Blue Door soup suppers begin
SAXTONS RIVER - Crisp fall air means it's time for the folks at Christ's Church to bring out their soup pots and shine up their ladles for another season of Blue Door soup suppers.
This year's suppers begin Wednesday, Oct. 4, and continue through April. Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the neighborhood is invited for a free soup supper in the church's dining room, which is wheelchair accessible. This year, there is an additional option of soups to go.
Friends and members make three soups each week - with at least one vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free option - served with bread and butter. The meal is free to all, but donations are appreciated, with all donations going to Our Place Drop-in Center in Bellows Falls.
Volunteers are needed to host, make soups, and wash dishes. Call Wanda Salter at 802-869-2582.
Gospel concert at Green Mountain Chapel
BRATTLEBORO - The Lesters, a gospel trio from St. Louis, Mo., will be in concert at Green Mountain Chapel, 480 Western Ave., on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.
The Lester family has been entertaining and encouraging audiences for generations through their ministry, which they say is “dedicated to leading people to Jesus by sharing the joy of Christ through music and personal testimony.”
The concert is free of charge, but donations will be accepted to help defray expenses. For more information, call the Chapel at 802-254-5258. To find out more about The Lesters, visit www.thelesters.com.
Talk on refugees, forced displacement begins new WWAC season
BRATTLEBORO - On Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m., during Gallery Walk, all are invited to join the Windham World Affairs Council at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St., for an opportunity to learn more about the refugee crisis.
The speaker will be Lloyd Dakin, who has had extensive experience with refugees during his years with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
The talk, as always, is free and open to the public. Come early for a pasta supper at 6, sponsored as a fundraiser by the church, with a suggested donation of $10.
To learn more about the speaker and about this and other events, visit www.windhamworldaffairscouncil.org.
Big book sale at Whitingham library
JACKSONVILLE - On Saturday, Oct. 7, the Whitingham Free Public Library will host its biannual book sale, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the library in Jacksonville.
They will have a huge selection of books, featuring fiction, nonfiction, large print, paperbacks, children's books, audio books, and DVDs. The library is accepting donations through Oct. 6 during operating hours. For more information, call the library at 802-368-7506.
Pinnacle Association hosts moonlight hike at Bald Hill
WESTMINSTER - After the recent September hot spell, a night hike will be both a refreshing and unique experience, because even familiar features look different and more mysterious in the moonlight.
Join Vanessa Stern, member of Bald Hill Conservation Committee and the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association Board, for a nocturnal adventure on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. Meet at the Bald Hill kiosk on Covered Bridge Road in Westminster.
The Bald Hill Reserve links to the Bellows Falls Union High School Forest lands. Together they offer more than 7 miles of trails readily accessible to hikers. Registration is required. Contact Stern at 802-463-4948 or [email protected] to register, get information, or check on the weather. Bring clothing for potentially chilly weather.
Help re-open ski slopes at Dutch Hill
HEARTWELLVILLE - On Sunday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the former Dutch Hill ski area (now managed by the U.S. Forest Service), a work party will help clear the old Yankee Doodle ski slope.
The Dutch Hill Alliance of Skiers and Hikers, a chapter of the Catamount Trail Association, has been given permission to cut young growth and remove blowdowns as part of a Forest Service program to encourage nonmotorized winter recreation at the site. There won't be any ski lifts, but if you climb the mountain under your own power, you'll be able to ski down.
Strict Forest Service safety requirements require that participants wear long sleeves, long pants, and sturdy footwear; a hard hat and eye protection; and use gloves (preferably leather). Don't have a hard hat? Come anyway, they'll have a few spares. Everyone must go through a safety briefing before starting work, so try to arrive by 9 a.m.
Bring your own favorite tool, or just bring your muscles and help haul the cut debris into brush piles. Afterward, there will be a BYO BBQ in the parking lot. Dutch Hill is on Route 100, 1.3 miles south of the junction with Route 8 in Heartwellville (a hamlet of Readsboro). For more information, contact [email protected], or visit dhash4vt.org.
Kids Club Program plans open house
BRATTLEBORO - The Boys & Girls Club on Flat Street will help celebrate the first day off from school on Monday, Oct. 9, with an open house for its Kids Club Program from 1 to 5 p.m.
Kids Club is the licensed after-school program for kids in grades 1–5. This structured program offers both indoor and outdoor play, snacks, STEM programs, homework help, arts and crafts, and use of the facilities at the Flat Street Club House. Club staff picks up Kids Club Members at all three Brattleboro elementary schools and, after a quick meeting and snack, the fun, games, and learning begins.
