Around the Towns

Technology help available at Putney library

PUTNEY - People seeking assistance with a computer, device, or phone can now receive help at two different times each week at Putney Public Library, 55 Main St.

On Tuesday mornings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., people can make a one-on-one appointment with Ray Hussey, a library volunteer. Two one-hour time slots are available - one at 11 a.m., and one at noon. Call the library at 802-387-4407 or visit the front desk to sign up for an appointment.

Landmark College student Anna Dalgleish will provide drop-in computer help on Fridays between noon and 3 p.m., from Oct. 7 to mid-November. She is able to help with both Mac and PC systems. Anyone can drop in to the library on Friday afternoons to ask for her help with either a personal computer or device, or one of the Library's computers.

The technology assistance program is free and open to anyone, regardless of where they live.

Newfane Garden Club to meet

NEWFANE - The October meeting of the Newfane Garden Club will be at the Townshend Library on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m.

DeeDee Garofalo, who has vacationed for 32 years in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama, will share her pictures of the flowers of Grand Bahama. Guests are welcome.

Comedy at The Moose on Oct. 8

BELLOWS FALLS - Wade the Great Entertainment presents Comedy at the Moose on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Moose Lodge, 59 Westminster St., as five veteran comedians bring their own brand of humor to the stage.

Crosby Kenyon is a hometown boy from Bellows Falls, Nicholas Sartini is Italian-born and influenced by stories from the old country, Naomi Stone brings her world traveler feminine sensibility, Andrew Mayer is a 12-year veteran in the comedy scene who has performed throughout New England, and Wade Garrett is the consummate host who knows how to make you smile.

Food and drink will be served. Door opens at 6 p.m., with the show running from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission for age 18 and is $10 at the door. For more information, contact Garrett at 802-757-6957 or [email protected].

Church breakfasts resume

WEST BRATTLEBORO - The First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro will host its first of the season's free breakfast on Oct. 9 from 8 to 9:30 a.m.

They will offer a free, hot, and nutritious breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, orange juice, fresh fruit, and hot beverages for all. Please come to share community time over a hot meal. Donations will be gladly accepted.

Manitou presents workshop on Joanna Macy's 'Work that Reconnects'

WILLIAMSVILLE - The Manitou Project will present a workshop on the “Work that Reconnects,” on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 12:30 to 5 p.m., exploring a process for personal and planetary transformation pioneered by Joanna Macy.

Activities will include exercises for engaging with the landscape and reflecting on our interconnections with it, group sharing, movement and circle dance. The program will culminate in the powerful “Council of All Beings,” in which each person takes on the voice of another life form and speaks on its behalf.

The cost for the afternoon workshop is on a sliding scale, $15 to $25. For information, pre-registration (requested), and directions, contact Fred Taylor at [email protected] or 802-387-2681.

Crafting for the Homeless

WEST BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Area Jewish Community, 151 Greenleaf St., invites the community to join for the third year of crafting items for the homeless, starting Sunday, Oct. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Using traditional crafts, participants will make hats, scarves, blankets, and sleeping mats from yarn and fleece fabric to donate to Groundworks Collaborative. After this session, the group will meet the first Sunday of the month.

Meetings are lively and welcoming, with adults and children of both genders who talk and work and share ideas and thoughts. In addition to some funding from the Jewish Community, donations of yarn and fleece are welcome. For more information, call Janet Athens at (802) 254-8454.

Fall Osher lectures begin

DUMMERSTON - The Brattleboro Chapter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute announces the thirteenth in its autumn lecture series, starting Oct. 10.

The morning lectures, “Humanism and Progress,” given by Jerry Levy, will consider the impact of “humanistic communities” on the enduring problems of poverty, war, and ecological degradation. The afternoon series, presented by Felicity Ratte, will examine the art and architecture of the Islamic world as a way for non-Muslims to learn about Islamic culture and history. Both presenters are on the faculty of Marlboro College.

The Osher Lectures are held on six successive Mondays. Morning lectures run from 10 a.m. to noon; afternoon lectures, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Lectures are held at the Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 US Route 5, Dummerston. Parking and handicapped access are available, and light refreshments are served.

The lectures are produced by the Brattleboro OLLI chapter. OLLI is a nationwide membership organization sponsoring programs for people aged fifty and over who wish to continue their education without tests, papers, or grades.

Payment of full membership dues ($50) entitles members to attend all twelve lectures in the present series. Partial memberships ($30) entitle subscribers to attend six sessions in either morning or afternoon, but not both. Couples are welcome to join as full members at a discounted rate of $80 ($50 for partial membership). Lectures are also open to nonmembers for a fee of $6 per lecture. For further information, contact Julie Lavorgna at 802-365-7278, or [email protected].

Hogback ski slope clearing continues

MARLBORO - Volunteers are making good progress in clearing the former Great White Way ski slope in the Hogback Mountain Conservation Area.

The third of five fall work parties is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 10. The idea is to increase habitat variety on the mountain by turning back the clock on forest regeneration to create more young woody growth in which birds and other wildlife thrive. A nice side effect is that for a year or two the views are opened up for hikers and the slopes are clear for skiing

If you can haul brush, wield loppers, or run a chainsaw, you can help. Meet at 9 a.m. in the field behind the white A-frame building just west of the gift shop on Route 9 at the 100-mile view. Bring your own favorite tool or borrow one at the site. Questions? Contact [email protected].

Brattleboro Area Hospice to offer 'Grief for Beginners' training

BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Area Hospice presents “Grief for Beginners,” an educational program about the nature of grief and loss and what grieving people want from others, on Wednesdays, Oct. 12 and 19, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Participants will explore cultural attitudes and their own beliefs about grief, share personal experiences of being both the bereaved person and the supportive one, and learn how to be personal agents for change in our death-averse culture. The sessions will take place at Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St., and will be led by Connie Baxter, BAH Bereavement Program Coordinator.

This educational program is free of charge, but you must register and have a brief phone conversation with Connie to attend. Call her at 802-257-0775, ext. 104. Space is limited.

BF Woman's Club to meet

BELLOWS FALLS - Members of the Bellows Falls Woman's Club will meet on Oct. 11, at the United Church, School Street, beginning at noon, for a soup and salad luncheon hosted by the Executive Board. Attendees will pay $5 for the meal.

The program presenter will be the Rev. Alison Jacobs of the United Church, speaking on a project known as “Bead for Life,” an international entrepreneurial business started by Ugandan women seeking to lift their families out of poverty.

Vernon Historians host talk on petroglyphs

VERNON - On Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., Connecticut River explorer Annette Spaulding will discuss her diving experiences in the Connecticut River and her discovery last year, after a 30-year search, of rare and intriguing petroglyphs.

Her discovery is one of two known Native American carved rock sites in the area that have been submerged since the completion of the Vernon Dam in the spring of 1909, more than 100 years ago.

The event is sponsored by the Vernon Historians and will be held downstairs in the Vernon Town Office Building, which is handicapped accessible. It is open to the public and free of charge. Visit Vernon Historians, Inc. on Facebook for more information.

Senior lunch in Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - The October Chesterfield Senior Lunch will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 12:30 p.m., in the Chesterfield Town Hall. A meatloaf dinner will be served. For reservations, call Joanne at 603-363-8348. Suggested donation is $5.

The Home Health Care nurse will be available to give flu shots from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring your insurance or Medicare card. If paying out of pocket, the cost is $35.

Fall clean-up at Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery

BRATTLEBORO - The annual fall clean-up at Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery begins on Saturday, Oct. 15.

If you wish to save any items, such as flower boxes, families are asked to remove them before Oct. 15.

Bowling fundraiser to benefit association for the blind

BRATTLEBORO - On Saturday, Oct. 15, from noon to 3 p.m., the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired will host Bowling in the Dark, a fundraiser for the nonprofit, at Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road.

The Association provides services to help children get a good start in life and the support they need to be successful in school. It also helps adults maintain as much independence as possible.

This year, the Association turned 90. To celebrate, they have devised a fun and challenging way to connect more deeply with visual impairments. On Oct. 15, which also happens to be White Cane Awareness Day, 20 teams will bowl under blindfold to compete for prizes and support the continued work of the Association.

The team captain provides guidance and support to three bowlers under blindfolds. Prizes will be awarded for the top three highest individual and team scores. There will also be door prizes, a silent raffle, and a 50/50 raffle on the day of the event.

Teams will raise a minimum of $200 to participate and businesses can help underwrite the event by sponsoring a lane ($200) or offering prizes or raffle items.

For more information, contact Andrea Capron at 802-254-8761 or [email protected].

Chamber to host lunch with Leahy

BRATTLEBORO - U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., will be the featured speaker at a lunch hosted by the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Oct. 14. Leahy, one of the Senate's most senior members, will discuss the issues facing Congress.

The lunch will take place at 11:45 a.m. at the American Legion, 2 Linden Street, Brattleboro. The public is invited to attend. Tickets are $25. Reservations are required by Oct. 11. Contact [email protected] or 802-254-4565 to RSVP or for more information.

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