Community events: Jan. 15 through Jan. 20

For more upcoming events, click here for The Chester Telegraph calendar. To be included in our Upcoming events briefs, email Susan Lampe-Wilson at calendar@www.chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please. Notices must be received by noon on Fridays to be eligible for publication the following week.

Jan. 15: Grounded4Life features Jason O’Brian

Jason O’Brian, a new talent from Brattleboro, comes to Grounded4Life for an evening of acoustic guitar, song and discussion in the coffee house downstairs at the First Baptist Church at 162 Main St. in Chester.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music will begin at 7 p.m. The coffee bar and refreshments are available for purchase. The program is free. For more upcoming events, check out Grounded4Life’s Facebook page or contact John Nunnikhoven at john4ns@fastmail.fm.

Jan. 16: Annual Rally for Life

Vermont Right to Life Committee is sponsoring an Annual Rally for Life on Saturday, Jan. 16. Family, friends and young people are welcomed to meet Sarah Mary Toce and learn more about her program and plans for Vermont’s pro-life young people.

The schedule for the event is:
10:45 a.m.—Gather behind City Hall, 39 Main St. in Montpelier.
11 a.m.—Proceed down State Street to the State Capitol. (Signs will be provided.)
11:30 a.m.—Guest speaker Sarah Mary Toce in House Chambers.

Sarah Mary Toce of Louisiana will be the guest speaker for the 2016 Rally for Life. Toce was instrumental as the leader of numerous outreach seminars for young people in her home state. She has been named the New England Life and Leadership Project director, and is working to foster more youth education and training initiatives in this area. For more information visit www.vrlc.net.

Jan. 16: Free Community Meal at St. Luke’s Episcopal

All are invited to the next Free Community Meal to be held at noon on Saturday, Jan. 16, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 313 Main St. in Chester.

Meals are not affiliated with any religious organization. They are designed as an opportunity for people to gather and socialize while enjoying a meal together. Bring your friends and enjoy fellowship and a meal. For further information, contact Jane Davis at 802-875-1855.

Jan. 18: Chester Senior Citizens Club Luncheon

Join the Chester Senior Citizens Club for its monthly luncheon meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 18, at the Chester Congregational Church at 469 Main St. The group will play games. Bring your place setting, if possible a dish to share and a friend. If you need a ride, call Georgia 802-875-6242.

Jan. 18: Universalist Parish hosts ML King celebration

The First Universalist Parish of Chester welcomes the public to a celebration on Martin Luther King Day, beginning at 5:30 p.m., Monday Jan. 18.

Beginning with a potluck supper at 5:30 p.m., this intergenerational program will include quotes, story, an art activity and song to draw inspiration from Dr. King’s views on being of service to others. There will be a time to share experiences of being of service to others. The church, located at 211 North St. in the Stone Village in Chester, is handicapped accessible. For further information, call Steve Crofter at 802-275-4646.

Jan. 19: Learn the ins and outs of winter-feeding wild birds

At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, Randy Schmidt from the Vermont Bird Place & Sky Watch retail store in Manchester will be at The Meeting Place at Neighborhood Connections at 5700 Vermont Route 100, Londonderry to discuss the myriad ways to attract a wide variety of wild birds this winter to your backyard.

Schmidt will talk about different types of feeders, seeds and suet that backyard birds enjoy most and about the best place to situate your feeder and how to discourage other critters attracted by seed. Space is limited. Call 802-824-4343 or e-mail schwartzmary02@gmail.com to register.

Neighborhood Connections is a community-based non-profit social services agency serving individuals and families in the area mountain towns of south-central Vermont. Check out itswebsite at www.neighborhoodconnectionsvt.org.

Jan. 20: Return of cougars subject of talk

Join Susan Morse, wildlife ecologist and tracker, and The Nature Museum for “Coming Soon: The Cougar Returns to the East.” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the News Bank Conference Center, 352 Main St. in Chester.

Morse will present her findings on cougars returning to the East. In some areas of the East, the absence of apex predators has led to a surplus of deer, which have then ravaged the understory and ground levels of vegetation.

The talk is geared to adults and children over 10. Early bird tickets are $7, $10 at the door. The snow date for this event is Feb. 3.
Information about this and other upcoming events can be found on The Nature Museum’s Facebook page and on their website at www.nature-museum.org.

Jan. 20: Advance Care Directives at Rock Library

At 6:30 p.m., on Wednesday Jan. 20, Taking Steps Brattleboro is offering “It’s Really About Love,” an informational session on Advanced Care Directives at the Rockingham Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls. The group trains volunteers to support and guide people through the process of advance care planning. This is a free service to all members of the community.

Joanna Rueter, MSW, the coordinator of Taking Steps Brattleboro, will discuss why every adult needs an advanced care directive; filling out an advance care directive form; and key decisions that need to be made.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-463-4270, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org, visit rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library. Call 802-460-1162, ext. 101 for information about Taking Steps Brattleboro. The snow date is Wednesday, Jan. 27.

— Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson