Community events: May 4 through May 10, 2017

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@chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please. Notices must be received by noon on Fridays to be eligible for publication the following week.

May 4: Playground committee speaks at Chester Rotary

The Rotary Club of Chester welcomes the Pennies For Playground Committee as the speaker for its First Thursday meeting on May 4 at the Fullerton Inn on the Green in Chester. Social networking begins at 5:15 p.m. and the program runs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and the public may attend.

Learn about the plans for a new playground at Chester-Andover Elementary School. This is a great opportunity to learn more and get your questions answered, as well as to give the committee feedback on their work to date. The playground is an important community resource in Chester.

May 5: Free pizza, games at Grounded4Life

Crust, sauce and cheese will be provided for a free “bring your own toppings” pizza-making event at Grounded4Life on the lower level of the Chester Baptist Church across from The Green at 162 Main St. in Chester.

The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5. Pies will go in the oven as they are completed; starting shortly after 6:30 p.m. Pizza should start coming out of the oven around 7 p.m.

Some games will be provided, but if you have a favorite tabletop game bring it to play. Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page for more information and news about other events. You can also contact at grounded4lifevt.org website.

May 5: ‘Economics of Happiness’ screened

The Economics of Happiness, an award-winning documentary film, spells out the social, spiritual and ecological costs of today’s global economy and makes a strong case for localization.

Doreen Fabiano and Carlene Lindgren, local activists for the environment and other issues facing their world today, will host the screening of the film on Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Meeting Place at Neighborhood Connections. A Q&A session follows.

Space is limited; call to register at 802-824-4343. The Meeting Place is at 5700 Mountain Marketplace in Londonderry.

Neighborhood Connections is a community-based non-profit social services agency serving individuals and families in nine area mountain towns. Check out its website at www.neighborhoodconnectionsvt.org.

May 5 & 6: Apple Blossom queen gowns on display

Portraits of past Apple Blossom Queens, along with a collection of gowns worn in past Cotillions, are on display at Springfield Health Center in the 100 River St. building in Springfield.

The display includes the formal portraits of Apple Blossom queens since 1977 and several private portraits donated by queens from 1957 to 1976. The portrait of the 2016 Apple Blossom queen, Nicole Murray, is on display in the lobby of Springfield Hospital and will be at this year’s Cotillion.

The exhibit is located on the third floor of Springfield Health Center and runs until the week after this year’s Cotillion. In addition to the historical portraits and gowns on display, there are photographs of the contestants and escorts in this year’s event.

The 61st Apple Blossom Queen will be crowned on Saturday, May 6 at Riverside Gymnasium in Springfield. Event proceeds are used for the Dr. E. Sherburne Lovell Health Career Award and to support local health care services.

Tickets for the Friday, May 5 performance cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Tickets for the Saturday, May 6 performance cost $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at Tina’s Hallmark Store and at Boccaccio’s salons.

For information, call Larry Kraft, 802-885-7644 or lkraft@springfieldmed.org.

May 6: Vermont Green Up Day

Green Up Vermont reminds state residents about the annual Vermont tradition of Green Up Day. Always the first Saturday in May, this year falling on May 6.

Volunteers statewide come together to clean up litter from roadsides and public spaces. The event teaches children the power and fun of communities working together, civic responsibility, respect for the environment and pride in their state.

The non-profit organization Green Up Vermont distributes move than 50,000 Green Up trash bags, working with volunteer Town Coordinators in all 251 towns and providing widespread promotional messaging for participation.

To find how to take part, visit Green Up’s website at www.greenupvermont.org. Every town’s coordinator is listed on the “How to Participate” page, as well as how to get Green Up bags, what to do with filled bags, any special offerings—breakfast, lunch, refreshments and even live music. Businesses can visit the site to learn how they can be active with funding support.

May 6: Andover hosts Green Up Day event

Andover Green Up Day will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 6. Residents and friends are invited to beautify the town grounds, clean the roadsides, and spruce up the cemeteries. Those interested should meet at the Andover Town Hall for coffee, doughnuts and to chose their work assignment.

Participants are encouraged to bring gardening gloves and tools, including wheelbarrows, rakes, clippers, loppers and leaf blowers and join in the community spirit.

After the work is over, participants are invited to stay to share lunch with friends and neighbors. Attendees should bring a potluck salad or dessert to accompany the hot dogs, chips,  and soft drinks that will be provided. The Andover Project Committee are providing refreshments.

For information or questions regarding Andover Green Up Day contact Deb Moser at 802-875-5454.

May 6: Misty Valley celebrates Children’s Book Week

Phoenix Books Misty Valley celebrates of Children’s Book Week on Saturday, May 6 at 11 a.m. with a story time at the shop at 58 Common St. in Chester. All ages are welcome to this free event. They’ll be reading a timeless tale or a new adventure from their shelves.

Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Established in 1919, it is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.

The nation-wide event is administered by Every Child A Reader, a 501(c)(3) literacy organization dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children. The Children’s Book Council, the national non-profit trade association for children’s book publishers, is an anchor sponsor. For more info, call 802-875-3400 or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.

May 8: Friends of the Rock Library seek plant donations

The Friends of the Rockingham Library seek donations for its annual plant sale held on Saturday, May 13. Donations of houseplants, shrubs, bulbs, groundcovers, perennials, flowering annuals, vegetables, fruit, and herbs are welcome. Any plant donation will be gladly accepted, as long as it is not invasive.

Place plants in pots or plastic bags, and label them to the best of your ability, include the plant’s name and light preference if known. Then drop them off at the library between Monday, May 8 and Thursday, May 11 during library hours: Monday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The organization is also looking for volunteers to help before and after the event and for donations of empty pots. For more information about volunteering, contact rfpl@gmail.com.

To purchase some of the area’s finest plants at low prices and to participate in the Friends’ raffle and silent auction, stop by the Plant Sale on Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the front lawn of the library.

May 9: SoVERA holds binocular and telescope workshop

At this month’s meeting, the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group is conducting a workshop on the basics of astronomy optics. The meeting is  on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at the Whiting Library, 117 Main St., Chester. It is open to the public and the venue is ADA accessible.

Binoculars and telescopes are available for use during the meeting. Using lasers, members’ telescopes will be aligned. Free sky charts of the May night sky will be provided along with instructions for their use. Binoculars and telescopes recommendations will be discussed.

This is the first of a two-part session. The second part of the session will be conducted in the fall. For more info visit http://sovera.org/contact-us.

May 10: St. Luke’s offers adult class on science, nature

Beginning Wednesday, May 10, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church program will begin a new adult study called Painting the Stars: Science, Religion and an Evolving Faith. This series is a part of the “Living the Questions” designed for contemporary Christians. Each session starts at 10:30 a.m. and lasts one hour. It will be held in Willard Hall at the church, 313 Main St. in Chester.

Painting the Stars is a series of seven DVD presentations that gives a broad introduction to the relationship of science and nature with the Christian faith. For information regarding the content, visit www.livingthequestions.com.

All are welcome to participate in one or more of these sessions. Materials will be provided, and there is no cost. Contact www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org or call 802-875-6000.

— Susan Lampe-Wilson