Brattleboro Police plan sobriety checkpoint
BRATTLEBORO - This week, the Brattleboro Police Department will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint within the town of Brattleboro.
An aggressive effort will be made to identify impaired drivers on the highways. Officers will be also enforcing seatbelt, child restraint, and other motor vehicle laws during this checkpoint.
Grafton Historical Society to hold fundraiser
GRAFTON - The Grafton Historical Society will hold its annual bake sale and a silent auction on Saturday, Sept. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in front of the Museum on Main Street.
The event is held each year to raise funds for the operation of the museum and the renovation of the historic Brick Meeting House in Grafton.
The event is open to the public and will coincide with the Grafton Public Library's annual Book Sale on the same day.
At the museum, home-baked foods from town residents will be for sale. Coffee and doughnuts will be available for morning shoppers. The Historical Society will offer an outdoor lunch selection beginning about 11 a.m., with a variety of foods such as hot dogs, chili, baked beans, and desserts.
The silent auction offerings are extensive. Two getaway vacations will be available; a villa in Tuscany, and a week-end at the Hinkley Brook Cabin in Grafton. Among the popular offerings again this year will be two Red Sox tickets and a pizza dinner for six, Bill Brown's famous apple pies, and a Grafton Auto vehicle inspection.
Other items in the auction will include a handmade braided rug, a handmade quilt, a wood creation from My Mind's Design, and a drum from Cooperman Fife and Drum. Food basket items and other items will also be offered. The silent auction will close at 3 p.m.
For further information, contact the Historical Society at 802-843-2584 or [email protected].
Pancake breakfast benefits Firefighters' Association
WEST BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Firefighters' Benefit Association serves up its annual all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast on Sunday, Sept. 6, from 7 to 10:30 a.m. at the West Brattleboro Fire Station on Western Avenue.
The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children. For more information, call 802-254-4831.
History Hike on Hogback Mountain highlights old Pease Farm
MARLBORO - On Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m., Marcia Hamilton will lead a hike to the site of the former Pease Farm on Hogback Mountain.
Not many people know about the barely visible cellar hole just north of the Old Hogback Road on the north side of Route 9, but there was a farm there for a little over 100 years.
Hamilton has discovered interesting information about some of those early residents in Marlboro, including the Pease family, who lived there on Hogback during the 18th and 19th centuries. The walk to the cellar hole and back will be less than a half-mile round-trip, and on easy terrain. Meet in the big parking lot north of Route 9. Sponsored by the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association.
Marlboro Cares presents 'Alive Inside'
MARLBORO - Marlboro Cares, in conjunction with Brattleboro Area Hospice, will present the film Alive Inside by Michael Rossato-Bennett, who describes it as “a joyous cinematic exploration of music's capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity.”
This stirring documentary follows social worker Dan Cohen as he fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music's ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. The film won the Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Alive Inside will be shown Wednesday, September 9 at 7 p.m. upstairs in the Meeting House Church in the center of Marlboro. The film will be introduced by Ryan Murphy of Brattleboro Area Hospice. The event is open to all at no charge. If you need a ride, call 802-258-3030 at least two days ahead.
Climate change and animal habitat is subject of talk
DUMMERSTON - “Animals of the North: What Will Global Climate Change Mean For Them?” is the subject of a talk by wildlife tracker Sue Morse, hosted by the Dummerston Conservation Commission, that will take on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m., at The Learning Collaborative, 471 Route 5.
Learn about ways in which northern wildlife species are already being affected by climate change, with more serious challenges ahead. Canada lynx, moose, American marten, caribou, polar bears, arctic fox, and arctic marine and waterfowl ecology are some of the species and subjects covered in this show.
Rather than overwhelming viewers with bad news, Morse will share remarkable images of animals and their northern habitats - all in the spirit of Jane Goodall's “reason for hope.”
Morse is an expert in natural history and one of the top wildlife trackers in North America. Since 1977, she has been documenting the presence and habitat requirements of bobcat, black bear, Canada lynx, cougar, and other mammals. Morse has presented her findings and award-winning images to a wide range of audiences, and in her role as mentor has inspired many to pursue careers in natural resources.
For more information about this program, contact Lynn Levine at [email protected].
350.org launches “Keep it in the Ground” campaign
BRATTLEBORO - As part of its involvement with 350.org's “Keep it in the Ground” campaign, Post Oil Solutions and the Climate Change Cafe will host a simulcast of this project's major launch event on Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., at 118 Elliott St. (the former site of the laundromat).
Originating from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the event will be live streamed and will include such climate experts as Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein.
The “Keep it in the Ground” campaign will shape much of 350.org's work through the gathering of world leaders at this December's COP 21 conference in Paris, where organizers hope action will be taken to substantially reduce global warming. Organizers are using the September 10 launch to build support and kick off the sprint to Paris.
