Upcoming events: Fizz, Boom, Read at RFPL, Wilder Library; kids camp at Nature Museum; Londonderry Society meets; noted folk singer performs; Bonnie’s Bundles celebrates; and Daniloff at Misty Valley Books on revival of Cold War

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.

June 23: Summer reading, family trip passes at Rock Library

The Rockingham Free Public Library has a full summer of exciting activities and reading planned running June 23 through Aug. 15. The library is located at 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls.

The Fizz, Boom, Read! activities kick off on Monday, June 23 with a magic show by Exordium. Exordium performs tricks with science using a mix of chemistry and physics. Also on June 23, the Sixth Annual Stuffed Animal Sleepover is held; the public is invited to bring a stuffed animal or action figure to spend the night in the library. Pictures and video shared at a special Stuffed Animal Storytime at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24. Both events are open to participants of all ages.

Each week, the library will feature different family events including live animal presentations, puppets and natural science.

Teens in middle and high school are invited to “Spark a Reaction!” each Thursday at 1:30 p.m. with a slate of hands-on science programs that include robotics, engineering, alternative energy projects and explosive science. Thursday, June 26, teens will build Squishy Circuits, a fun way to experiment with electronics without the fear of electric shock or burns.

Lunch and storytimes

This summer, the library is offering Lunch at the Library. Beginning on Monday, July 7 and running through Friday, Aug. 15 the library will serve a free lunch to anyone age 18 and younger; Monday through Friday at 11:15-11:45 a.m. Adults may purchase a lunch for $3.60. Sign-ups are encouraged. Menus are available on the library’s website. After lunch, the library will offer a series of programs, which include reading to kids, movies, games and the Lego Club. This program is offered through a sponsorship with the WNESU, funded by the USDA, and with the support of C&S Wholesale Grocers.

Each week the library presents two storytimes — a preschool storytime and a Baby Storytime. Parents and caregivers with infants and toddlers may participate in the library’s Early Literacy Challenge. Youth of all ages can sign up for the summer reading program. Every time they visit the library and update their reading log, their names’ are entered in the weekly prize drawing.

All programs are free and open to the public. For more information call the library at 802-463-4270, email sam@rockinghamlibrary.org or go online to rockinghamlibrary.org where you can view the entire schedule of events, lunch menu and more.

Also, this summer RFPL offers cardholders passes to museums, parks, and institutions throughout the state and in nearby communities. Passes may be reserved a month in advance and provide free or reduced price admissions. Library card holders age 18 and older may check-out passes for three days at a time.

Parks and Museum passes available at the library include: Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center (Burlington); Brattleboro Museum and Art Center; Nature Museum at Grafton; Vermont’s History Museum (Barre); Fort at No. 4 (Charlestown, N.H.); Vermont Institute of Natural Science (Queechee); Billings Farm and Museum (Woodstock); many Vermont State Parks and Historic Sites; Cheshire Children’s Museum (Keene, N.H.).

June 26: Thursday Discovery Days summer drop-in camp

Discovery Days at The Nature Museum at Grafton will take place Thursdays June 26 through Aug. 21, with the Earth Explorers Club (pre-K through third grade) meeting from 10 a.m. to noon; 3 and 4-year-olds are welcome with an accompanying adult. Campers can pre-register for a single Thursday or attend them all and get one week free at www.nature-museum.org. Designed to be flexible, drop-ins are also welcome. Preschoolers must attend with an adult; rising kindergartners and up may be dropped off.

Each Thursday children will explore a new theme.

• June 26 – Growing Up Fawn
• July 3 – Tree’s Diary
• July 10 – Tails to Legs, A Frog’s Story
• July 17 – Butterflies: A Plant’s Friend and Foe
• July 24 – Eggs and Feathers
• July 31 – Grasshopper Get His Wings
• Aug. 7 – Spiders and Spiderlings
• Aug. 14 – How Flowers Feed Us
• Aug. 21 – Fairies of the Forest

Between camp sessions or after camp, families can explore the museum’s exhibits, hike on the Village Park trails, or bring a bag lunch and eat at one of the picnic tables in the museum’s gardens.

The Nature Museum is at 186 Townshend Road, Grafton. And is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday through Columbus Day, and on Thursdays during the winter. To learn more about camps or about the museum, visit www.nature-museum.org or call 802-843-2111.

