Brooks Memorial Library reopens
BRATTLEBORO - Brooks Memorial Library is now open for brief periods of browsing and limited in-person services.
Only 30 people will be allowed in the building at any time.
Admittance will be on the hour and half-hour, from noon to 4:30 p.m. for visits up to 20 minutes, after which the building will be cleared for cleaning.
Face masks are mandatory while in the building, and hands need to be sanitized upon entering. Individuals must maintain social distance. Directional arrows will guide patrons through the stacks.
There will be computer access on the first floor, along with copying and printing capabilities. Personal assistance will be available within the appropriate social-distance constraints.
The library has temporarily raised the minimum age for unattended children to 12 years old.
Much of the library's furniture has been stored, so only seating is limited to avoid people congregating and coming into contact with surfaces.
Magazines will be available to take home, including the current issues, but no newspapers may be read on site.
To ensure the safest possible transactions for all, staff encourages patrons to continue to use the library's curbside and delivery service and to access the growing wealth of electronic resources, including streaming video and downloadable ebooks and audio.
For more information, contact the library at 802-254-5290 or [email protected].
Putney Farmers' Market reopens July 19
PUTNEY - The Putney Farmers' Market is reopening its in-person market starting on Sunday, July 19. The market will be held on the grass across the street from the Putney Food Co-op at 17 Carol Brown Way.
The market will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Sunday until Oct. 11, with a half-hour window, from 11 to 11:30 a.m., reserved for high-risk individuals.
The market, which features local produce, artisan craft goods, and prepared food, will employ a number of safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
More information is available at putneyfarmersmarket.org.
Edible Brattleboro shares the harvest
BRATTLEBORO - Once again this summer, Edible Brattleboro has opened its Share the Harvest stand on Sundays at its garden at Turning Point Recovery Center, at the corner of Elm and Frost streets.
Stop by between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to pick up free fresh vegetables or to drop off surplus vegetables from your garden to share. Bring your own bags.
For more information, email [email protected].
Senior Tennis Group invites new players
BRATTLEBORO - The Senior Tennis Group, sponsored by the Recreation & Parks Department, invites other tennis players of all abilities.
The group meets every Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 to 11 a.m., at the Brattleboro Union High School tennis courts.
For more information, contact Ruth Lane at 802-254-6772.
Youth Services hosts 35th annual golf tourney
BRATTLEBORO - Youth Services invites area golfers to participate in its annual golf tournament at Brattleboro Country Club on Wednesday, July 22.
For 35 years, Youth Services has organized this tournament to support the safety net for area youth, making it the longest-running charity tournament in the area and only the second one to take place in Windham County this summer.
Registration opens at 11 a.m. The shotgun start for the Scrambles format tournament will take place at noon.
The tournament will follow federal CDC and state regulations for social distancing, so there is a small possibility that there may be a need to change to a tee-time format.
Unlike other years, no banquet will follow the tournament.
All proceeds will help support Youth Services' programs. The event customarily raises close to $20,000 annually.
The all-inclusive registration fee is $130, or $520 per foursome, which covers greens fees, cart, and a bag lunch.
Online registration is encouraged at youthservicesinc.org/golf. Tournament participants must provide their handicap or average game score.
BAJC prepares for new year of Hebrew School
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Area Jewish Community, Congregation Shir Heharim, is planning the 2020-21 Hebrew School year, with programming likely to include a combination of live outdoor family events, Zoom classes two to three times a month, and personalized remote Hebrew instruction.
The curriculum will focus on the cycle of Jewish time, with a focus on Jewish ethics. There will be a strong component of outdoor, Earth-based learning, “and we hope to look at Judaism's teaching about racial justice and climate change,” according to a news release.
If you have children ages 6 to 12 and are interested in more information and/or participating, contact Diane Shamas at [email protected].
Grace Cottage Hospital Fair goes virtual
TOWNSHEND - The first Grace Cottage Hospital Fair Day was held on Saturday, Aug. 5, 1950, organized by the Grace Cottage Hospital Auxiliary, with a healthy mix of fun, fellowship, and fundraising. For 70 years, it has been vital to sustaining Grace Cottage's patient care.
There won't be a gathering on the Townshend Common this year, but the Hospital Fair Day will proceed online at gracecottage.org/get-involved/fair-day with some of the traditional elements intact, with sales and donations supporting patient care at Grace Cottage.
The Online Auction runs from Monday, July 27, through 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3. Bid to win furniture, jewelry, art, chainsaws, a brand new gazebo, food, flowers, gift certificates, and much more.
The Hospital Fair Day website allows everyone to reminisce, with an album of photos from fairs across the years. Also, those born at Grace Cottage can submit a current photo with name and birth year for the online Birthday Parade, and 70th Hospital Fair Day Virtual T-shirts and hats will be on sale at Messenger Valley Pharmacy in Townshend or online.
Kids' entertainment and gourmet food offerings will also be available online.
Grace Cottage says the $40,000 it hopes to raise during this year's event will be put toward new technologically-advanced Stryker hospital beds, described in a news release as “important for the safety and comfort of patients and easier for nurses to adjust and move.”