Upcoming events: Auction to benefit BRAM; winter sky viewing at Rock Library; weatherization forum set; comedy, musical performances in Ludlow; caroling at Grounded4Life; two West River Chorus holiday concerts; Rock Library auctions antique quilt; dinner and jazz at Compass School; children’s holiday fun at SVAC; and GMUHS annual Holiday Concert

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.

Dec. 10: Black River Academy Museum to host auction

The Black River Academy Museum’s silent auction — Unique Experiences — will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Stemwinder’s, 46 S. Depot St., Ludlow. This year’s experiences up for auction include an apartment in New York City, a fiddlehead fern foray, and summer or winter activities at Okemo Mountain Resort.

Tickets are $25/person and include one complementary glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are available at The Book Nook, the Wine and Cheese Depot in Ludlow and on the museum’s website. Space is limited, so purchase your tickets early. For further information call 802-228-5050, email glbrehm@tds.net or visit the museum’s web site, www.bramvt.org.

Dec. 11: Night sky observance with SoVerA scientist

Winter night sky photograph courtesy NASA.

At 7 p.m., on Thursday, Dec. 11 join Bob Dudley at the Rockingham Free Public Library 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls, for a tour of the late autumn-early winter constellations. Dudley will present a slide show in the library’s third floor meeting room, followed by stargazing on the front lawn (weather permitting.) Most of the constellations discussed are visible with the naked eye. Dudley encourages participants to bring their binoculars for viewing. A telescope will also be available.

A retired scientist, Dudley is a member of numerous scientific organizations and is current president of the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group.  SoVerA was created to stimulate inquiry about the universe through gained and shared knowledge, research and appreciation by helping the public at large learn about the nature of the cosmos and how to help gain more information from it. Both adults and children are welcome to attend this free program. For more information, call 802-463-4270, visit rockinghamlibrary.org, or stop by the library.

Dec. 11: Chester economic group to host solar, weatherization forum

Economic Development Corp. invites residents of Chester and surrounding towns to attend its solar and weatherization forum — How to Take Control of Your Energy Bills — at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11 at the Newsbank Conference Center, 397 Main St., Chester. A question-and-answer period and general discussion will follow the presentations.

The forum will cover the basics of going solar and weatherizing your home for the winter, and how to save money in the process. Bruce Whitney from NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad, Anika James from SunCommon, and Lee Gustafson of Net Zero Renewable Resources will each give a presentation. For more information about the workshop, call Anika James at 802-310-6242 or Bill Dakin at 802-875-4000.

Dec. 12: ‘Funeral Tea’ comedy, musical performance at BRAM

Funeral Tea,”  a comedy directed by Stephanie Rowe, will be presented at 6:30 p.m on Friday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 13 at Black River Academy Museum, 14 High St., Ludlow. There will be a special musical performance before the play and refreshments after the program. Admission is by donation. For more information please call 802-228-5050 or email glbdrehm@bramvt.org.

Dec. 12: Christmas songs and caroling at Grounded4Life

You are invited for a time of Christmas music and caroling at Grounded4Life, the coffee house of the Chester Baptist Church, on Friday, Dec. 12. The church’s musical family will be presenting music for the season as well as leading the audience in Christmas carols.  Grounded4Life is located in the lower level of the Chester Baptist Church, 162 Main St. in Chester. Doors open at 6:30 with food, coffee, fellowship and conversation. Program begins at 7 p.m. and admission is free. Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page or contact John Nunnikhoven at john4ns@fastmail.fm.

 Dec. 12: West River Valley Chorus performs traditional holiday concerts

The West River Valley Chorus will present two performances of its traditional holiday concert under the direction of Ken Olsson, music director and accompanist at the Wardsboro Town Hall 99 Main St., Wardsboro on at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12 beginning and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 vat  the Townshend Church, on the town Green.

