Merry Mulch service returns for another season
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Union High School Music Department is once again offering the Merry Mulch Christmas tree collection service to Brattleboro residents.
This program, in its 28th year, is endorsed by the Vermont Department of Agriculture as well as the New Hampshire/Vermont Christmas Tree Association. For a $10 donation, members of the band and chorus will transport undecorated trees from homes to a community garden in West Brattleboro where they will be chipped into mulch to be used by the gardeners.
Since the town doesn't offer curbside pick-up of trees, the service saves residents the hassle of transporting their own trees. Three Saturday pick-up dates are being offered: Jan. 5, 12, and 19.
All pick-ups must be prearranged by calling one of the following numbers at least two days prior to your desired date: 802-275-4403 or 413-992-7384. Proceeds will benefit future music department travel.
Inclusion Center offers self-defense workshop
BRATTLEBORO - On Monday, Jan. 7, Gail Kennedy-Haines will be at the Inclusion Center to discuss self defense for people with mobility issues.
Kennedy-Haines has had 30 years experience teaching self-defense classes and working in crisis counseling for victims of violent crimes and their families.
The public is invited to the Inclusion Center, located at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, (lower level), 16 Bradley Ave., to listen to this discussion.
Inclusion Center is a no-fee program for all people who have disabilities, whether mental or physical, as well as those dealing with anxiety or depression. It meets on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact Julie Tamler at 802-380-5484.
BF Woman's Club to meet
BELLOWS FALLS - The next meeting of the Bellows Falls Woman's Club will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at the United Church on School Street, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Walter Griffiths will present a program on women's mental health issues.
The December meeting of the club featured a craft project of making a cone decoration or bird feeder, led by Dianne Potter. A new flag, pole, and stand has been purchased by the club with donated money. The club has donated the flag ensemble to the church.
Other December activities included providing cookies for the Rotary Club-sponsored family movie and visit with Santa, attending one of the two concerts and luncheons at Kurn Hattin and making a donation to the school, and helping the children at Central School wrap the presents they chose for their family members.
As in past years, club members decorated the waiting room at the Health Center for the holidays. The club made donations to the police department's Angel Project and to the Rockingham Christmas Fund.
Women interested in joining the club and helping with its projects may contact Wendy O'Dette at [email protected].
Men's Coffee Hour resumes at Grace Cottage
TOWNSHEND - Men of all ages are invited to Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital for coffee and a series of casual lectures on Tuesday mornings, Jan. 8 to March 26. The group will be led by Grace Cottage Community Outreach Coordinator Bill Monahan, RN.
Each week's gathering will have a health-related theme, with presentations, short videos, and time for discussion and friendly banter. Coffee provided. The program is free.
The Men's Coffee Hour will be held from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Grace Cottage Community Wellness Center (Heins Building), 133 Grafton Rd. To register or for more information, contact Monahan at [email protected] or 802-365-3762.
NAMI-VT offers family support group in Townshend
TOWNSHEND - Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital will host a mental illness family support group on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Grace Cottage Wellness Center, 133 Grafton Rd. The next meeting is on Jan. 9.
NAMI family support group meetings are monthly 90-minute support groups of family and friends of individuals living with a mental illness where participants can talk frankly about their challenges and help one another through their learned wisdom and coping strategies.
The meetings offer a safe and confidential place to give family members and friends the support they need. With their shared experiences, family members can better understand and support their loved ones living with mental illness while maintaining their own well-being. All meetings are facilitated by trained NAMI family members and are free.
For more information, call 713-591-2857. To find a complete list of all NAMI offerings, visit www.namivt.org.
Pet loss support group offered at Hospice
BRATTLEBORO - A six-week pet loss support group will meet Thursdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m., beginning Jan. 10 and ending Feb. 14, at Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St. Cheryl Richards is the facilitator.
Anyone who has experienced the death of a beloved furry, winged, or scaly family member is deeply aware of how profound a loss this can be. The human/animal bond can be one of unsurpassed shared devotion, understanding, partnership, and love.
Saying goodbye to anyone we love is always a difficult experience. When the loved one is a companion animal, its grieving humans often feel isolated and lost, with the intensity of their grief going unrecognized or minimized by those around them.
This group is for adults who have experienced the death of their companion animal. Topics will include stories of love, joy, and loss, exploring and sharing methods of maneuvering through the grieving journey and examining how the human/animal connection has enriched our lives. To pre-register and for more information, call 802-257-0775.
Conservation District receives grant for Whetstone Brook channel restoration
BRATTLEBORO - More than seven years after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont in 2011, the region's rivers and communities are still bearing the scars of the flooding. Rebuilding communities and letting rivers find their natural balance after such a significant event takes time.
An example of a project occurring in Windham County to address future flood resiliency is in the narrow and steep valley of the upper portion of the Whetstone Brook along Route 9 in Marlboro.
According to a news release, the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District was awarded a grant through the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation's 2018 Ecosystem Restoration Program to design a river channel restoration project.
The WCNRCD says it is working with Marlboro Collision & Towing and Fitzgerald Environmental Associates to design a project that will restore water quality, protect aquatic habitat, and provide floodplain protection during future events by decreasing the sediment and nutrient inputs coming into the river from the site.