Boys & Girls Club hosts Let's Read 2019 event
BRATTLEBORO - Local youth will present a staged reading of Ann Braden's book, The Benefits of Being an Octopus, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro as part of the Let's Read 2019 community reading initiative.
Youth-led discussion groups will follow the staged reading. Come hear local youth bring this story to life and share how this powerful book by a local author has affected them.
The Benefits of Being an Octopus, published in the fall of 2018, is the story of a young girl finding her courage and voice in the face of poverty, bullying, and a challenging home life.
This free event is open to the public and is appropriate for children in fourth grade and up, as well as adults. To learn more, contact Sheila Humphreys at [email protected] or 802-451-0806.
Senior meal served in Halifax
HALIFAX - The monthly senior meal will be served on Oct. 18 at noon at the community club in West Halifax, located at 20 Brook Rd.
On the menu is fruit with cottage cheese, barbecue meatballs, baked potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and dessert. A call to Joan is appreciated at 802-368-7733. All seniors are welcome.
NECCA hosts blood drive
BRATTLEBORO - The New England Center for Circus Arts will host its first-ever American Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, Oct. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m.
According to the Red Cross website, each unit of blood that a single person gives can save up to three lives. And all blood transfused in hospitals comes from volunteer blood donors, so there is a constant need.
Volunteers are needed as well. To sign up, volunteer, or learn more, visit www.necenterforcircusarts.org or call 802-254-9780.
Strolling of the Heifers to host fall festival pop-up
BRATTLEBORO - Strolling of the Heifers will host a fall-themed pop-up shop in the River Garden, 157 Main St., on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Local artists, artisans, and others will bring their best for the one-day fall festival, which will feature art, crafts, specialty foods, wellness, and more. Vendor space is still available. To sign up, call Vicki Friedman at 802-246-0982.
Vernon Historians look at Levi Allen, 'Ethan's Black Sheep Brother'
VERNON - The Vernon Historians will host this program by author, historian, and educator Vincent Feeney on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2:30 p.m., at the Vernon Town Office Building (downstairs), 567 Governor Hunt Rd. It immediately follows a brief 2 p.m. business meeting.
Levi Allen was an outsider within his own family. Though he supported his brother Ethan at the taking of Fort Ticonderoga, the two fell out during the American Revolution because Levi was a Loyalist.
When the war ended, Ethan and Ira Allen recruited Levi as independent Vermont's liaison with the authorities in British North America. In the end, Levi lost the support of his family and friends, dying a pauper in Burlington. Levi's life presents a vivid picture of the turmoil that a prominent American family experienced during the formative years of Vermont and the American Republic.
This is a Vermont Humanities Council Speakers Bureau event hosted by the Vernon Historians. It is free, open to the public, and accessible to those with disabilities. Refreshments will be served. Contact the Vernon Historians at 802-257-7386 for further information.
The Neighborhood Schoolhouse presents Enchanted Halloween
BRATTLEBORO - The Neighborhood Schoolhouse invites families to celebrate the magical side of the Halloween season for the ninth year in a row. The school will host its annual Enchanted Halloween event from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, on the school's campus at 231 Western Ave.
Attractions include a bouncy house, arts and crafts, scarecrow making, face painting, tarot readings, delicious homemade food, and plenty of other fun.
The event is a fundraiser for the school's scholarship fund, which most students at the school benefit from. Tickets are $5 for kids, $10 for adults, or $25 for a family pass. To order tickets online, visit NeighborhoodSchoolhouse.com/Halloween.
World Singing Day celebrated
BRATTLEBORO - Celebrate World Singing Day 2019 by joining in a community sing along on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Brooks Memorial Library at 224 Main St.
There will be a songbook of more than 100 well-known songs from many traditions (folk, pop oldies, gospel, Beatles, classic rock, show tunes, etc.) and participants will take turns choosing what to sing.
The song lyrics will be projected on a screen for all to see. There will be guitar accompaniment and a song leader to help guide the music. The event is free, open to the public, and accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, contact Rich Grumbine at [email protected].
RFPL hosts author of new Vermont history book
BELLOWS FALLS - Join author Bob Wilson for an introduction to his book, Vermont ... Who Knew?: Quirky Characters, Unsung Heroes, Wholesome Offbeat Stuff, on Monday, Oct. 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St.
The full-color, nonfiction travel book includes 125 profiles, essays, and anecdotes, serious and humorous alike, bringing together the most unique people, places, and events - both past and present - the Green Mountain state has to offer.
Most of the entries are followed by links to short YouTube videos, making the book not just a good read, but an unforgettable multimedia experience. Signed copies will be available at $16.95, a library discount of $2 off the cover price.
Wilson, of Saxtons River, is the author of 14 books and a contributor to various magazines.
This event is free and open to the public. To learn more, call 802-463-4270, email [email protected], or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.
NatGeo Explorer Dr. M Jackson to speak at Landmark College
PUTNEY - The Fall 2019 Landmark College Academic Speaker Series continues with Dr. M Jackson on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in the Brooks M. O'Brien Auditorium, located in the East Academic Building.
Jackson's talk will be based on her new book, The Secret Lives of Glaciers (Green Writers Press), which chronicles the cultural and societal impacts of glacier change in Iceland.
During her year living in the southeastern coast of the country, Jackson interviewed hundreds of Icelanders living in close proximity to ice, seeking to understand just what is at stake as it disappears.
A geographer, adventurer, TED Fellow, and National Geographic Society Explorer, Jackson earned a doctorate from the University of Oregon in geography and glaciology, where she examined how climate change transformed people and glacier communities in Iceland. She currently serves as a U.S. Fulbright Ambassador as well as an Arctic Expert for the National Geographic Society.
This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase the evening of the talk. For more information, visit www.landmark.edu.
Knit Night returns to Putney Library
PUTNEY - Be a part of an informal and relaxed group for knitting, crocheting, or other handwork this winter at the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St.
Bring your own project or get help with something you've just started. Beginners are welcome. The group will meet 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the library. This program is free and open to the public.
Fall raffle benefits Lydia Taft Pratt Library
WEST DUMMERSTON - Have relatives or friends coming to visit and need a place to host them? Support the Lydia Taft Pratt Library and enter their annual fall raffle for a chance to win a two-night stay for two at a peaceful Dummerston retreat, a $250 value, and a complimentary fall gift basket.
Tickets are $5 each, or five for $20. Proceeds will help the library to buy new books, offer great programming, and cover operating expenses. Sponsored by the Library Board, the fundraiser runs through October and the drawing will take place Oct. 31.
Donate online at gf.me/u/vuazsc, at the Grange lunch on Oct. 23, or stop by the library on West Street, which is open on Tuesdays, 2 to 6 p.m.; Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.