Around the Towns

Manitou to hold healing walk

WILLIAMSVILLE - The Manitou Project will hold a Healing Walk on Friday, July 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. This meditative walk on Manitou's Sanctuary Trail will be led by Mary Stowe and will include poems or other readings and chances to share about the experience.

The walk takes place rain or shine. Meet at the parking lot at 4 p.m. For more information, contact Stowe at 802-246-1152.

St. Michael's Episcopal Church to host climate change retreat

BRATTLEBORO - St. Michael's Episcopal Church will sponsor a morning retreat on contemplative approaches to climate change on Saturday, July 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the church's Meeting Room.

The retreat, titled “Reclaiming Our Intimate, Co-Creative Relationship with the Natural World,” will be led by Dr. Robert Jonas. He will draw on the work of Pope Francis and James Finley to explore ways in which contemplative approaches to the world can help people meet the challenges set before them, no matter what the future holds.

This retreat is free and open to all. St. Michael's Episcopal Church is at 16 Bradley Ave. and is fully accessible.

Summer supper in Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - On Saturday, July 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., come out to the Town Hall on Route 63 for a summer supper of baked ham, baked beans, summer salads, and blueberry desserts.

Take the night off from the kitchen and attend the dinner. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids. Takeout is available.

Townshend needs help with town report

TOWNSHEND - The Selectboard is looking for volunteers to put together the Town Report for this past fiscal year.

For more information or to add your name as a volunteer, call the Town Clerk's office at 802-365-7300, ext. 101, and ask to speak with Selectboard Assistant Craig Hunt.

Learn about night creatures in Grafton

GRAFTON - While we sleep, our animal friends are up and about, using senses other than eyesight to find food and make their way through a mysterious nocturnal world. Many animals have adaptations for darkness that far exceed human abilities, with features and behaviors that help them be active at night.

Come learn about these amazing nocturnal animals on Saturday, July 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center in Grafton, when Kimberly Galandak-O'Connor, Education Director at The Nature Museum, will give a short presentation. After that, attendees can enjoy a bonfire with their families and use their senses to explore the woods during a guided hike at dusk.

The interactive program is geared for all ages and is fun for the whole family. Admission is by donation for the program. RSVP at www.nature-museum.org or by calling 802-843-2111. Participants should bring snacks and a water bottle and be dressed for a moderate hike across uneven terrain.

Rummage and tag sale in West Dummerston

WEST DUMMERSTON - There will be a benefit rummage and tag sale on Saturday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dummerston Community Center located at 150 West St. in West Dummerston village.

Items for sale include books, toys, games, kitchenware, clothing, footwear, and many miscellaneous items. The sale is indoors and will be held rain or shine.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Center's operating and maintenance fund. For more information: 802-254-9212 or 802-254-2415.

Scholarships awarded in memory of Lisa Young Noble

WEST TOWNSHEND - Lisa's Love Charitable Association was started in 2000 in memory of Lisa Young Noble, who died after fighting a courageous battle with a brain tumor.

She was 32 and had worked and attended schools in the West River Valley. Her family wanted to honor the amazing daughter, sister, aunt, and woman she was. They founded Lisa's Love in her memory, and scholarships have been given each year to a graduating Leland & Gray Union High School senior in Noble's memory.

Each year, an LGUHS graduate has received a scholarship to help with his or her learning goals. This year, two $1,000 scholarships were given. The recipients were Vincent Polhemus of Bondville and Lindsey Vachon of Townshend.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Lisa's Love Charitable Association may mail a check to Lisa's Love Charitable Association, 1120 Windham Hill Rd., West Townshend, VT 05359.

Hogback hosts talk on lost ski areas of southern Vermont

WILMINGTON - On Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m., at Memorial Hall, the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association (HMCA) is hosting an illustrated lecture by ski historian Jeremy Davis.

Today there are 14 ski areas in southern Vermont. There used to be 60. What happened? Davis will describe the factors that led to the closing of so many once-vibrant ski areas. Doors open at 6:30 for a chance to meet the speaker and have him autograph copies of his books.

The program is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to support the trails and programs at the Hogback Mountain Conservation Area in Marlboro. Find more info at hogbackvt.org, or look for them on Facebook.

Jewish school in Brattleboro welcomes new students

BRATTLEBORO - It's not too late to register children in the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community Hebrew School. Congregation Shir Heharim (Song of the Mountains), the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community, offers a once-a-week religious school for children age six to 13, and older.

The school offers a vibrant, child-centered program that teaches Hebrew language as well as songs, stories, prayers, holiday observances, customs and traditions, history, current events, and all things Jewish. Anyone who planning to become a bar- or bat-mitzvah must be enrolled for a minimum of two years.

Classes meet at the synagogue at 151 Greenleaf Street in West Brattleboro for 31 Sunday afternoons during the regular school year, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The first day of classes will be Sept. 11.

Tuition is $350 for children of BAJC members and $700 for children whose parents aren't yet members. Scholarships are available. For more information and a link to a registration form, visit www.bajcvermont.org, leave a message at 802-257-1959, or e-mail [email protected].

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