser at 802-368-7733.
Youths to take part in global-climate-change event
BRATTLEBORO - Across the world, young adults are gathering on March 15 to focus the attention of local, state, and national legislators on protecting our resources and environment.
Youth will gather in front of Brattleboro Union High School from 7:40 to 8:45 a.m. to demand that lawmakers steer us from climate disaster and protect communities already suffering the consequences of climate change.
Rallies are also planned at Pliny Park from noon to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 5 p.m.
Students say they plan to gather peacefully “to share ideas and ensure that future generations can live to experience a healthy natural world.”
Organizers ask participants to “bring signs, songs, and knowledge. Bring your stories and passions. Bring respectful arguments and a willingness to listen.”
Pet vaccination clinic
JACKSONVILLE - The Whitingham Town Clerk will sponsor a pet vaccination clinic at the firehouse in Jacksonville on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to noon. Dr. Miles A. Powers of East Dover will vaccinate both dogs and cats.
This clinic is open to anyone, and the Town Clerk will be present to issue licenses. The cost is $15 for rabies, $25 for a distemper complex vaccine for either a dog or cat, or $35 for both vaccinations.
Dogs should be on a leash, and cats should be inside a carrier. For further information or questions about additional vaccines, call 802-348-7918.
Sugar-on-Snow Supper set for March 16
GUILFORD - The Sugar-on-Snow Supper at Guilford Community Church will be held on Saturday, March 16, with seatings at 4:30, 5:45, and 7 p.m. Prices are $12 for adults, $6 for children age 11 and younger, and $3 for preschoolers. For reservations, call 802-254-9019 or email [email protected].
The menu features baked ham, baked beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, freshly-baked rolls, sugar on snow, homemade donuts, pickles, and coffee, tea, or milk. A half-gallon of maple syrup will be raffled during each seating.
The Guilford Community Church, at 38 Church Dr., is one of the five oldest churches in Vermont, founded in 1767. Proceeds support the church's outreach in the community.
Marlboro Mudfling celebrates winter's end
MARLBORO - The Marlboro School will host its annual “Mudfling Fundraiser” on Saturday, March 16, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Marlboro Community Center, 524 South Rd.
Adults are invited to come out of the cold and the mud for a festive evening that supports programming at the elementary school. This year's Mudfling is hosted by the Association of Marlboro Parents group.
For $10 at the door, folks can indulge in coffee, tea, and gourmet treats while listening and dancing to live music.
There will be a silent auction and raffle drawing with prizes, and the Whetstone Ciderworks will set up a cash bar.
For more details, email [email protected].
Young professionals present Creative Black-Tie Gala
BRATTLEBORO - On Saturday, March 16, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., the Southern Vermont Young Professionals will host the fourth annual Creative Black-Tie Gala at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.
This community-wide event last year welcomed nearly 300 people from all over the region. Everyone is welcome to an evening filled with local music and local food and drink.
The gala attracts people from all walks of life and community members of all ages, professions, and interests. Proceeds support the group's programs, trainings, and networking events.
Tickets are available at ypgala2019.eventbrite.com, $20 for non-members and discounted admission for SoVTYP members. To become a member, sign up at www.memberplanet.com/sovtyoungprofessionals.
Tickets include admission, live music, local food and desserts, and a photo booth. Raffle tickets for locally sponsored prizes can be bought at the event, and a cash bar will also be available. Those who intend to purchase alcohol must provide ID.
Local AARP chapter hosts meeting on opioid crisis
BRATTLEBORO - Join local AARP members for a presentation on the current opioid crisis in our own towns and nationwide.
Susan Avery will offer a presentation and screening of a video at the Senior Center in the meeting room on Tuesday, March 19, at 1:30 p.m.
The program will highlight family experiences with addiction and measures to end this scourge locally and elsewhere.
All are welcome at this gathering. Contact Sarah Clark at 802-257-7570 to sign up for this free event.
Lenten workshops offered
BRATTLEBORO - Each Tuesday evening during Lent, the Rev. Duncan Hilton of St. Michael's Episcopal Church and a team of parishioners will lead a workshop open to all.
It will focus on the questions of “How do we listen for God's call on our lives?” and “How do we recognize and follow Christ's voice as revealed through the wisdom of our own hearts, souls, minds, and spirits?”
This Lenten Series is for anyone who wants to get in touch with their inner wisdom, heart, and soul and learn about discernment and prayer practices in the tradition of St. Ignatius.
Each Tuesday will include a simple supper in the undercroft from 5:15 to 6 p.m., workshops in the Meeting Room from 6 to 7 p.m., and a night prayer from 7 to 7:15 p.m.
St. Michael's Episcopal Church, at the corner of Bradley Avenue and Putney Road, is fully accessible with parking spaces designated for those with mobility impairments. Parking is available on Bradley Avenue and in the Church's parking lot accessed off Putney Road. Contact the church at 802-254-6048 or [email protected] for more information.
Forum looks at digital media and kids
EAST DUMMERSTON - Dummerston Cares and the Dummerston PTFO are sponsoring a forum, “Digital Media and Kids: Charting a Pathway,” on Tuesday, March 19, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Dummerston School at 52 East-West Rd.
Lesley N. Fishelman M.D. will discuss research on the effects of digital media on the developing brains of children and teens, and strategies to help families deal with this revolution in our culture.
Fishelman, a town resident who serves on the Dummerston Cares board, is a retired psychiatrist and grandmother to five children born since the advent of the smart phone and tablet.
This free forum, with refreshments and discussion to follow, is open to all.
Senior Center offers legal help with health care issues
BRATTLEBORO - On Wednesday, March 20, at 1:30 p.m., the Office of the Health Care Advocates will give information on navigating health insurance, rights to health care, and appealing claim denials.
Participants will leave with resources and information to be better advocates for themselves and their loved ones accessing health care.
This project of Vermont Legal Aid gives free advice, advocacy, and support to Vermonters with health-care problems.
Call Sarah Clark at 802-257-7570 to sign up for this free program for seniors 55 and older.