June 26: Annual meeting of Londonderry Arts and Historical Society

The annual meeting of the Londonderry Arts and Historical Society is Thursday, June 26, at 5 p.m., at Schoolhouse (the old Masonic Hall) across from the Custer Sharp House, 2461 Middletown Road, Londonderry. Barbara Melhado, art authority, will be the guest speaker at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome. Bring a piece of Vermont artwork to discuss. Refreshments will be served.

LAHS invites the public to attend the Vermont History EXPO at the Tunbridge World’s Fairgrounds in Tunbridge on Saturday and Sunday July 21 and 22.

July’s exhibit at Custer Sharp House at 2461 Middletown Road will be an expansion of the show at Vermont History EXPO, which will include local artists of the ‘30s through the ‘70s.

August’s exhibit at Custer Sharp House will be a showing of artwork being produced in our area currently. Notify LAHS if you would like to participate. Items can be for sale (but don’t have to be) with 10 percent going to LAHS.

The exhibits are open Saturdays from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. For more information, Mimi Wright 802-824-6560 or email msw10hh@gmail.com.

Bill Staines

June 28: Folk legend Bill Staines performs
in Lunenburg

Folk singer/songwriter Bill Staines will perform in concert Saturday, June 28 at 7 p.m. at the historic Congregational Church on the Common, Park Avenue, Lunenburg.

Sponsored by the Top of the Common Committee, the proceeds will benefit restoration of the Congregational Church and Old Town Hall. Tickets for the Bill Staines concert are $12. For more information, call Chris at 802-892-6654, or visit the website at www.topofthecommon.org/13.html.

Wheat paste your favorite Bundle’s picture to barn wall at Bonnie’s Bundle anniversary event.

June 28: Mural decorating
at Bonnie’s Bundles

Bonnie’s Bundles Dolls in the Stone Village, 250 North St., Chester, will celebrate 46 years of doll making with a series of summer events.

The first will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29 and features wheat pasting a photograph of a favorite Bundle doll on a mural on the backside of the garage, replacing a weathered one.

To participate, call or email the Bonnie to let her know the name of your favorite Bundle and the number of people in your party. Refreshments will be available. Details may be found on www.bonniesbundlesdolls.com.

July 1: A new Cold War? Daniloff  series begins at Misty Valley

Are we entering a new Cold War in our relations with Russia? Starting at 7 p.m. on July 1 and continuing for the next three consecutive Tuesdays, Nick Daniloff will speak about the situation in Russia and Ukraine at Misty Valley Books, on the Green in Chester.

Nick Daniloff was arrested by the KGB and accused of spying during the Cold War.

Andover resident Daniloff recently retired as a Northeastern University professor of journalism. Prior to that, he spent his journalism career covering the Cold War from Washington and Moscow from 1961 to 1986 for U.S. News & World Report.

Daniloff is the author of The Kremlin and the Cosmos (1972), Two Lives, One Russia (1988) and Of Spies and Spokesmen: My Life as a Cold War Correspondent (2008).

The series is free and open to the public, although a free-will offering would be welcome to help support future bookstore programs. For more information, call Misty Valley Books at 802-875-3400 or visit www.mvbooks.com.

July 2: Glow in the Dark art at Wilder Library’s
Fizz, Boom, Read! Program

Local artist and illustrator Christine Mix will be at Wilder Memorial Library, 24 Lawrence Hill Road, Weston from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2 to create Glow in the Dark Art. This program is a part of the library’s Fizz, Boom, Read! Summer Children’s Program and is open to children ages 5 and up. The library will be hosting a different activity every Wednesday in July made possible by a grant from the Vermont Country Store.

The library is also offering local youth a summertime incentive-based reading program. The Reading Treasure Hunt will take place during the summer break and is open to preschool through high school aged youth. Each time a participant reads, depending on their reading level (three picture books, two juvenile fiction chapter books or one young adult book), he or she will receive a coupon to get a treat at a local business. Participants must have or register for a WML library card and all books read must be checked out from WML or Listen Up! Vermont.

For complete participation guidelines, visit www.wildermemoriallibrary.org. This year’s Reading Treasure Hunt is sponsored by Weston Marketplace, Weston Village Store, Vermont Country Store, Mike & Tammy’s, Garden Cafe, Clark’s IGA, New American Grill, Grandma Miller’s, Village Pantry and J.J. Hapgood.

For information on these and other programs and services offered by the Wilder Memorial library, visit  www.wildermemoriallibrary.org or its Facebook page. You can also follow the library on Twitter @wilderweston on Twitter, or email wilderweston@gmail.com and request to be added to our email list.

– Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson