Dottie's Discount Foods closing its doors
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Food Co-op says it has closed Dottie's Discount Foods on Flat Street after more than 10 years of operation.
According to a news release, the Co-op had planned to wind down operations by the end of December, but Dottie's sold off the remainder of its inventory ahead of schedule, so it closed at the end of the day on Dec. 15.
In place of Dottie's, the Co-op says that “new affordable food items in 52 categories are now being stocked at the Co-op. This includes staple items such as bread, milk, eggs, butter, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables, cheese, frozen food, and meat.”
More details about the closure can be found at bit.ly/592-dotties.
St. Michael's hosts 'Longest Night' service
BRATTLEBORO - On Sunday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m., St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Putney Road hosts its annual “Longest Night” service online.
In this time of COVID-19 and isolation from one another, the holiday season holds up a magnifying glass to what is going on in our lives, including pain and loss. Sadness and memories may seem overwhelming.
“This inclusive service for all faiths points to the time in the cycle of nature where there is the least amount of daylight: the Longest Night. Yet, at the darkest point, the day begins to grow longer and light increases,” the church writes in a news release.
“With readings, prayers, the music of the cello, and the lighting of candles massed together, all will look beyond the Longest Night to hope and healing.
“Last year, in a pre-COVID time, individuals lit candles in the name of loved ones or painful situations. They joined their candles with others to create a powerful glow. This year, as part of the service, candles will be lit for each person who asks and join it with others.”
To join this service via Zoom, visit stmichaelsvermont.org, click on the “Advent & Christmas Services” link, and find the Longest Night service.
An individual candle can be lit during the service in the name of a loved one or a painful situation one is living with, along with words for the leader to say as the candle is lit. Email your request to Phillip Wilson, one of the leaders, at [email protected]. (Your name would not be given, just your dedication of the candle.)
New WiFi hotspot installed in Guilford
GUILFORD - Thanks to a project of the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS), residents and students now have access to a new WiFi hotspot at the Town Office, making four points within the town's boundaries.
The service will be accessible from the parking lot.
According to a news release, DPS, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, recently teamed up with the Deerfield Valley Communications Union District (DVCUD, also known as DVFiber) and local communities to secure installation of additional locations with free wireless internet.
Other locations in the program include Guilford Free Library, Guilford Volunteer Fire Department, and Guilford Central School.
Through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, DVCUD successfully applied to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development for funds to secure 20 hotspots in the district, which consists of 19 towns in Windham and Bennington counties.
For more information about the DVCUD, visit dvfiber.net.
Experienced Goods suspends accepting donations
BRATTLEBORO - Due to an abundance of donations and having reached its storage capacity, Brattleboro Area Hospice's Experienced Goods thrift store on Flat Street has stopped accepting donations until further notice.
Store hours remain Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The nonprofit thrift store will be open on Christmas Eve, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but will be closed from Friday, Dec. 25 through Friday, Jan. 1. The store expects to reopen on Saturday, Jan. 2.