Around the Towns

Brattleboro dog licenses are due April 1

BRATTLEBORO - Vermont dogs and wolf-hybrids 6 months and older must be licensed on or before Friday, April 1.

For dogs not previously licensed in town, a new dog license application form is available at bit.ly/657-bratt-dogs.

The licensing fees, due by Friday, April 1, are $19 for neutered animals and $23 for un-neutered animals. Specially trained assistance dogs may be eligible for a reduced licensing fee.

Dogs and wolf-hybrids licensed after the due date will be charged a penalty. In addition, any person failing to license them may be fined up to $100 and the dog or wolf-hybrid may be impounded.

License renewals may be processed and obtained in the town clerk's office in person, by using the drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot, through the mail, or at brattleboro.org.

State law requires that your animal companion be vaccinated against rabies. If an animal has been spayed or neutered, the certificate issued by the veterinarian must be presented when licensing the animal for the first time. A current rabies certificate issued and signed by a veterinarian must be filed with the town clerk.

If an animal licensed last year has died or been re-homed, contact the town clerk's office at 802-251-8157, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Foodworks seeks part-time volunteers

BRATTLEBORO - Foodworks, the largest free food distribution program in Windham County, needs volunteers who can devote at least two hours each week to ensuring our community is fed.

As the world slowly begins to move on from COVID-19, community food shelves and meal sites are still in the throes of an intense and growing need for food as gas and food prices skyrocket.

They especially need people comfortable with working inside the food shelf on Canal Street to prepare food box orders, greet shoppers and take their orders, and help organize and clean the building.

Email Volunteer Coordinator Ben Smith at [email protected] if you are interested in this opportunity.

Newfane church bell to ring every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. for Ukraine

NEWFANE - The bell at Newfane Congregational Church on Church Street will ring on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m., an invitation to pause and reflect on the devastation caused by the continuing war in Ukraine.

The bell ringing, which will sound for five minutes, is timed to line up with the beginning of the Russian invasion on Thursday, Feb. 24.

“So, when you hear bells ringing on a Thursday afternoon, pause and reflect on our relative safety here in our village, offer prayers for peace in the Ukraine, and consider ways in which you could offer support,” the church urged in a news release.

Workshop explains how 'green burials' work

WILLIAMSVILLE - “Green Burial: The Natural Way to Go,” an online workshop hosted by the Living Earth Action Group, takes place on Friday, April 1, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

According to a news release, Higher Ground Conservation Burial is an an outgrowth of the Manitou Project and is all about “regenerating forest life with our bodies once their expiration date has come.”

Co-founders Michael Mayer and Fred Taylor will share the story of bringing Higher Ground to life (and death), with a grand opening coming soon.

They describe the workshop as being “equal parts practical information and enlightened exchange around themes of sustaining life with death, building community around that process in a forest sanctuary, and rediscovering our own true nature and connection with the Divine in whatever form we may perceive the root of our being.”

For more information on the Living Earth Action Group, or to receive an online newsletter, email Caitlin Adair at [email protected].

To register for this Zoom program, email Guy Payne at [email protected]. The link will be sent to you on April 1.

Greater Falls Farmers' Market seeks vendors

BELLOWS FALLS - The Greater Falls Farmers' Market is seeking vendors for this summer's market season.

The market is held downtown on Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m.

If you are interested in vending, find more information at gffarmersmarket.com, or email any questions to [email protected].

Brooks Library hosts workshop on building welcoming skills with literature

BRATTLEBORO - Become acquainted with children's picture books featuring new immigrants and contribute to the welcoming conversation during a Building Our Welcoming Skills with Literature workshop.

The workshop takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 in the Community Meeting Room at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St.

“As Brattleboro welcomes refugees and as the region diversifies through immigration, we need to build our welcoming skills,” Brattleboro native Kirsten Cappy said in a news release. She will give a presentation for adults about her new project, the Welcoming Library, and how it can be an effective tool for building community connections.

The Welcoming Library is a traveling collection of picture books geared toward helping both children and adults change the conversation on immigration. Using the picture book The Suitcase, Cappy will illustrate how these books break down inter-group anxiety and foster a welcoming environment.

Cappy partnered with librarian Kate Cutko and a group of immigrant leaders to create this unique project for the benefit of new residents all over the country. Teachers and librarians can borrow this collection from Brooks Memorial Library to support an environment of welcoming and belonging in their communities.

This event is free to all participants, and the venue is accessible to all.

For more information about the workshop, call 802-254-5290, ext. 1210, or visit brookslibraryvt.org.

For more information about the Welcoming Library project, visit imyourneighborbooks.org/welcoming-library.

All Souls hosts 'Welcome Spring!' crafts fair

WEST BRATTLEBORO - “Welcome Spring!” a marketplace featuring works by the crafters of All Souls Church, Unitarian Universalist, 29 South St., will be held outdoors on Saturday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.

“Reflecting the Unitarian Universalism principles of respect for the environment and adopting a green lifestyle, organizers for this fundraiser have selected many recycled and up-cycled materials to repurpose,” event organizers write in a news release.

Among the items are totes, flowered wreaths, fairy houses, fabric flower brooches, and decorative table runners, as well as baked goods and jams and plants for inside and outdoors.

New this year are do-it-yourself projects, including materials for decorating a bird house or fairy house or creating a fabric garden flag.

COVID-19 protocols, such as social distancing and limited crowd size, will be followed.

Pre-K registration session planned in Townshend

TOWNSHEND - Registration for the pre-kindergarten program for 3- and 4-year-olds at Townshend Elementary School (TES) will take place Wednesday, April 13 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If you are interested and have not received any paperwork in the mail, call Administrative Assistant Heidi Russ at TES (802-365-7506) to request enrollment paperwork.

The goal of Pre-K Registration Day is to introduce parents and the child to some of the staff at school and to see their learning environments. The Pre-K spots are filled on a first-come-first-served basis.

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