Community events: Nov. 15 through Nov. 24, 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@chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please. Notices must be received by noon on Fridays to be eligible for publication the following week.

Nov. 15: SoVerA holds Stars & Telescopes workshop

The Southern Vermont Astronomy Group continues its skills workshop series with  Stars and Telescopes at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Whiting Library, 117 Main St., in Chester.

Participants will find their way through Vermont’s night sky, using star maps to locate specific celestial objects. The group will hold a discussion about the basics of telescopes and how to choose one for purchase.

SoVerA is a non-profit science education organization that works to teach astronomy to the public at large. Meetings are typically held at 7 p.m., on the second Tuesday of the month in the Community Room of Whiting Library. More information may be found at www.sovera.org.

Nov. 16: Asylum Seekers Project holds presentation

On Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m., the Community Asylum Seekers Project will discuss “Seeking Asylum: What Does It Mean?” at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

This presentation will explain the difference between refugees and asylum seekers, and will describe the work that the Community Asylum Seekers Project is doing locally, and ways you might choose to be involved.

The highlight of the evening will be the personal tale of asylum seeker Atilio Barrera, recounting the danger that caused him to flee his native Peru in 1979 along with his wife and infant son, the reception they received in the United States, and their eventual success in building a life here.

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

Nov. 17-19: Wreath-decorating workshops held

Prepare for the holidays by decorating a pre-made evergreen wreath at St. Luke’s Church, 313 Main St. in Chester.

The group supplies greens, natural materials, bows, and other embellishments, plus wire, glue guns and equipment necessary to make the decorating fun and successful.

Open to the public, the workshops will take place in Willard Hall. The workshop fee is $40 per wreath. Funds raised benefit both the church and the Chester Conservation Committee’s youth environmental-camp scholarships.

Space is limited, so participants must pre-register and are encouraged to bring clippers if they have them.

Choose from four workshop sessions:

• Thursday Nov. 17, 6:30 to 8 p.m.;
• Friday Nov. 18, 9 to 10:30 a.m. and from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and
• Saturday Nov. 19, 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Each session offers refreshments, camaraderie and all the essentials to create a very personal, one-of-a-kind wreath.

Men and women are welcome to come alone or register with a friend or group.

Make checks payable to St. Luke’s Church, designated for the wreath workshop, and mail to Lillian Willis at P.O. Box 318, Chester, VT 05143. For additional information and registration, contact Lillian Willis at 802-875-1340 or lbwillisct@comcast.net.

Nov. 17: Aging myths addressed

Lenore Szuchman, a developmental psychologist whose most recent book, co-authored with Joan Erber, is Great Myths of Aging, discusses ageism and its stereotypes on at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17 at The Meeting Place at Neighborhood Connections in The Mountain Marketplace at 5700 VT-100 in Londonderry.

This program is offered at no charge, but reservations are necessary. Call 802-824-4343 to attend.

Neighborhood Connections is a community-based non-profit social services agency serving individuals and families in the area mountain towns of south-central Vermont. For more information: www.neighborhoodconnectionsvt.org.

Nov. 17: Mosher’s ‘Stranger in the Kingdom’ discussed

On Thursday Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., join the book discussion of A Stranger in the Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher at the Rockingham Library at 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls.

The novel tells the story of a brutal murder in a small town and the devastating events that follow. Pick up a copy of the book at the front desk.

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

Nov. 17: Keewaydin spaghetti fundraiser at Chester-Andover

The community is invited to dine at Chester-Andover Elementary School from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 for a spaghetti dinner served by CAES students.

Cost for the dinner $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 kids, and children, 3 or younger, are free.

All proceeds from the event help send the 5th and 6th grade students to Keewaydin Environmental Education Center, for a weeklong outdoor learning experience in the spring of 2018.

Dinners to go are available by contacting Frank Kelley at 802-875-2108 x6862 or email frank.kelley@trsu.org.

Nov. 18: Cox at Grounded4Life coffeehouse

Enjoy a free evening of music with Dominick Cox at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 at the Grounded4Life coffeehouse in the lower level of the Chester Baptist Church at 162 Main St. in Chester.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with food, coffee, fellowship and conversation.

