Community events: Oct. 13 through Oct. 18, 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.

Oct. 13: Are you eligible for no-cost weatherization?

Harald Schmidtke, weatherization director from the Southeastern Vermont Community Action agency, will discuss the national Weatherization Assistance Program from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13 at Neighborhood Connections at 5700 VT-100 in Londonderry at Londonderry’s Mountain Marketplace, next to the Londonderry Post Office.

Local non-profit agencies such as SEVCA deliver no-cost weatherization services to income eligible residents. The goals of the program are energy conservation and healthier living conditions for low-income residents who either own or rent their homes. These improvements result in increased energy efficiency and decreased fuel costs, enhanced indoor air quality, improved health and safety and a higher comfort level.

Higher-income households can receive the same services at a reasonable rate through their fee-for-service program.

Call 802-824-4343 to register for the no cost event or email MC Schwartz at schwartzmary02@gmail.com.

Oct 13: Auditions for ‘Through Cern’s Eyes’

Claremont Opera House holds auditions for “Through Cern’s Eyes,” a World Under Wonder production, from 3 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13 on the stage of the Claremont Opera House at 58 Opera House Square in Claremont, N.H.

No monologue is required. Show up prepared to do cold reads. Everyone will get a part. The auditions are for all ages.

Rehearsals begin Tuesday, Nov. 29, and continue Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. The show opens at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, 2017. The ticket price $10 for adults and $8 for those under 18.

World Under Wonder is also looking for backstage technical help to help create the costumes, set pieces, makeup designs and props needed for this show.

For more information or to volunteer contact office@claremontoperahouse.org
or click here.

Oct. 13: Learn about Vermont’s timber rattlesnakes

On Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologist Doug Blodgett discusses his work with Vermont’s timber rattlesnakes, at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

Learn about this endangered and often misunderstood reptile, which fills a special niche in Vermont’s native wildlife ecosystem.

Adults and families with children aged 7 and older are welcome to attend. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-463-4270, visit rockinghamlibrary.org, or stop by the library.

Oct. 14–15: New Thought Vermont Retreat focuses on kindness

New Thought Vermont holds a presentation 10 to 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14 at The Church on the Hill Lawrence Hill Road in Weston, followed by coffee and conversation from 11:15 a.m. to noon for a suggested donation of $10.

On Saturday, Oct. 15 from 6:15 to 7 p.m. the public is invited for a poetry reading at the Village Green Gallery Pot Luck at 661 Main St. Snacks and beverages will be served, with the poetry reading from 7 to 8 p.m. A free will donation is welcome for this event.

New Thought Vermont is an organization that encourages mystical wisdom and metaphysical understanding to nurture personal experience of the Sacred in everyday life.

Oct. 14: Skylar Kaylyn at Grounded4Life

Skylar Kaylyn, a singer/songwriter from Wyoming, is touring America making a stop at the Grounded4Life coffeehouse at 7 p.m. on Friday Oct. 14 downstairs in Chester Baptist Church at 162 Main St. in Chester.

She describes her music as a mix between Colbie Caillat and Taylor Swift, with hints of Francesca Battistelli thrown in.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for this free performance with food, coffee, fellowship and conversation. Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page. Contact them through the grounded4lifevt.org website.

Oct. 15: Weekend hike in Grafton

On Saturday, Oct. 15, 1 to 4 p.m., the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association is offering a hike led by Bill Brown of the Grafton Improvement Association and Camilla Roberts and Paul Wilson of WHPA.

Hikers should dress warmly, wear sturdy shoes, bring water  and park and meet in the lot opposite The Nature Museum, at 186 Townshend Road in Grafton, to carpool to the start at Turner Hill Road. This free, moderate-to-difficult hike takes a trail to the summit, offering a northwest view of Target Rock.

Hikers will continue on to Kidder Hill Road, where they will be shuttled back to the parking lot. Because of the necessary car shuttle, registration is required. Contact Camilla Roberts at 802-869-1388 or at camil@vermontel.net to register.

Information on the Pinnacle Association’s trails that run from Putney Mountain to Grafton, may be found at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org.

Oct. 15: Rockingham Meeting House tour

Enjoy a free, guided tour of the Rockingham Meeting House and Burial Grounds, led by Dr. John Leppman at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Meeting House Road, off Route 103 in Rockingham.

The 18th century Meeting House is a well-preserved historical and architectural treasure, owned by the Town of Rockingham. What still stands today is: king-post timber framing, woodworking details of the exterior, many glass panes in the 20-over-20 windows, interior plasterwork and most of the material of the “pig pen” box pews. The surrounding burial grounds contain more than 1,000 graves, with some of the finest gravestone art found in New England.

Leppman, current president of the Rockingham Meeting House Association, reminds everyone to dress warmly. The building has no electricity or heat.

For more information, call 802-463-4270, go to www.rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

Oct. 15: ‘Basket Party’ fundraiser for Cody O’Brien Racing

There will be a fundraiser to support Cody O’Brien’s youth sprint car racing team at Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St. in Chester. The doors open at noon with drawings beginning at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for a light lunch and 25 tickets. 25 additional tickets can be purchased for $5. There are gift baskets for men, women and children and there will also be a 50/50 raffle. For more information call Kristin O’Brien at 802-289-1404.

Oct. 15: Medicare Part D re-enrollment period

Do you have Medicare with Part D insurance for your prescription drugs? If so, you have until Dec. 7 to review your options to ensure the best drug coverage at the lowest possible cost. According to Medicare insurance expert Marguerite Mason, 19 of the 21 Vermont prescription drug insurance plans available for 2017 have changed from the 2016 plans. Most of these changes increase the annual cost, but there are some less expensive, new plans available.

Beginning in mid-October, Mason will be taking private appointments on Mondays at Neighborhood Connections at 5700 VT-100 in Londonderry to review supplemental drug insurance plans. Call 802-824-4343 to make an appointment. Bring a list of your prescription drugs and your Medicare card. There is no charge for this service.

Neighborhood Connections is a community-based non-profit social services agency serving individuals and families in the area mountain towns of south-central Vermont. Check out our website at www.neighborhoodconnectionsvt.org.

Oct. 16: New Project to Support Asylum Seekers

Community Asylum Seekers Project, Inc. is hosting its first informational presentation and meeting at 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16 in Saxtons River. A potluck meal featuring dishes from Central America, especially Guatemala, after which will be a presentation on asylum seekers, and what CASP plans to do in this community. Breakout discussions and opportunity to volunteer will follow.

An asylum-seeker is a displaced person who has come of his or her own accord to request sanctuary from another country, and has yet to be processed. This is different than refugees, who are also displaced people, but are invited and resettled by the U.S. State Department.

Community Asylum Seekers Project, Inc.’s mission is to provide basic needs and a supportive community for families in the process of seeking asylum in the U.S.

For more information about the Community Asylum Seekers Project or for directions to the Oct. 16 event, call Steve Crofter at 802-275-4646 or email him at steve.crofter@gmail.com.

Oct. 16: Learn about curling at free open house

The Upper Valley Curling Club invites anyone with an interest in the sport of curling to join the group this fall.

Club members demonstrate and explain the game at a free open house from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Union Arena at Woodstock Union High School on Route 4 in Woodstock.

On Sunday, Oct. 23, the club will hold a Learn to Curl clinic with individualized, on-ice instruction and hands-on learning. Registration is at 6:45 p.m. and instruction runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Cost is $20 per person.

A second Learn to Curl clinic will be held at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Barwood Arena at 45 Highland Ave. in White River Junction. Registration with on-ice instruction and hands-on learning from 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. The clinics are open to anyone 12 or older. The club will provide all equipment; wear warm clothing and bring shoes with non-skid soles.

Space is limited, participants must register in advance by emailing uppervalleycurling@gmail.com. For more information on league play, drop-in games, or clinics visit www.uppervalleycurling.org.

The Upper Valley Curling Club will be curling at two locations in the Upper Valley starting in October. Woodstock play will resume on Sunday evenings beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. WRJ play will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Oct. 17: Chester Seniors Citizens Club holds monthly lunch

Join the Chester Senior Citizens Club for their monthly luncheon meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 17 at the Chester Congregational Church on 469 Main St. in Chester. Bring a funny story or joke to share along with a place setting, if possible a dish to share, and a friend. If you need a ride, call Georgia 802-875-6242.

Oct. 17: Seminar on ID theft protection

Harned-Fowler VFW Post 6471 at 280 Depot St., in Manchester Center is sponsoring an Identity Theft and Fraud Protection Seminar at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17. Qualified AARP representatives present the seminar and anyone interested to learn more of how to protect your identity from theft is invited to attend.

Oct. 18: Diabetes prevention program at Springfield Health Center

Springfield Medical Care Systems offers the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program at 10–11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the Springfield Health Center at 100 River St., Springfield. This program is led by trained lifestyle coaches and helps participants learn healthier eating, exercise and lifestyle habits.

Sign up by contacting Sarah Doyle at the SMCS Community Health Team office at 802-886-8946, or by emailing sdoyle@springfieldmed.org.

Oct. 18: Succession planning workshops for landowners

The Vermont Woodlands Association and University of Vermont Extension are inviting you to attend “Ties To The Land: Take steps to guide the future of your land.”

Participants can choose from the following locations and dates:

• Tuesday, Oct. 18 at Lyndon State College, 1001 College Road in Lyndonville;
• Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Three Stallion Inn at 665 Stock Farm Road in Randolph; or
• Monday, Nov. 14 at the Inn at Willow Pond at 74 Willow Pond Road in Manchester Center.

The workshops run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $35 with each additional family member $20.

This workshop is a mix of presentation and practical exercises that will give you the knowledge and tools to start succession planning.

The workshop fee includes coffee and lunch, plus one copy per family of “Ties to the Land” planning workbook. Registration deadlines are Oct. 12, Oct. 14 and Nov. 7. To request disability-related accommodations contact Mary Sisock at 802-656-1721. Visit www.vermontwoodlands.org/workshops.asp to register online or to download a registration form. For more information contact Vermont Woodlands at 802-747-7900 or send email to info@vermontwoodlands.org.

— By Susan Lampe-Wilson