Annual Blessing of the Animals is Oct. 6
BRATTLEBORO - St. Michael's Episcopal Church presents the annual Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m., on the Common. In case of rain, the service will be held at the church on 16 Bradley Ave.
All people, creatures, and critters are invited to a special St. Francis Day celebration in thanksgiving of our pets and animals.
There will be a brief time of music, readings, and prayer followed by an individual blessing for each pet. Bring your pet, or a picture of your pet, or a stuffed animal, plus your animal-loving friends and neighbors.
Grafton Cornet Band presents Foliage Concert
GRAFTON - The Grafton Cornet Band invites all to its free Foliage Concert on the Library Lawn, 204 Main St., on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 2:30 p.m.
This will be a traditional community band concert with familiar and upbeat music for the whole family. Bring chairs or a blanket for comfort and maybe a picnic. If it rains, the band plays in the historic Grafton Community Church.
The band keeps its original 1867 name even though all wind instruments are now included. The director is Glen D'Eon, New Hampshire's 2017 Distinguished Music Educator of the Year, recognizing his success as Director of Bands at Fall Mountain Regional High School.
Fall Arts Festival in Walpole
WALPOLE, N.H. - The Saxtons River Art Guild's annual Fall Arts Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, at the historic and picturesque Walpole Town Hall, 34 Elm St., on the common.
More than a dozen artists and artisans will show and sell their work at this showcase of fine art and crafts. Light refreshments will be available.
The Saxtons River Art Guild is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and encouraging the advancement of the fine arts with membership throughout the Monadnock region and the Southern Connecticut River Valley area of Vermont.
To learn more, contact Donna Bascom Lund at 603-835-2387 or [email protected].
Putney Friends observe World Quaker Day
PUTNEY - In celebration of World Quaker Day, Putney Friends Meeting, 17 Bellows Falls Rd., will host an Open Meetinghouse event on Sunday, Oct. 6.
In addition to the regularly scheduled Meetings for Worship at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., and All Ages Singing at 10 a.m., the Open Meetinghouse event will include a free lunch at 11:45 a.m. and offerings from 1 to 3 p.m.
Offerings include children's programming, drop-in worship, and information sessions on the following topics: Understanding Worship and Business, Structure and History, and Testimonies, Queries, and Social Justice. Visitors are welcome to participate in any or all of the day's activities.
Putney Friends Meeting is a community of people who are members of The Religious Society of Friends, nicknamed “Quakers.”
The Sunday morning services of unprogrammed Quaker Meetings are unique. Friends meet in silent expectant waiting with the possibility that vocal ministry may be shared by anyone. They have no hired clergy, and instead share in the responsibility of being open to the Divine's promptings and leadings.
Putney Friends Meeting is an open and affirming church, welcoming all. The Meetinghouse is wheelchair accessible, and assisted listening devices are available. Learn more at putneyfriendsmeeting.org.
Award-winning journalist speaks on climate change at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - John H. Cushman Jr., former New York Times reporter and editor, will speak about climate change at the Rockingham Free Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 10:30 a.m.
Cushman is the author of the book, Keystone and Beyond: Tar Sands and the National Interest in the Era of Climate Change, which traces the history of the pipeline saga and its relation to global warming.
He played a large part in the journal InsideClimate News 2015 investigative series on Exxon's knowledge and coverup of climate change and the risks posed by fossil fuel emissions. This series was a finalist in the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
His InsideClimate News articles explore every angle of the climate controversy including an ongoing review of the prospective presidential candidates' stands on global warming.
Cushman was a journalist in Washington, D.C., for 35 years. During 27 of those years, he wrote for the New York Times about energy, the environment, and industry and military affairs, also covering financial and transportation beats and editing articles across the full spectrum of national and international policy.
This event is free and open to the public. The library is located at 65 Westminster St. and is wheelchair accessible. To learn more, call 802-463-4270, email [email protected], or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.