The concerts feature violinist Jill Newton on anthems and The Townshend Ring-a-lings during audience sing-a-longs of Christmas carols. The chorus has prepared a song titled “Nutcracker Jingles” weaving “Jingle Bells” throughout popular themes from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet. Admission is free, although donation baskets will be available. Both venues are handicap-accessible.

Nineteenth century hand sewn quilt for silent auction at Rockingham Library

Dec. 13: Rockingham Library auctions historic quilt

As part of their annual holiday fundraising drive, the Friends of Rockingham Free Public Library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls is conducting a silent auction for a large, unique historic quilt valued at $700. Bidding ends at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13.

The quilt is comprised of forty-five blocks signed and pieced together as a farewell gift in 1844, made by quilters from several towns in New Hampshire as well as Stafford and Pomfret, Vermont. Kathy Metalica Cray of Grafton Village Quilt  donated it along with Quiltings, Frolicks & Bees, One Hundred Years of Signature Quilts, a book by Sue Reich that features the quilt.

“This genre of quilts has been popular history since the 1830s. Through the use of pattern, fabric and the placement of inscribed names, signature quilts give us glimpses of the sociological climates of the time,” explains Reich.

The quilt can be viewed at the Rockingham Free Public Library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls, or online at www.rockinghamlibrary.org. Bids of $250 or more can be submitted at the library, or online at www.rockinghamlibrary.org/silentauction. For more information, call the library at 802-463-4270.

Eugene Uman will perform at the Compass School.

Dec. 13: Dinner, hot jazz at Compass School

On Saturday, Dec. 13, Compass School will host a Caribbean dinner and a musical performance by Eugene and Julian’s Latin Party Band featuring renowned jazz musicians Eugene Uman and Julian Gerstin.

The evening begins at 6 p.m with a multi-course Caribbean dinner and a silent auction, which will include gift certificates to area businesses, fine arts, furniture and clothing. All-inclusive tickets for dinner and music are just $15 adults and $10 for students.

All proceeds will benefit the Compass junior class Global Connection trip to the Dominican Republic. The Global Connections Program focuses on cultural immersion and international understanding.

Tickets will be available at the door or can be purchased ahead of time from Compass School by calling 802-463-2525 or at these shops: Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls, Swirl in Putney, and Everyone’s Books in Brattleboro.

Dec. 14: Holiday children’s activities at SVAC

The Southern Vermont Arts Center rings in the season with the latest in its series of free family events, Holiday on the Hill, 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, in upstairs galleries of SVAC’s Yester House 930 SVAC Drive in Manchester.

The afternoon is geared toward children in pre-K through the elementary grades. Seasonal activities includes craft and decoration-making, singing and dancing elves from the Manchester Lion’s Club Elf Express Train, cookie decorating, and an Art & Go Seek Scavenger Hunt with prizes ranging from movie tickets for two for the Village Picture Show to a ride-for-two kids on the Manchester Lions Club’s Elf Express Train.

The Elf Express departs Sunday, Dec. 21 from r.k. Miles Depot Station at 570 Depot St. (Route 11/30) Manchester Center. An annual Lion’s Club tradition, the Elf Express will take riders on an hour-long journey through the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. Riders will be entertained along the way with holiday melodies and dance routines performed by elves from the theater and dance program of Burr and Burton Academy directed of Broadway and Hollywood song and dance man Jim Raposa. Snacks and hot cocoa will be served throughout the afternoon.

The Southern Vermont Arts Center gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 pm. For more information, call 802-362-1405 or email info@svac.org. Visit any time at svac.org.

Dec. 16: Free Green Mountain Union High School’s Holiday Concert

Green Mountain Union High School invites the public to its Holiday Concert at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec 16 in the auditorium of GMUHS, located at 716 Route 103S in Chester. The Middle School band and chorus will open the concert at 6:30 p.m., followed by the High School band and chorus at 7 p.m. The concert is free. For more information contact Anne Morton at 802-875-2146.

— compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson