District 9 RTM forum set for March 19
BRATTLEBORO - Residents of District 9 are invited to attend a forum to ask questions and share concerns in advance of the March 22 Representative Town Meeting.
The forum, organized by Robert Oeser and David Levenbach, will be held on Wednesday, March 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room of Brooks Memorial Library. For more information, write [email protected] or call 413-559-1533.
Learn about bluebirds in Dummerston
WEST DUMMERSTON - Ron Svec, a veterinarian, Dummerston Conservation Commissioner, and member of the North American Bluebird Society, will present a program on the history, life, and nesting of the eastern bluebird on Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West St. This free event is sponsored by the Dummerston Conservation Commission.
The story of the success of the bluebird in Vermont is due in most part to citizen conservationists' efforts to provide nesting boxes to ensure their survival. Learn about the species including their preferred habitats, how to attract them to one's home, and how to provide safe and successful nesting boxes.
Monthly sewing circle, mending bee at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS - For those whose sewing and mending projects are piling up, maybe some good company will help inspire to finish them. On Friday, March 21, from 3 to 5 p.m., the Rockingham Free Public Library debuts its monthly sewing and mending bee, called "Sew What?" Handworkers and crafters are invited to bring projects to the library's third-floor meeting room and work on them with friends, new and old.
"Sew What?" is strictly do-it-yourself; attendees are solely responsible for their sewing and mending, and should bring all the supplies they need for their projects. This event, geared toward those over the age of 16, is free to all. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Wendy M. Levy at [email protected], call 802 463-4270, or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.
Ham radio license testing session on March 22
TOWNSHEND - The West River Radio Club will offer an FCC licensing and ARRL certification testing session for all levels and upgrades on Saturday, March 22, at 10 a.m. at the Wolf Building of Grace Cottage Hospital, 185 Grafton Rd.
Bring two forms of identification (one picture), any prior radio license, a pencil, calculator (not on your phone), and $15 cash or check. Most importantly, secure an FRN number from the FCC prior to coming to the test. It can be found at bit.ly/807-ham. To reserve a spot, contact Mary Peterson at [email protected] or 802-258-3921.
People's Medicine Garden meeting in Guilford
GUILFORD - Neighborhood Roots Food Collective is sowing the seeds for the creation of a People's Medicine Garden in Guilford. A planning meeting will be held on Saturday, March 22, at 10 a.m. at Broad Brook Community Center.
Organizers say the goal is to "collectively imagine a garden of beauty and usefulness that will become a lasting resource for our community." On the agenda is a discussion of the goals and uses for a people's medicine garden, brainstorming medicinal plants to grow, and planning early action steps.
All are invited. To RSVP, go to bit.ly/807-med-garden.
Wardsboro Library hosts cultural historian Jill Mudgett
WARDSBORO - The Wardsboro Public Library, in collaboration with Wardsboro Curtain Call, will host Cultural Historian Jill Mudgett for a presentation called "The Hills of Home: Mountains and Identity in Vermont History" on Saturday, March 22, at 1 p.m., at the library.
"Vermonters take great pride in their mountain landscapes," says Mudgett, "but where does this deep connection come from?" This lecture will explore the evolving perception of Vermont's mountainous terrain, beginning with the state's founders, how Vermont's landscape has shaped its cultural identity, and why attachment to the land remains so strong today.
This presentation is part of the Vermont Humanities Council program and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, email [email protected].
Grange hosts sugar on snow supper on March 22
DUMMERSTON - Evening Star Grange will present their annual sugar on snow supper on Saturday, March 22, with seatings at 4:30 and 6 p.m. The meal will consist of baked ham, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and deviled eggs, with sugar on snow, doughnuts, and a pickle for dessert. The doughnuts this year will be made especially for the Grange by Lester Dunklee and the Hicken family.
Adult tickets are $15, $7 for children age 5–11, and children under 5 eat free. There are no take-outs for this meal. To make a reservation, call the Grange at 802-254-1138 and leave name, phone number, number of meals desired, and preference of 4:30 or 6 p.m seating. For more information, call the Grange and leave a message, or call Larry at 802-310-0799.
Windham Philharmonic performs at Latchis
BRATTLEBORO - "Topsy-turvy and true love are on the menu" for the Windham Philharmonic in a concert of Gilbert & Sullivan gems complemented by Viennese operetta, said Conductor Hugh Keelan in a news release. The concert on Monday, March 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Latchis Theatre will feature selections from The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore, alongside music by Johann Strauss II-the Waltz King-and Franz Lehár.
Many vocalists will join the orchestra, including a favorite of the Windham Philharmonic, soprano Elizabeth Wohl. The constellation of solo singers also will include Marietta Formanek, Zoe Mickle, Nyx Del Prado, Finnegan Pucciarello, and Jenna Rae. Tenors James Anderson and Alan Schneider, known for their performances in Brattleboro's own Tundi productions, also join this concert.
Admission is by donation; baked goods will be available to purchase.
Putney Library hosts online writers salon
PUTNEY - The Putney Public Library Writers Salon is a Zoom series that brings writers across the country together with an enthusiastic audience. This month's edition takes place on Tuesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. For the link, go to tinyurl.com/5996rjvd.
Toni Ortner is the host of this series. She has had 33 books published by small presses; the most recent is The Girl in the Yellow Dress by Kelsay Books. She was vice president of Write Action for many years and taught in the English department of the University of Connecticut. Her work can be found at toniortner.com. Writers this month include:
• Diane Frank, a poet, musician, author of eight books of poems, three novels, and a photo memoir of her 400-mile trek in the Nepalese Himalayas. She is the editor of Blue Light Press. She teaches poetry, flash fiction, and memoir workshops at San Francisco State University and Dominican University. Her work can be found at dianefrank.net.
• Mary Kay Rummel, whose 10th book of poetry, titled Little River of Amazement, was recently published by Blue Light Press and explores the meaning of different stages of life. She is professor emerita from the University of Minnesota and taught at the California State University, Channel Islands. She divides her time between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Ventura, California, where she was Poet Laureate.
• Prartho Sereno, whose most recent collection, Starfall in the Temple, was published by Blue Light Press in the fall of 2023. She was Poet Laureate Emerita of Marin County (2015–17) and currently teaches The Poetry Pilgrimage: Poem Making as a Spiritual Practice, online at prarthosereno.com.
Senior lunch in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Evening Star Grange and Senior Solutions will present their second Senior Meal of the month on Wednesday, March 26, with in-house seating at noon and take-outs available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations are strongly suggested but no one will be turned away if you forget. Call the Grange at 802-254-1138 and leave name, phone number, the number of meals desired, and whether meals are for eating in or taking out.
The menu will consists of shepherd's pie, vegetarian shepherd's pie, and gelatin salad, with bread pudding for dessert. A donation of $4 if over 60 and eating in, or $5 for those 59 and younger and all take-outs is suggested.
Forum addresses washout worries in Guilford
GUILFORD - On Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. at Broad Brook Community Center, Guilford's Planning and Conservation Commissions are jointly sponsoring a community event: "What About Washouts? Lessons from past storms & floods for Guilford's future."
"In Guilford, many of our main roads run alongside streams, making road washouts a community-wide issue," organizers wrote in a news release. "Join our commissions and special guests to discuss experiences with Tropical Storm Irene, road washouts, and bank erosion, and learn what we can do to respond to high water events and reduce future road washouts."
The program will be moderated by Meg Mott, with special guests Guilford Road Commissioner Jimmy Freedman, Windham Regional Commission Executive Director Chris Campany, Hans Estrin of UVM's Ecological Planning Laboratory, Cory Ross, manager of the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District, and members of the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department.
Food distribution in Putney
PUTNEY - The Vermont Foodbank and the Putney Foodshelf co-sponsor a monthly food drop of free produce and some nonperishables on the fourth Thursday of every month, from 9 to 9:45 a.m. on Alice Holway Drive (in front of Putney Meadows).
All are welcome. This is a drive-up service. Bags are provided. The next monthly food drop is Thursday, March 27.
Pastry sale benefits Townshend Elementary
TOWNSHEND - Townshend School Club is selling Butter Braid pastries and cake rolls in time for Easter. These desserts arrive frozen, and can be frozen for special treats later.
They will also have a curated selection of snacks, such as popcorn, beef jerky, and coffee; and other crafts and goods including greeting cards, dog treats, soap, and candles. Shop online by going to bit.ly/807-tsc. The deadline to order is Friday, March 28. Frozen pastries will be delivered to the school on Wednesday, April 9.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.