Originally from the mountains of upstate New York, Cox is now a recording artist and founder of the DRIVEN11 ministry with the purpose of inspiring faith in action through music, speaking, writing, and teaching.

Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page. For more info, visit grounded4lifevt.org. 

Nov. 19: Wantastiquet Rotary holds food drive

The Wantastiquet Rotary Club, serving a seven-town area that includes Londonderry, Weston, Jamaica, Peru, Landgrove, Winhall and Windham, holds a Food Drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Clarks IGA, 5700 Route 100 in Londonderry.

All proceeds go to Londonderry’s Neighbors Food Pantry. Shoppers are encouraged to purchase items and place them in boxes provided by the Rotary Club at the checkout area. Cash is also welcomed so that the Food Pantry can purchase items not readily available in the store.

Also part of the Rotary’s fund-raising effort is the club’s annual 250 Club ticket sales, which go on sale in November and December of each year. Drawings are held each month in the following year with six tickets winning money.

The club meets on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. in the Friendship Room of the Second Congregational Church at 2051 N. Main St., Route 11 in Londonderry; meetings are open to anyone that desires to help make a difference in the community.

Nov. 19: Edgar May holds Kids’ Dive-In Movie Night

On Saturday, Nov. 19, the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center at 140 Clinton St. in Springfield invites children ages 5 and older to the Dive-In Movie Night (Parents Night Off) event from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring pizza from the Subway, a craft activity and swimming while a movie plays poolside.

The program will be three hours of supervised fun. Members pay only $5 and non-member rate is $10 per child.

Registration for children can be done over the phone, in person, or online at www.myreccenter.org. Space is limited, pre-registration and advanced payment is required. Register before Nov. 17 to reserve a spot.

For more info, other youth-oriented activities, or to register for our monthly youth event, contact the EdgarMay at 802-885-2568 or by email stilden@myreccenter.org.

Nov. 19: ‘Akeelah & the Bee’ shown at St. Luke’s

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 313 Main St. in Chester presents its next DVD film  Akeelah & the Bee. A free viewing is at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 in Willard Hall. The doors will open at 6 p.m. for early seating and popcorn and soda. This is a family friendly film. Read more at www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org.

Nov. 20: Author Greene wraps Vermont Voices

On Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. Thomas Christopher Greene returns to Phoenix Books Misty Valley on the Green in Chester to talk about his fifth novel, If I Forget You, in which 21 years after they were driven apart by circumstances beyond their control, two former lovers have a chance encounter on a Manhattan street.

What follows is a tense, suspenseful exploration of the many facets of enduring love.

A discussion and book signing follow the free event. For more information, call Phoenix Books Misty Valley at 802-875-3400 or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.

Nov. 21: Author Lockwood discusses his book

On Monday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., author Bill Lockwood reads from and discusses his book Buried Gold, at Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

The historical mystery book opens as Evie, a single 30-something, steals a map from her father’s New York City home after he dies. The map is the principal clue to where a box of $10 gold coins was buried during Prohibition. Evie and her daughter Cindy collect other clues staying just a step ahead of Evie’s two brothers, who are also after the treasure.

This event is free and open to the public. The author will bring ordering information for the book. For more information, call 802-463-4270, go to www.rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library.

Nov. 24: EdgarMay hosts Thanksgiving Day 5K

The Edgar May Health and Recreation Center hosts its fourth Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K Road Race and Walk on Nov. 24. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the race starts at 9 a.m. at Springfield Hospital at 25 Ridgewood Road. Call 802-885-2568 to register, or visit www.myreccenter.org/thanksgiving-day-5k.

The route begins at the bottom of Ridgewood Road and turns onto Park Street, following Park Street to Union Street and Union Street to South Street. Participants turn around at Springfield High School and head back to Springfield Hospital. The course is flat.

Prizes will be awarded to the family with the largest number of participants, for the most experienced, and youngest walker or runner. The event is timed by Springfield High School’s Cross Country program, which benefits from the race proceeds. Participants are encouraged to bring food donations for the Springfield Family Center.

The race still seeks volunteers. If you are interested, contact Christian Craig at the phone number below. For more information regarding the Thanksgiving Day 5K, or any Edgar May Health and Recreation Center Program, call 802-885-2568 or visit www.myreccenter.org.

— Susan Lampe-Wilson