Community events: Feb. 3 through Feb. 10, 2016

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.

Feb. 3: China’s Silk Road Travel Program at Rock Library

On Wednesday Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m., join Debbi and Adam Wetzel for an evening of armchair travel to the western end of the Great Wall of China at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

Their 17-day journey followed the modern-day version of Marco Polo’s Silk Road trade route that portions of the Great Wall protected. The Wetzels will share their view of the architecture, culture and countryside through their camera lens.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org, call 802-463-4270, go to www.rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library.

Feb. 4: Black River Produce president to speak at Rotary

Chester Rotary Club hosts Sean Buchanan, president of Black River Produce, as speaker at First Thursday Rotary at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4 at the Fullerton Inn, on the Green in Chester. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. for socializing with guests and members, hors d’oeuvres and a beverage. The program is open to the public.

Buchanan will talk about the commitment of Black River Produce to local farming and its growth over 39 years. Its promotion of localagricultural communities at one time made it an anomaly, but now Black River Produce has become a national leader and model for others to follow.

For information, call Bill Dakin at 802-875-4000.

Feb. 4: Jane Hart discusses  ‘Hidden Children’ at FOLA

Author Jane Marks Hart discusses her book  The Hidden Children  at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4 in the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium at 37 S. Depot St. in Ludlow.

The book tells the story of Jewish children who, in order to survive the Holocaust, were sheltered by other families constantly at risk of being discovered by Nazi officials. Hart will open her presentation with a discussion about the consequences the survivors encountered as they matured.

The Hidden Children explores the lives of 23 men and women whose courage and ingenuity as young children and extraordinary luck allowed them to survive.

This program is co-sponsored by The Book Nook of Ludlow and Friends of Ludlow Auditorium. For information, call 802-228-7239 or visit their website at www.fola.us.

Feb. 5: Chad Perron and band at Grounded4Life

Claremont, N.H., native Chad Perron and his band will take the stage for a free performance at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 at Grounded4Life coffeehouse downstairs at the First Baptist Church at 162 Main St., Chester.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The coffee bar and refreshments will be ready when you arrive. For a sampling of Perron’s music visit http://cpmministry.com.

Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page or contact John Nunnikhoven at john4ns@fastmail.fm.

Feb. 6: Oreo the dog
helps Whiting kids read

On Saturday, Feb. 6, the Children’s Room at Chester’s Whiting Library, 117 Main St. in Chester, offers opportunities for children to practice reading with Oreo, a certified therapy dog.

Reading sessions are available from 1 to 2 p.m., the first Saturday of each month. Reading to animals provides companionship without criticism, helping children as they master the complex skill of learning to read.

Children are welcome to bring a favorite book from home or choose one from the library’s collection. The library also has a number of wordless books for children who would rather tell Oreo a story. Call the library at 802-875-2277 to sign up for a visit or email whitinglibrary@yahoo.com.

Saturday is also Take Your Child to the Library Day, which is a great time to sign up or renew your library card. Library membership is free for residents of Chester and Andover. Non-residents are welcome to join for $15 annually. Library hours are Monday and Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Feb. 6: ‘Good Night My Honey Bunnies’ reading, book-signing

The Mountain Painters and Artisans Gallery is hosting a book reading and signing with writer Sandy Wilbur and illustrator Kim Ray, co-authors of Good Night My Honey Bunnies.

The event takes place 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 6 at the gallery at Vermont Route 100 and 11 in Londonderry.

Along with the reading and signing, the author and artist show a slide presentation about their collaboration in creating this book and music. A reception with refreshments will follow the event.

For more information call 802-824-6555.

Feb. 6: ‘ Imitation Game’ shown in Ludlow

Friends of Ludlow Auditorium’s next free movie is The Imitation Game.

The film will be shown at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6 in the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium, 37 Depot St. in Ludlow.

Based on the real life story of legendary crypt-analyst Alan Turing, The Imitation Game portrays a race against time to crack the Nazi’s Enigma code at Britain’s top-secret Bletchley Park facilities during World War II.

Rated PG-13, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly. The event is free but donations are appreciated. The Berkshire Bank supplies free popcorn and FOLA supplies bottled water. For information call 802-228-7239 or visit FOLA’s web site, www.fola.us.

Feb. 8: ‘View From Table Rock’ documentary screened

At 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8, Rockingham Library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls will screen The View From Table Rock, Lyle Sorensen’s documentary film about two antique bird’s-eye view lithographs depicting Bellows Falls from Fall Mountain in the 1800s.

The film will be followed by a discussion with Sorensen. Local resident Marguerite Janiszyn, Larry Clark and Annette Spaulding will also be on hand to answer questions and share related archival items.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-463-4270, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org, or stop by the library.

Feb. 8: Medicare expert at Neighborhood Connections

The initial steps of becoming fully enrolled in Medicare can be confusing, so Neighborhood Connections is bringing Medicare insurance expert Marguerite Mason in one day a month for private appointments to answer questions and help in completing Medicare enrollments.

She will be available for two-hour appointments beginning 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. There is no charge, but an appointment is necessary. If you are turning 65 within the next three months, call 802-824-4343 to make an appointment.

Neighborhood Connections is a community-based non-profit social services agency serving individuals and families in south-central Vermont and located at 5700 Vermont Route 100, in Londonderry . Visit their website at www.neighborhoodconnectionsvt.org for more events and services.

Feb. 9: St. Luke’s hosts Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

St. Luke’s Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9 in Willard Hall at the church at 313 Main St. in Chester. The Pancake Supper is an annual tradition always held on the Tuesday evening before Ash Wednesday, when the 40 days of Lent officially begin the church’s liturgical calendar.

The menu includes pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, savory sausages and fruit salad. The church encourages the public to invite friends. The event is free, but each table will have a free-will offering basket for those who choose to donate. For information, check the website www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org. Go to the special events menu under the Learn More tab.

Feb. 10: Ash Wednesday services at St. Luke’s

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 313 Main St. in Chester will hold two services on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10. One service will be held at noon and a second at 6 p.m., which will include the spoken Eucharist and disposition of ashes.

— Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson