Candidate petitions now available in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - Petitions for town and school district officers and town meeting members are now available at the Town Clerk's office.
Town elections will be held on Tuesday, March 6, and the Annual Representative Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 24.
Petitions for town officers must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters.
Candidates for town meeting member must file a nomination petition with at least 10 valid signatures of voters from the district where the candidate lives.
Petitions of candidates for both town officers and town meeting membership must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30.
Incumbents for town meeting member must return their Notice of Intent forms no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, one week sooner than new candidates' petitions are due.
For more information, contact Town Clerk Annette Cappy at 802-251-8189 or [email protected].
Merry Mulch tree collection schedule announced
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Union High School Music Department will once again offer the Merry Mulch Christmas tree collection service to Brattleboro residents.
For a $10 donation, members of the band and chorus will transport undecorated trees from homes to one of the town's community gardens, where they will be chipped into mulch.
Since the town does not offer curbside pick-up of trees, the service saves residents the hassle of transporting them.
Three Saturday pick-up dates are being offered: Jan. 7, 14 and 21.
All pick-ups must be prearranged by calling one of the following numbers at least two days prior to your desired date: 802-254-8994, 802-254-7746, or 802-348-1241, or email [email protected].
This program, in its 21st year, is endorsed by the Vermont Department of Agriculture.
Westminster West School holds open house
WESTMINSTER - The Westminster West School is currently enrolling first- through third-graders, but looks forward to the inclusion of kindergarten next year.
There will be an open house for interested residents of Westminster on Friday, Jan. 6, from 8 to 9 a.m.
For more information, call the school at 802-387-5746.
LGUHS Senior Class holds a benefit bottle drive
TOWNSHEND - The Leland & Gray Union High School Class of 2012 will collect redeemable bottles and cans to benefit various class activities on Saturday, Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The 59-member Senior Class is fundraising to support the senior class gift, the John Newton Award (a scholarship given to a graduating senior), and the senior class trip.
Drop off your redeemable bottles and cans across from the Grange in Williamsville, in the Newfane Town Office parking lot, or at Leland & Gray High School on Jan. 7, or call Jeryl Julian-Cissé at 802-348-7173 to arrange a pickup.
D&K Redemption Center in Jamaica and Putney Road Redemption Center in Brattleboro have accounts for the Leland & Gray Senior Class as well.
All proceeds go directly to the senior class.
Local history is focus of Saxtons River 'fireside chat' series
SAXTONS RIVER - Local history is the focus of a series of four fireside chats, beginning Monday, Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the parlor of the Saxtons River Inn.
Main Street Arts and the Saxtons River Historical Society are repeating last year's format of exploring the village's history by bringing together residents with good memories and artifacts from the historical society's museum for an hour and a half of spirited conversation.
The first week's topic is “Who is Here?”, an exploration of the clubs and organizations that have added to the village's past and present, including the Grange, the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, the historical society, Nature Club, the Saxtons River band, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R), the Outing Club, Main Street Arts, and Club 39.
Other topics in the series are “Who's on First?”, a history of baseball and other athletics (Jan. 16), “How Did We Get Around?”, transportation from the 1700s to the present (Jan. 23), and “How Has the Village Changed?”, an overview of the churches, schools, the Inn, business, and industry (Jan. 30).
A cash bar is available, and those attending the free gathering are encouraged to stay for dinner afterwards. In case of bad weather, Main Street Arts will have a message on its answering machine at 802-869-2960.
BF Woman's Club to meet on Jan. 10
BELLOWS FALLS - The Jan. 10 meeting of the Bellows Falls Woman's Club, a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, will be held at the United Church of Bellows Falls on School Street, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Cynthia Moore, of Sojourns Community Health Center, will be the featured speaker.
Members are reminded to bring a wrapped item weighing a pound to be auctioned at the meeting for the club's annual in-house, “pound sale” fundraiser, with proceeds to supplement the club's many community service projects.
Area women are cordially invited to join the club. For more information, contact Barbara Comtois at 802-344-0025.
Putney Mountain Association to hold annual meeting
PUTNEY - The Putney Mountain Association will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 4 p.m. at the Putney Public Library. All are invited.
Bob Engels will be speaking on the subject of citizen science and its strengths and weaknesses.
Recently retired, Engel taught biology at Marlboro College for many years.
“There is nothing magical about science,” Engles has said. “Anyone can do it with a decent premise and attention to method.”
Tropical birds of Vermont is topic of RFPL talk
BELLOWS FALLS - Most of our North American birds are not our birds! Come to the Rockingham Free Public Library on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. and join birder and Commons columnist Chris Petrak for a look at these intrepid travelers.
A variety of tropical birds come north for the summer: vireos, flycatchers, warblers, thrushes - including the Hermit Thrush, Vermont's state bird - as well as many song birds.
They spend these few warm months taking advantage of the food sources that our temperate climate produces in the summer. This rich, largely insect, protein feeds parents and their young during their brief and intense breeding period.
At season's end, they all head back home to Central and South America. These long-distance migrants face daunting challenges on their travels -challenges made even greater by habitat loss, migratory obstacles and pollutants.
Petrak will show slides, discuss these birds, and answer questions.
His recently published book, Tails of Birding, will be available at the free program.
For more information, contact the library at 802-463-4270.