Town of Brattleboro launches 'Town Matters' podcast
BRATTLEBORO - The town of Brattleboro has begun a new podcast series,“Town Matters,” hosted by Town Manager John Potter. This new series will provide listeners with brief updates about town government. The show aims to inform the public and encourage active participation in local affairs.
“Town Matters” will be published during the week between Selectboard meetings and provide a brief overview of the previous meeting along with a preview of the next one. As the show develops, staff hope to incorporate other updates from around town and feature guest hosts, all while delivering the news in under 10 minutes.
“This podcast was put together to communicate in a different format - really, in a different way - about what is going on in town government,” Potter explained during the debut episode.
The show is recorded at the Municipal Center in Brattleboro Community Television's third floor studio. Listeners can expect a fresh episode to be released biweekly, available for streaming on all major podcast platforms.
For now, listeners can follow the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Additionally, the show will be published on the homepage of brattleboro.org, and on Brattleboro Community Television. To send feedback or suggestions to the show, email [email protected].
Friends of Brooks host 'Novels, Non-Fiction & Nosh'
BRATTLEBORO - On Friday, May 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library will host a “Novels, Non-Fiction & Nosh” fundraiser in the library's main reading room.
At this special after-hours event, guests will enjoy an array of sweet and savory treats and get their choice of a fiction or nonfiction wrapped book to take home. Tickets are $10 and are available in advance at the library or at the door the night of the event.
Putney Library to hold Garden Fundraiser Book Sale
PUTNEY - Putney Public Library's Garden Fundraiser Book Sale will take place on Saturday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Come browse an eclectic assemblage of pre-loved hardcovers, paperbacks, and children's books. Prices range from 50 cents to $4 on Saturday and by donation on Sunday. All funds raised will benefit the library's new garden and tree planting project. The library will not be open for regular library functions during this special event.
Community plant, bake sale at Westminster West Library
WESTMINSTER WEST - A community plant and bake sale will be held Saturday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Westminster West Library, 3409 Westminster West Road.
This year, they will have a variety of plants for your gardens. All plants are carefully sourced to be pest-free. They are field-grown, hardy, weed-free specimens, potted with love and care. They will also have a few selected herbs and shrubs. People are encouraged to come early for the best selection and to get homemade baked goods, too.
Pots range from $5 to $15 each, and there will be a discount for volume - buy more, save more. Sales are by cash or check only, and all proceeds go to the Westminster West Library.
Spring Sale, cookout at Westminster church
WESTMINSTER - On Saturday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Westminster First Congregational Church Women's Fellowship will hold their Spring Sale on the church lawn, 3470 U.S. Route 5. There will be all kinds of plants for sale - annuals, perennials, bushes, and garden starts. Also for sale will be baked goods, garden crafts, and puzzles.
The cookout lunch will include hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, peppers and onions, and chili. Take it to go, or sit and visit in the outside cafe, or buy a chance at the Bow-Tie twin-sized quilt raffle, which will be drawn at the end of the day.
Geranium Festival fundraiser benefits Lydia Taft Pratt Library
WEST DUMMERSTON - Lydia's Friends, the friends-of-the-library organization that supports the Lydia Taft Pratt Library, will host a Geranium Festival and Silent Auction fundraiser on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the library at 150 West Street, rain or shine.
According to Dummerston resident Catherine O'Callaghan, who is helping to organize this event, the Geranium Festival was an annual event for the library until it was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds from the Geranium Festival will go to support a new website for Lydia Taft Pratt Library.
Geraniums for the event are being supplied by Walker Farm, while area craftspeople, artisans, and businesses have donated art, crafts, gift certificates, and food to this effort. There will be refreshments, music, and activities for the whole family. Local duo Hazelnuts will perform live music and a tent will prevent both people and flowers from succumbing to the elements, whether they be rain or sun. For more information, contact the library at 802-258-9878, [email protected], or call O'Callaghan at 802-380-7935.
Senior lunch served in Dummerston
DUMMERSTON - Evening Star Grange and Senior Solutions will present their second May luncheon on Wednesday, May 24. Reservations are strongly suggested so that they know how much food to prepare. Those wishing to reserve meals should call the Grange at 802-254-1138 and leave their name, telephone number, the number of meals requested and whether they are for eating in or taking out. Takeout meals may be picked up between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., with indoor dining starting at noon.
The menu includes meatloaf (or vegetarian meatloaf), mashed potatoes and gravy, and summer squash casserole, with cottage pudding with lemon sauce for dessert. All are invited to the meal; a donation of $3 for those 60 and above or $4 for those 59 and under is suggested.
Vernon Community Market debuts on May 24
VERNON - The new Vernon Community Market, a program of the Vernon Recreation Department, will hold its opening day on Wednesday, May 24. It will then be held the first and third Wednesdays of each month beginning in June and running through Oct. 4.
The market's hours are 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Vernon Rec Area, 607 Pond Road, and will feature J & B's Curbside Café, handmade crafts, farm produce, baked goods, flowers, and more.
For more information, contact the Vernon Recreation Department ([email protected] or 802-254-9251) or email the market at [email protected].
Monthly produce distribution
PUTNEY - The Vermont Foodbank and the Putney Foodshelf co-sponsor a monthly food drop of free produce and some nonperishables on the fourth Thursday of every month, from 9 to 9:45 a.m., on Alice Holloway Drive (in front of Putney Meadows, the white building across from the Putney Food Co-op and Putney Fire Station.)
All are welcome. Because of covid, it is a drive-up service. Bags provided. The next monthly food drop is Thursday, May 25.
Annual Edie Fenton plant and seed swap in Halifax
HALIFAX - On Saturday, May 27, the Halifax Community Club will host a community plant swap from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Club is jointly celebrating spring with the Halifax Historical Society's Open House, which will be across the street at the same time and date.
The plant swap honors the memory of our friend, neighbor, gardener, and club member Edie Fenton, who died in early 2020, just before the first spring bulbs emerged from her well-tended plant beds. Edie was generous in sharing her plants, so people are invited to bring plants or seeds to share, take some annuals, perennials, or seeds for your garden, or do both.
The Halifax Community Hall is located at 20 Brook Road in West Halifax. The hall is wheelchair-accessible, including its bathroom. The event is free, though donations to support the maintenance of the historic hall are welcome. For more information, contact Laurel Copeland at [email protected] or 210-488-1701.