Brattleboro releases annual water quality report
BRATTLEBORO - The Water Department's annual Consumer Confidence Report/Water Quality Report for 2019 is now available.
This report can be viewed at brattleboro.org/ccreport. Printed copies are available at the Municipal Center (230 Main St.) in the town manager's office or town clerk's office; the Department of Public Works (211 Fairgrounds Rd.), Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main St.), Tri-Park Cooperative Housing office (42 Village Dr.), and the Guilford Country Store (475 Coolidge Hwy., Guilford).
Questions about this report can be addressed to the Department of Public Works at 802-254-4255.
Guilford Fair is canceled for 2020
GUILFORD - A local Labor Day tradition is the latest victim of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The Guilford Fair Association trustees have announced that the 2020 Guilford Fair has been canceled.
According to Fair Association Secretary Belinda Lashway, the trustees met May 18, “and, after much discussion, decided that the safety of our fair patrons, vendors, exhibitors, and the community needed to be our first priority right now.”
Lashway wrote in a letter to The Commons that “this decision did not come easily, and we will miss seeing all of our Guilford Fair friends this September, but will look forward to seeing everyone next Labor Day Weekend!”
The Guilford Fair started in 1942 and has been a popular attraction ever since.
Starving artists? Not in Brattleboro.
BRATTLEBORO - The recent Nourishing Artists challenge by the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance has received funding for 300 local restaurant meals for local artists.
Now, they need to come eat them.
According to a news release, any artist qualifies if they have lived, worked, performed, displayed, taught, or practiced their art in Brattleboro.
The program's definition of “artist” is broad, so organizers say that “this is not just for painters and writers and trapeze aerialists and actors and fiddlers, but also for craftspeople, yoga teachers, concert producers, museum clerks, tattoo artists, furniture makers, landscape designers, hair stylists, seamstresses, stagehands, piano tuners, and yarn bomber pranksters.”
To sign up for a free meal, visit brattleboro.com and follow links from the“Nourishing Artists Program: Sign Up Here” section on the page.
Borrowing is back at Putney Public Library
PUTNEY - You may now request items at the Putney Public Library and pick them up just outside the front doors.
The library is now offering its own collection of items for loan again (no interlibrary loan or Catamount loans as yet).
Make a request by searching for materials on the putneylibrary.org website and following the cart instructions to email your list automatically to Library Director Emily Zervas at [email protected].
Alternatively, you can email Zervas a list of books you'd like (or an author or topic you'd like books about), or call the library at 802-387-4407 and leave a message with what you'd like.
She will then get in touch with you to arrange a pickup time with you. Normal pickup days are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Return of items is allowed via the library's outdoor drop box. Items from the box will be quarantined for one week before being checked in and made available for others to borrow. Please do not return items if you or anyone in your household has shown signs of illness in the past 14 days.
Experienced Goods to resume accepting donations, with limits
BRATTLEBORO-Experienced Goods, the thrift store for Brattleboro Area Hospice, will resume taking some donations starting this week.
The retail store at 77 Flat St. remains closed. Donations of items other than furniture may be dropped off only at the CF Church building, 80 Flat St. (the space next to the location for the Winter Farmers' Market) and only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the donation schedule for the foreseeable future.
While they are grateful for donations and support of Hospice, the store staff says it is vital that donors adhere to their standards for clean and sellable items. Staff reserves the right to refuse any donations that they deem unsellable.
For additional information, visit the Experienced Goods section of the Brattleboro Area Hospice website.
Sunflower seeds available at Brooks Memorial Library
BRATTLEBORO - Brooks Memorial Library is part of the Growing Hope Campaign, a partnership between the library and Building a Positive Community in Brattleboro to distribute sunflower seeds to people who would like to have some hope growing, wherever they are.
Come to the Main Street library entrance from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with a sign that says “sunflowers,” “growing hope,” or even an image of a sunflower. A staff member will give you a packet of seeds for you to plant.
You can also request seeds when you order items through the library's curbside service. Packets may also be found at the tiny libraries on Spruce Street, on Coombs Street, and near Oak Grove School.
If you live in or anywhere near Brattleboro and would like seeds to plant, help distribute seeds in your neighborhood, or have any questions, contact Courtney Carey at [email protected] and put “Sunflower” in the subject line. You may also contact Rolf Parker at [email protected].
Moore Free Library seeks lawn maintenance help
NEWFANE - Are you a high school student who needs to complete community service hours? Do you enjoy being outdoors? Would you like to perform a socially distant community service project? Do you love to cut grass?
The Moore Free Library is seeking a high school student to care for the lawn this summer and fall. This service opportunity is for 1 to 2 hours per week.
The student may bring tools (lawn mower and string trimmer), but these can be provided by the library.
Contact the library at [email protected] or 802-365-7948 for more details.
Annual West River Trail Run goes virtual
LONDONDERRY - The upcoming annual West River Trail Run, an 11-mile trail run that starts at the South Londonderry Depot and ends at Jamaica State Park, will be a virtual event this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
If you have already registered for the in-person race, you can transfer your registration for the virtual run. Runners will have between June 6 and June 13 to complete either the 5K or “11 Miles of Trouble” courses.
The first 100 registrants will receive a participant's bag with local Vermont swag. Winner bags will be awarded to top finishers in each respective race.
For more information on this year's Virtual West River Trail Run, visit thecollaborative.us/westrivertrailrun. To sign up for the race, visit runsignup.com/Race/VT/SouthLondonderry/WestRiverTrailRun.
Athena Giving Circle awards grant to Women's Freedom Center
BRATTLEBORO - A group of 11 area women calling themselves the Athena Giving Circle recently banded together to pool resources and make a contribution with impact to one local organization each year. This year, the focus was on those doing significant COVID-19 response work in our area.
In a news release, Gail Nunziata, speaking for the group, said that the Athena Giving Circle “admires the work the Women's Freedom Center does year in and year out. We are especially grateful for your efforts in these extraordinary times.”
Nunziata said the group grew out of an effort called The Giving Project, encouraging the development of Giving Circles around the state. Simply stated, a giving circle is a group of people who pool their charitable donations and decide together where to allocate their money.
“After several Zoom meetings, where we discussed our giving philosophies and the many sectors in our region supporting those in need, the Athena Giving Circle chose to make our first award to the Women's Freedom Center for their efforts to aid women and children who may be forced to isolate in unsafe conditions due to coronavirus stay-at-home orders.”
According to The Giving Project, giving circles have existed for more than 100 years, but the proliferation of giving circle networks has evolved in just the past 10 years.
“Our experience was incredibly satisfying,” said Nunziata. “I encourage others to consider starting a giving circle, and to contact The Giving Project at givingprojectvt.org for information on how to begin.”
Wardsboro Public Library offers curbside pickup
WARDSBORO -The doors to the Wardsboro Public Library may be closed, but you can still borrow books.
Patrons can either call and speak with a librarian at 802-896-6988 on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon (do not leave a voice message) or email anytime at [email protected] to place a request.
Search the library's catalog first at wardsboropubliclibrary.org for available books and give the library this information.
Staff will then check out your books and place them in a paper bag with your first name and last initial prominently displayed. You may pick up your bag on the back ramp. Books will be checked out for four weeks.
Curbside pickup will be available on Mondays and Thursdays after 1 p.m. Due to space constraints, books must be picked up within three days.
Books should be returned to the red book drop box on the library ramp.