Moore Free Library hosts post-election discussion
NEWFANE - On Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1:30 p.m., Meg Mott will lead a fresh-air discussion at the Moore Free Library entitled “The Passions of Freedom.” Voters and non-voters across the political spectrum are invited to consider the emotional costs of freedom in a constitutional democracy.
Mott, professor emeritus at Marlboro College, developed the Debating Our Rights series after the 2016 election. For this post-2020 election discussion, the focus will be on the political theory behind those fundamental freedoms. The first four articles of the U.S. Constitution impede any concentration of power through a clever design known as checks and balances. How do our freedoms fit into this design?
“The Framers,” explains Mott, “were aware that the experiment of self-governance could easily be corrupted by the passions. They attached the Bill of Rights in order to allay specific fears about political power. Too much fear and no one would engage with the new democracy. Too much hope and the experiment would collapse under unrealistic expectations. Democracy requires individuals to manage their hopes and fears.”
While participants will have a chance to share some of their feelings about the election, the focus will be on the habits needed to channel those feelings into democratic engagement. How can we manage our hopes and fears for the good of the country?
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, participants should arrive with masks. Seating will be arranged according to “germ pods.” In case of inclement weather, the event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. For more information, contact the library at 802-365-7948 or at [email protected].
Food drive aids Springfield Family Center
SPRINGFIELD - Springfield Family Center will be holding a “Stuff the Bus” holiday food drive on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Shaw's Plaza.
The Family Center says they have the turkeys to distribute for Thanksgiving, but seek help with providing the “fixins.” Needed items include in date non-perishable food items such as stuffing, canned vegetables (corn, green beans, carrots, yams, etc.), instant potatoes, and gravy.
Just drive up to our bus and hand your donation to a volunteer. There's no need to leave your vehicle. Volunteers will also be on hand to accept gift cards and monetary donations. For more information, visit springfieldfamilycenter.com or call 802-885-3646.
Guilford Community Church Holiday Bazaar goes virtual
GUILFORD -The Guilford Community Church's Holiday Bazaar, offering crafts, textile items, baked goods, local music and artisan creations, is traditionally one of the busiest events of the year at the church. This year, it is being held virtually, with a full color online catalog taking the place of the in-person, walk-in event.
The online bazaar is under way now, and ends on Nov. 21. It benefits the general programs of the church.
New this year is a silent auction that includes a wide range of items such as a live music performance on your lawn, the Nowell Sing We Clear songbook and four CDs, a cookie club, and dinner for two as well as locally crafted items.
The traditional raffle has 19 offerings and includes a 2020 American Girl Doll, a basket of Vermont products such as cheese and granola, and a Shaker-style table crafted of wood from trees harvested locally on Carpenter Hill Road.
A generous donation of crafts from west and central Africa are for sale, as well as being included in the raffle and silent auction. The African items include painted textiles, decorative gourds, carved figures, textile animals and more. Sprinkled throughout the catalog, they make unique gifts or personal use items.
To access the catalog and order form, go to www.guilfordchurch.org or call 802-257-0994 with questions. The deadline for order receipt is Nov. 21, with a drive-by to pick up orders on Dec. 5 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. (wear your mask for order pick-up).
RFPL offers ways to maintain wellness
BELLOWS FALLS - The Rockingham Free Public Library invites everyone to join Certified Wellness Coach Carol Jones, from the comfort of home, on exploring ways to embrace and maintain wellness during the fall and winter months on two consecutive Thursdays, Nov. 12 and 19, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., via Zoom or phone.
Just as houses, vehicles and gardens need help adapting to the colder, shorter days, so does one's body, mind, and spirit. Jones is a graduate of the Wellness Coach Training Program at the Mayo Clinic. The Bellows Falls resident has been working with clients around multiple aspects of their health since 2014 and collaborates with individuals in transforming their values and desires into action and lasting change over time.
To sign up for a zoom invitation, contact [email protected] or call the library 802-463-4270, by Monday, Nov. 9.
Rec. Dept. begins winter program registration
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department is now taking rolling registration for winter youth activities and sports (basketball, chess and gymnastics).
Stop by the Gibson-Aiken Center, 207 Main St., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., or fill out a registration form and mail it with payment to: Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department, ATTN: Registration, P.O. Box 513, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
You may also call the Recreation & Parks Office at 802-254-5808 to schedule an appointment. Note that, due to COVID-19, anyone who is not a town employee will be met at the front door of the Gibson-Aiken Center by a town employee and escorted to the office and then escorted out of the building at the end of the appointment.
Since offices are being staffed by only one employee at a time, there are unscheduled times each day when any particular office is not available to the public. Those will be announced to the public in advance. With only one visitor allowed in any office at any given time, visitors who do not make an appointment in advance may have to wait outside the building until it is their turn.
Visitors must wear masks at all times that cover both the nose and the mouth and fitting snugly under the chin. The town will provide a mask to any visitor who does not have one. The department will have additional registration hours on Nov. 10 and 12 from 1 to 6 p.m. If there are special needs required for these programs, let them know by five days in advance.