Around the Towns

Bingo night at Compass School

WESTMINSTER - This Thursday, Jan. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Compass School will host its monthly night of Bingo at the school on Route 5, just south of Bellows Falls.

Great for families and serious players alike, there will be cash payouts in all games, plus extra prizes including Mount Snow ski tickets as well as a 50/50 raffle. There will also be food, desserts, and beverages available.

Compass School's monthly bingo nights occur the last Thursday of each month, and will continue throughout the school year. The fundraising efforts support the school's Global Connections program.

Upcoming nights for bingo are Feb. 28, March 28, April 25, and May 30. For more information about Bingo Night or about the Global Connections program or Compass School, call 802-463-2525 or email [email protected].

LGBT Game Night returns

BRATTLEBORO - On Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 7 to 9 p.m., The Root Social Justice Center, 28 Williams St., presents Played Out!, a night of card games, board games, and dice games for LGBT folk and allies that happens every month at The Root.

They will have plenty of games, but you can bring your favorites as well as a friend or two. It is free and open to all ages (those 16 and under, bring a responsible adult). The Root is fragrance-free and has an accessible restroom. Find Played Out! on Facebook.

BDCC offers workshop on website creation

BRATTLEBORO - A workshop sponsored by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation's INSTIG8 program will teach small businesses and nonprofits how to build their own websites using Squarespace. The workshop will be held on Thursday, Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the BDCC office at the Cotton Mill.

The workshop will be taught by Bob Lawson, founder of Sustainable Digital, a Putney-based company specializing in web design.

With the advent of new web tools, such as Squarespace, the job of developing and maintaining a website can now often be handled by people without technical training. In this workshop, Lawson will present a live demonstration of how to create a simple website using Squarespace's templates and easy editor.

To register, go to www.brattleborodevelopment.com/public-events/squarespace-workshop.

Inclusion Center seeks new board members

BRATTLEBORO - The Inclusion Center Board is looking for individuals who feel a passion for the goals and ideals of their program.

Board members commit to giving at least two hours a month to furthering the development of Inclusion Center, a participant-led program for individuals of all ages living with disabilities and others to come together for social, recreational, and educational activities.

Inclusion Center meets at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, lower level, 16 Bradley Ave., on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

If you are interested in learning more about the Inclusion Center Board, contact them at 802-380-5484 or [email protected].

Shakespeare Study Group meets at Putney Library

PUTNEY - Gordon Jones, a Putney School faculty member, is offering a six-week study of Shakespeare's King Lear this winter at the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St. If there is sufficient enthusiasm, he will go on to present similar programs on other great Shakespeare plays.

King Lear was written and performed in 1606, at a time of considerable political and religious uproar in London. The play concerns an old man who won't listen - an autocratic and cranky old fellow who has decided to hand over the running of his kingdom to his three daughters. In short order, he banishes his favorite daughter for her unwillingness to flatter him, only to be rendered homeless by the other two.

Lear is a play that asks many questions while offering no workable answers. It features torture and hilarity; sadism, tenderness, and sexual intrigue; homelessness, mental illness, and illusion; tears and mirth.

Sessions will be held at the Library on Wednesday evenings, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., starting on Wednesday, Feb. 6, and running through March 13. Participants, who can be of any age, will be expected to read one act of the play per week, and the discussion-based sessions will provide plenty of opportunity to practice speaking Shakespearean verse.

You will need a copy of the play [any edition, print or digital - print copies will be available to Putney Library cardholders at the front desk]. Otherwise, all that is required is a good-faith effort to stick with the six-week program. If you wish to enroll, or have any questions, email Jones at [email protected].

Friends of Vernon Center to host open house

VERNON - Friends of Vernon Center offer “Sweet Treat Open House: A Vernon Community Center Discussion,” on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Governor Hunt House on Governor Hunt Road. Baked goods and beverages will be served.

According to a news release, the Friends of Vernon Center, a nonprofit organization working to encourage development of a village center, is eyeing the Governor Hunt House for use as a community center for Vernon now that Northstar has begun decommissioning work at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

Entergy, the former owner, used the historic building as office and meeting space. The house, built in 1789, sits just beyond the former front gate to the plant, and is located across the street from Vernon Elementary School, not far from the Town Offices and Library.

The Friends are seeking input about activities residents would like to see if the Governor Hunt House became the Vernon Community Center.

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