There will be a National Day of Action on Oct. 14, in which local organizations will name leaders that have “blocked or failed to act to address climate change,” and a Mass Mobilization in April 2016 “to demand a just transition to 100 percent clean energy for all.”
For further information, contact Tim Stevenson at 802-859-2141 or [email protected].
Touch A Truck returns to BMH
BRATTLEBORO - The seventh annual Touch-a-Truck fundraiser at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be lots of trucks for children to explore, as well as the mulch area for children to play and dig in.
More than 50 vehicles will converge on the BMH parking lot that morning. Children can climb in or on the trucks, talk to the drivers, and get their picture taken.
Vehicles on site that day will include fire trucks, an ambulance, dump trucks, a utility truck, a back hoe, a Unimog, tow trucks, police cruisers, motorcycles, a zamboni, and many more. Children will have the opportunity to ride along on a Kubota tractor, moving mulch and operating the bucket loader. Plenty of adult supervision will be on hand to ensure safety.
Touch-A-Truck merchandise - hard hats, baseball caps and t-shirts - will be available and a raffle will be held to win a variety of prizes, including a family 2016 season pass for the Keene Swamp Bats. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and will be available for purchase at the event.
Admission is $5 ($15 for families of three or more). Tickets can be purchased at the event or in advance online at www.bmhvt.org. The entire event is horn/siren free and the first 200 children in the gate will receive a free toy truck.
UVM Extension offers Master Composter class
BRATTLEBORO - Backyard composting allows residents to turn food scraps and yard trimmings into “black gold,” adding rich, organic nutrients to your soil for a lower cost than purchased fertilizers and compost.
The Vermont Master Composter course is open for registration until Sept. 11. Classes will begin on Sept. 17 and run for four consecutive Thursdays, from 6:15 to 9 p.m., at 13 Vermont Interactive Technology sites including Brattleboro (located at Brattleboro Union High School, 131 Fairground Rd.)
The course, sponsored by the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Master Gardener program, costs $50 and includes online access to all class materials and the comprehensive Vermont Master Composter Resource Manual. Registration is either online at www.uvm.edu/mastergardener or by phoning the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program Office at 802-656-9562.
In addition to providing the “recipe” for making good compost, instructors will talk about site and container selection as well as steps to manage the compost process. Worm composting, disease management, and other topics will be covered.
Once students complete the course, they may choose to earn certification to become a Vermont Master Composter. To become certified, they must volunteer for 20 hours within a two-year period on community or school composting projects. They also may assist with UVM Extension Master Gardener projects that include a composting component. Once certified, they will be asked to provide a minimum of five hours of community outreach each year.
Asbury Church serves up chicken, gravy, and biscuits
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. – Asbury Church will continue its tradition of serving up delicious “comfort food” at a Harvest Supper on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Chesterfield Town Hall, located on Route 63 near the school and library.
Chicken in gravy over a biscuit, vegetables, coleslaw and iced tea or lemonade will be served as will pumpkin or apple pie. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. The building is handicapped accessible, and takeouts are available.
'Dim Sum for Elephants' presented in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO - A Dim Sum for Elephants will be held Sunday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m., at Cai's Dim Sum Teahouse on Western Avenue. A dim sum buffet, wine, and desert will be followed by an informative talk and silent auction. The price to attend the event is $35. To reserve call Ellen Capy at 802-380-2127.
One hundred percent of the proceeds after costs will go to benefit Wild Aid, an organization working to stem the unprecedented spike in illegal poaching of African elephants for ivory. Wild Aids' campaign to reduce demand for elephant ivory in Asia is the single largest step that can be taken to save African elephants from the threat of extinction. To find out more about them go to Wildaid.org/elephants.
Poaching of many of Africa's iconic species has reached an all time high. An estimated 35,000 elephants were poached in Africa in 2014. Without urgent action to end the ivory trade now, elephants may become extinct in Africa in ten years. Wildlife trafficking by criminal gangs has become more structured, more lucrative and more ruthless than ever before. In response, many organizations and individuals are working to stop demand, stop ivory trafficking, and stop elephant poaching.
BMH Spinal Health Level 1 class begins Sept. 14
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Services will be offering its seven week course “Standing Tall Spine Health: Level 1” starting on Monday, Sept. 14 in the BMH Exercise Room.
Classes take place from 4 to 5 p.m., every Monday through Oct. 26. Advance registration is required and the fee is $60. Contact the BMH Rehabilitation Services department at 802-257-8255 for more information or to register.
Each class consists of a brief educational session followed by guided exercise. Education topics include instruction in safe movement for fracture prevention, strength and flexibility exercises, balance and fall prevention, and nutrition for bone health.
Athens to hold special Selectboard meeting on 2016 budget
ATHENS - The Town of Athens will hold a special Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., at the town office.
This meeting will be a work session on the 2016 budget and town report.
The public is encouraged to attend the meeting to discuss the budget and any specific ideas they may have on the budget and town report for the coming year.