Upcoming events: Free health classes; student art at Whiting; grounded4life event; ‘Iron Lady’ in Ludlow; bird walk for Mother’s Day; check out the real stars with SoVerA; learn Italian at Misty Valley; guitar history at Rock library; and Rural Vermont open potluck in Chester

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.

May 5: Free Springfield  health and wellness classes

Sign up now for Springfield Medical Care Systems’ health and wellness classes.

  • On Mondays, from this past May 5 through May 12, 19, 26 and June 2, 9 from 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. SMCS presents Healthier Living with Chronic Conditions at the Springfield Health Center, 100 River St., Springfield. During this course, students will learn to manage chronic disease and improve quality of life.
  • Thursday, May 8 attend Shaw’s Shopping Tour, the Springfield Shopping Mall, Springfield, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. with registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Barbara Bye. Tour the grocery store with an eye toward healthy choices.
  • Beginning on Thursday, May 8, from 5 to 8 p.m. and continuing on Thursdays May 15 through June 26 SMCS offers Wellness, Recovery and Action Plan, at Rockingham Medical Group, 1 Hospital Court, Bellows Falls. Create positive change and increase your enjoyment of life. Learn to effectively manage a variety of situations, including sadness, substance abuse, panic attacks, diabetes, arthritis or weight loss.
  • Tuesday May 13 from 5:45–7 p.m. is the Wellness/Lifestyle Change Support Group at Springfield Health Center. Use knowledge you have gained from other programs and experiences, and continue to be successful. This monthly class will feature topics from nutrition and cooking to fitness and stress management. At each class, there’ll be an optional weigh in or measurements, a discussion of previous goal successes, new knowledge toward a healthier you, and ways to set goals to work on for the next month.

All classes are free and open to the public. Please contact the SMCS Community Health Team to register, 802-886-8946 or email cht@springfieldmed.org.

May 7: Chester-Andover student art show at Whiting

Whiting Library at 117 Main St. in Chester will present selected artwork by students of Chester-Andover Elementary School. Creations will be on display in the Omega Room and throughout the library through June 27. An artists’ reception will be held on May 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. The library is open Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, call 875-2277.

May 9: A Journey to the Potter’s HousePotter at grounded4life

A Journey to the Potter’s House takes place Friday, May 9 at grounded4Life downstairs at the Baptist church, 162 Main St., Chester. The event is free and doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program starts at 7 p.m. The message of the potter is a message of hope, love and redemption that captures the hearts of the young and old alike.

Grounded4Life is a coffee house, open at 6:30 p.m. every Friday downstairs at the Baptist church. It is known as a hotspot for faith, reason and community. There is never cover charge, or dress code, just great coffee and food of thought.

May 10: ‘The Iron Lady’  next FOLA movie

"The Iron Lady" of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons.

“The Iron Lady” with Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons.

F riends of the Ludlow Auditorium will show the film The Iron Lady, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium, 37 Depot St., Ludlow.

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, The Iron Lady is an intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (played by Meryl Streep), who became the first and only female prime minister of The United Kingdom and the longest serving PM of the 20th century. One of the most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world. The movie examines her life as she enters Parliament and rises in the Tory Party, with its impact on her family.

The movie is open to everyone and is free. Donations are appreciated. Popcorn will be provided courtesy of Berkshire Bank and water courtesy of FOLA. For more information, www.fola.us and 802-228-7239.

May 11: Birding walk with Richard Foye

O n Mother’s Day, May 11, at 7 a.m., Richard Foye, birder, will lead an early morning Birding Walk for the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association. Foye will help participants fine-tune their birding-by-ear skills on a walk from Holden Trail to the Latham Trail kiosk, where hikers will be shuttled back to the start.

Participants will meet at the Holden Trail kiosk, 1026 Windmill Hill Road North, in Westminster. Check www.windmillhillpinnacle.org under Trails & Maps, Access to Trailheads, for directions. Check under Current Events for other upcoming free pinnacle programs. Contact Sarah Waldo at 802-387-6036 or sarah_waldo@hotmail.com for registration and further information.

May 13: SoVerA astronomy meeting

S outhern Vermont Astronomy Group will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13 at the Magic Mountain base lodge, Route 11, Londonderry. Find out what’s up in the current night sky (moon and planets) and learn about the Deep Sky Object of the Month and how to find it. The group will also discuss Jupiter and its weather, as well as Arp Objects. Newbies and experienced astronomers alike are welcome. Visit its website at www.sovera.org for more information.

May 14: Italian classes at Misty Valley Books

M isty Valley Books, on the Green in Chester, will offer Italian language courses for beginner and intermediate students. Beginner classes, will run from 7–8:30 p.m. for six Wednesdays, begin May 14. Classes are designed for those with no or limited knowledge of Italian. It will introduce basic vocabulary, grammar and common written and oral expressions. As a cultural focus, the class will read a modern Italian version of Boccaccio’s novella Andreuccio da Perugia and view films, websites, and art about 14th-century Florence and Boccaccio’s life and works.

Director Silvio Soldini’s award-winning film Giorni e nuvole will be the centerpiece of the intermediate class, which will meet at 7–8:30 p.m. on six Thursdays, beginning May 15. The film is a contemporary tale of the effects of Italy’s troubled economy and the uncertainty of work on marriage and family stability. Grammar and discussion topics will be drawn from the film as well as weekly news reports on related topics found on Italian television.

Instructor for both classes is Luci Fortunato, retired professor of history at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. She has taught Italian and history at the secondary and university levels.

The cost for either course is $100. For more information, call Misty Valley Books at 802-875-3400.

Tim Brookes, guitar guide

Tim Brookes, guitar guide

May 15: NPR commentator explores the guitar in America

W hen the first guitar reached the continent’s shores 425 years ago, it was a small, unimpressive folk instrument. Now, more guitars are sold in America than all other musical instruments combined. Discover the story of the guitar in the United States, at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 when author, teacher and NPR commentator Tim Brookes will tell the tale through demonstrations, displays and slides.

This program is presented as a Vermont Humanities Council program hosted by the Rockingham library and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Vermont Humanities Council. For more information call the library at 802-463-4270, email sam@rockinghamlibrary.org, or go online to rockinghamlibrary.org.

Rural Vermont cow logoMay 15: Potluck, storytelling, at Rural Vermont annual meeting

R ural Vermont invites everyone who cares about the food they eat and the people raising it to its 29th Annual Celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 15 at the American Legion Hall, 637 Route 103 South, Chester. Real food will be the common theme of the evening. Guests will eat it, talk about it, celebrate the people behind it and respond to a call to action in support of reclaiming food freedom.

The celebration will kick off with an old-fashioned potluck supper, cash bar and social hour. Following the brief annual meeting,   Ben Hewitt of Fat of the Land Farm in Cabot, Lisa McCrory of Earthwise Farm & Forest in Bethel and Ben Crockett of Wild Carrot Farm in Brattleboro will share personal and compelling stories that demonstrate their connection to and passion for the land.

Several farmers will be recognized for their dedication and tenacity in working toward increased opportunities for farmers and food access for consumers. Among them is Chester local Lisa Kaiman of Jersey Girls Dairy and Jersey Girls Farm Market & Café. Kaiman will be honored with the Golden Spoon  award.

This free event is open to all. Donations are encouraged and will support Rural Vermont’s ongoing work to restore food freedom and return the “culture” to agriculture.

Rural Vermont is a statewide nonprofit group founded in 1985. For over 25 years, Rural Vermont has been advancing its mission of economic justice for Vermont farmers through advocacy, grassroots organizing, and education.

To RSVP or for more info, visit www.ruralvermont.org or call the Rural Vermont office 802-223-7222. There will be a drawing every Thursday for registrants, including the day of the event, for a 20 quart bag of compost from Vermont Compost Co. The earlier you register, the more chances you have to win.
— Edited by Susan Lampe-Wilson

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Filed Under: Community & Arts in BriefCommunity and Arts Life

About the Author: This item was edited from one or more press releases submitted to The Chester Telegraph.

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