Edible Brattleboro's Share the Harvest stand opens for season
BRATTLEBORO - The Share the Harvest stand, a project of Edible Brattleboro, opens for the season starting Sunday, July 4, in the garden at Turning Point Recovery Center at the corner of Frost and Elm streets, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This program, which will run until Oct. 31, makes fresh produce available to everyone at no cost, thanks to local farmers, the Vermont Foodbank, and local gardeners.
If you have surplus fruits and vegetables from your garden, you may drop them off on Saturdays between 3 and 3:45 p.m., on Sundays between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m., or by appointment (call or text 516-298-9118).
Democracy Forum hosts online discussion
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Democracy Forum will host an online discussion, “Is There Democracy In America?,” on Tuesday, July 6, at 6:30 p.m.
Organized by wecelebratedemocracycivilrightsforall.org, Nick Biddle, Tim Kipp, and friends will explore this question.
In a news release, Biddle asks, “If we assume a basic definition of democracy as 'government of the people, by the people, and for the people,' how does today's status quo stack up?”
Biddle and Kipp will “review several of the major barriers obstructing people from democratic participation, such as voter suppression, campaign finance, and the Republican Party's racist politics of grievance.”
They say they will look to connect the dots in order to shed light on the material results of these barriers - a dysfunctional government exacerbating extreme wealth inequality.
To join the discussion, log on at bit.ly/619-democracy. The program will be recorded and will be aired on BCTV and WVEW 107.7 FM.
For more information, contact Woody Bernhard at [email protected] or 802-464-3154.
Meg Mott, in-person programming return to Brooks Library
BRATTLEBORO - Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., welcomes back attendees to its first in-person program in more than a year when scholar Meg Mott will present “What the Declaration of Independence Should Mean to Us,” on Wednesday, July 7, at 7 p.m.
The Declaration of Independence starts with the assertion of “self-evident” truths and concludes with a pledge of solidarity through bloodshed.
Abolitionists, suffragists, and the Black Panther Party subsequently copied its words verbatim in their respective demands for justice. The protestors who stormed the U.S. Capitol this year yelled “1776!” - a reference to the year the Declaration was drafted.
If there is one thing that connects these disparate groups, it is the promises of the Declaration.
Mott will invite attendees to consider how the words printed on a single parchment in 1776 continue to inspire demands for freedom and to justify violent insurrections. What constrains that audacious statement that the people have a right to “abolish” their government should it fail to deliver their freedoms? Does this declaration still serve us in 2021?
The program is free, and the venue is accessible to people in wheelchairs. For more information, call 802-254-5290 or visit brookslibraryvt.org.
Putney Library kicks off summer reading program
PUTNEY - On Wednesday, July 7, at 11 a.m., the Putney Public Library will kick off its youth summer reading program with a puppet show by Modern Times Theater.
“The Perils of Mr. Punch, Episode #58: That's the Story of My Life” is an updated classic that follows the troubles and travails of puppetry's favorite loudmouth, Mr. Punch.
The hand puppets are made of garbage and up-cycled material, and they are chock full of surprises and tricks, as is the elaborate stage.
“It's a low-tech, old-time spectacle, entertaining to children of all ages from one to one hundred,” the library describes in a news release.
Kids can also sign up for Putney Library's Summer Reading Program, a self-paced non-competitive reading program designed to keep families reading through the summer.
This year's theme is “Tails & Tales,” where kids and their families will learn about animals in their backyards and around the globe.
The program takes place at the library at 55 Main St. Rain date will be Monday, July 12.
See the full schedule at putneylibrary.org, or pick up a schedule at the library on Mondays and Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesdays, 1 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free yoga classes in Whitingham
JACKSONVILLE - The Whitingham Free Public Library is offering free Hatha yoga on Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for all skill levels, but aimed towards the beginner.
Classes begin Monday, July 12 and will run through Monday, Aug. 9 at the Whitingham Municipal Center in Jacksonville.
Instructor Dr. Wendy Sergeant, of Jacksonville, brings a wealth of knowledge with a doctorate degree as a nurse practitioner. She has cared for thousands of patients in her 25-plus-year career.
She says her passion is teaching health promotion, as she believes in the importance of listening, offering useful feedback, and caring for patients and students. During Covid, she embarked on training to obtain her Yoga Teacher certification. She says what she loves about yoga is that it is more than exercise - it is soul reaching.
Call 802-368-7506 to register.
Rec. Dept. hosts Mad Science Camp
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department and Mad Science Camp will offer “Mad Science: Space and beyond!” from July 26 until July 30, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Gibson-Aiken Center's third floor gymnasium. This camp is for youth entering grades 1-6.
The fee is $165 for residents and $180 for nonresidents.
Codesigned by NASA and Mad Science, this hands-on program sends children on a quest for exploration from Earth's atmosphere to the outer reaches of our solar system. Comets, planets, stars and more are waiting to be discovered. Learn about flight and the challenges of space travel.
Masks are required.
For all programs, events, facility information, an online fillable registration form, and more, visit the Recreation & Parks website at brattleboro.org, or call the Gibson-Aiken office at 802-254-5808.