At 5:30 p.m., Kids Club Members are served a nutritious dinner prepared on-site. As a licensed after-school program, they are able to except child care subsidy to help cover the $95 a week cost of Kids Club.
If you have questions about the Kids Club Program, or you and your child just want to come check it out, come to the open house or stop by the club on Flat Street and pick up an enrollment form. Call the club at 802-254-5990, ext. 4, visit www.bgcbrattleboro.com and on Facebook at The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro.
Wildlife/ski workday at Hogback
MARLBORO - Join the Hogback Mountain Conservation Assocation for the second of four planned habitat workdays on Hogback this fall as part of their 10-year plan to re-open the five major ski slopes at Hogback, one every two years.
As the slopes regrow, they will provide dense cover and valuable foods for a variety of birds, mammals, and other wildlife. For the first year or two, the slope will be open and the skiing will be great. When the shrubbery gets dense, the skiers can move on to the next slope, and the wildlife will move in.
If you can wield loppers or haul brush, they can use your help. Chain sawyers are particularly welcome.
Meet at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 9, near the white distillery building on Route 9 in Marlboro near the 100-mile view. Use the big parking lot on the north side of the highway, where there is plenty of space. Bring your own favorite tool or borrow one of theirs. They'll call it a day by noon. Questions? Email [email protected] or check hogbackvt.org.
Senior lunch in Chesterfield
CHESTERFIELD, N.H. - The Chesterfield Senior Lunch for October will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 12:30 p.m., in the Chesterfield Town Hall on Route 63. A meatloaf dinner will be served. The suggested donation is $5.
For reservations, call Joanne at 603-363-8348. Flu shots will be given by the HCS nurses beginning at 11:30 a.m. Please bring your insurance card.
BUHS hosts community circle of understanding
BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Brattleboro Union High School multipurpose room, the Brattleboro Community Justice Center will host a community circle of understanding. The question for all who attend will be: “Is our community a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone?”
This meeting will offer an opportunity to experience a Restorative Circle Process in which all participants are invited to contribute according to their desire to do so. The Circle Process is led by a facilitator who makes sure that all are included and all voices are heard. Silence can also be a choice.
Anyone who lives in, works in, or visits the Brattleboro area is encouraged to attend this public event to discuss how people - as individuals and as participants in various groups such as schools, government, businesses, neighborhoods, and spiritual congregations - can help to create an atmosphere where people are invited to show up as themselves and know they will be treated with dignity and respect.
The Brattleboro Community Justice Center is an organization where community members can work together to find ways to resolve conflict constructively, using primarily restorative-justice principles and practices.
The venue is handicapped accessible. Child care and hearing-impaired services may be provided if requested by Oct. 9. For more information or to request services, contact Mel Motel at [email protected] or 802-251-8142.
Trout Unlimited plans chapter meeting
NEWFANE - The Connecticut River Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold a chapter program and meeting on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m., at the Union Hall.
Peter Rude, a member of the chapter, will present a program on tenkara fly fishing. This is a unique form of fly fishing that originated in the mountain streams of Japan long ago. It is gaining popularity in the U.S. due to its simplicity and the portability of the rods.
There will be a general meeting as well, including elections, and attendees can purchase raffle tickets to win a high-end RL Winston fly rod or the book Trout: An Illustrated History by James Prosek.
Talk examines Vermont's archaeological history
DUMMERSTON - The Dummerston Conservation and the Dummerston Historical Society presents an evening with State Archaeologist Jess Robinson, Ph.D., of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Dummerston School, 53 School House Rd.
Robinson will present an archaeological overview of Vermont's past, from the first human entrants into the region, approximately 13,000 years ago, to the arrival of Europeans and beyond. He will highlight recent discoveries and current debates and will be happy to answer questions following the presentation.
The event is free. For more information, [email protected] or call 802-257-0012 and leave a message.
Book and bake sale postponed to Oct. 13, 14
TOWNSHEND - The Friends of the Townshend Library annual book and bake sale, originally scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 7 and 8, has been postponed until Saturday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
They are still seeking donations for the sale, including books, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs, but not encyclopedias, textbooks, or magazines. Donations can be dropped off at the Townshend Public Library during open hours.
For more information, or to volunteer time or baked goods for the sale, contact the Townshend Public Library at 802-365-4039.