Hot dog and baked bean dinner in Newfane
NEWFANE - The Newfane Congregational Church, 11 Church St., invites you to a get-out-of-the-house and meet-some-friends fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. A meal of hot dogs, homemade baked beans, cornbread, and coleslaw, with brownies and ice cream for dessert, will help chase away the winter blues.
No reservations are needed. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for children up to 12 years of age. No take-out meals will be available for this event. Funds raised will help sustain the church and support its missions and outreach in the local community. For more information, contact Mike Hutcheson at 802-365-4079 or [email protected].
Senior meal in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Evening Star Grange will serve their second meal of the month on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at noon with take-outs available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations are encouraged but not mandatory. Call the Grange at 802-254-1138 and leave your name, phone number, the number of meals desired, and whether you are eating in or taking it home.
The menu includes baked chicken breast with mushroom gravy, rice pilaf, broccoli-cauliflower au-gratin, and veggie quiche, with a strawberry dessert. A donation of $4 for those 60 and over, and $5 for those under 60 and all take-outs is suggested to help defray the cost of the meal.
Empty Bowls dinner in Townshend
TOWNSHEND - Reservations are now open for Empty Bowl Townshend, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m, at the Townshend Church, 46 Common Rd. A donation of $20 is requested at the door. Reservations are required and may be made at emptybowlstownshend.com.
Diners will select an empty handcrafted bowl, eat a simple meal of hot soup and fresh bread, and reflect on area hunger. There will also be live music and a raffle. Proceeds support the Townshend Community Food Shelf, which serves Townshend, Newfane, Brookline, Jamaica, Athens, Wardsboro, Windham, and Winhall.
Rec. Dept. begins new session of youth chess
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will offer another session of youth chess classes beginning Feb. 28. This program runs through April 25, and will take place in the Gibson-Aiken Center.
The beginner class will run from 3:20 to 4:20 p.m. and the intermediate class will run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The fee is $55 for Brattleboro residents and $70 for nonresidents.
Individuals can register online at bit.ly/3ZZEDVj, or in person Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m., at the Gibson-Aiken Center. For more information, call 802-254-5808.
Community yoga program begins in Guilford
GUILFORD - The Guilford Recreation Commission has started a community yoga program, accessible to people of all abilities and experience, every Monday from 5 to 6 p.m. at Broad Brook Community Center, 3940 Guilford Center Rd.
The program features Kripalu-style yoga, led by Lindsay Parise. Participants should bring their own mat and any props they might need, though a few will be available to borrow. Cost is a suggested donation of $10, $5 for seniors and those receiving EBT benefits. It is open to adults and children 10 and older (children need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the class). A waiver to participate is needed and will be available at the door.
Brattleboro Food Co-op announces bread baking competition
BRATTLEBORO - On Saturday, March 1, the Brattleboro Food Co-op will celebrate local bread with Bread Fest, a free event from noon to 3:30 p.m. It will feature an amateur bread-baking competition judged by local baking luminaries, opportunities to speak with master bakers, and a talk and book-signing by Jonathan Stevens, baker and author of The Hungry Ghost Bread Book.
Starting at noon, Noah Elbers of Orchard Hill Breadworks, Shaima Hussainzada of Taza Afghan Foods, Red Hen Baking, and Sarah of Bread from the Earth Bakery will be tabling in the Co-op and available to chat about baking, business, local grain, or any other questions from visitors. At 2 p.m. in the Co-op Café, the winner of the bread competition will be announced. From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Jonathan Stevens will give his talk and afterwards will be available to sign books and meet audience members.
Bread Fest is a collaboration between Brattleboro Food Co-op, NOFA-VT, and Chelsea Green Publishing, with the generous participation of Orchard Hill Breadworks, Taza Afghan Foods, Red Hen Baking, and Bread from the Earth Bakery. Contest winners will receive gift baskets that include donations from Ploughgate Creamery, Cabot Creamery, King Arthur Flour, Farmer Ground Flour, Nitty Gritty Grains of Vermont, and local honey producers. The Brattleboro Food Co-op thanks our vibrant local foods community for making this event possible.
This is a free event; registration is not required unless you enter the baking competition. For more information and to enter the competition, visit bfc.coop/event/bread-fest.
Marlboro Mud Fling returns on March 1
MARLBORO - The Marlboro Community Center (MCC) and the Marlboro Elementary School FTA have teamed up to present the Marlboro Mud Fling on Saturday, March 1, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Community Center, 524 South Rd.
This town tradition features a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, live music by Dante & the Moondogs, plenty of delectable desserts and savory foods, and a cash bar. Raffle tickets offer a chance to win one of three prizes: a season pass for two to the 2025 Marlboro Music Festival, a two-night stay at a beautiful Marlboro Airbnb, or a family pass to Next Stage Arts Bandwagon Concert series for the 2025 season.
You don't need to be present to win. Raffle tickets are available at the Marlboro Community Center and from Marlboro elementary students. All proceeds from the raffles, auction, and the entry fee of $10 to $15 go to support the work of the MCC and Marlboro Elementary School students. Cash, check, or PayPal accepted.
If you would like to donate something for the silent auction (artwork, services, goods, etc.), bake a dessert, or would like more information, contact Gail MacArthur at [email protected].
Students invited to enter Two-Sentence Story Contest
WATERBURY CENTER - For a third consecutive year, the Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) is challenging young writers in Vermont and New Hampshire to tell an original story using only two sentences. The theme of this year's contest is "Love," and entrants are encouraged to write about anything that evokes that sentiment for them.
CLiF's Two-Sentence Story Contest is free to enter and open to all Vermont and New Hampshire children ages 12 and under. The winning submission in each of four age groups will be awarded a five-book mini-library curated to the recipient's reading level and interests.
Last year's contest, held in the weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, asked children to "tell a story that takes place in the sky." CLiF received over 900 entries from across Vermont and New Hampshire. In 2023, the inaugural Two-Sentence Story Contest challenged young writers to "tell a story about winter," and drew over 700 entries.
For full contest guidelines, as well as free supplementary materials for educators and caregivers, visit bit.ly/803-CLiF. Entries must be received by email or postmarked by March 14. Submissions may be sent to [email protected] or addressed to: CLiF Two-Sentence Story Contest, 3579 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, VT 05677.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.