Community events: Jan. 4 through Jan. 16, 2018

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.

Jan. 4: Community activist to speak at Chester Rotary

On Thursday, Jan. 4 at 5:15 p.m., Chester resident Gary King addresses Rotary’s First Thursday event at the Fullerton Inn on The Green in Chester. King will talk about a wide variety of topics including the continuing development of the Disc Golf course at the Pinnacle and the recent initiatives undertaken by the Chester Conservation Committee.

He will also talk about the improvements made to the Green Mountain Union High School trail, the recently completed Butternut Hill trail and a tree and forestry canopy grant awarded to Chester.

Socializing begins at 5:15 p.m. and the program goes from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This event is free and open to everyone. For planning purposes, reserve a spot by emailing chestervtrotary@gmail.com.

Jan. 6 & 12: Outdoor family adventures in Grafton

The Nature Museum at Grafton offers families two affordable, outdoor adventures in January.

The first, The Secret Lives of Winter: Active Animals and Finding Their Clues, is a whole family experience exploring the winter world at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6.

Winter Animal Wonders at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12 is a program for preschoolers and their parents, which invites young Vermonters to learn about animals in winter.

Both programs take place at The Nature Museum at 186 Townshend Road in Grafton.

To discover how animals thrive in the winter, they will look for hints and clues in this hands-on winter program. Feel real animal pelts, learn the basics of animal tracking, and be ready to head out on snowshoes to test out your winter detective skills. Pre-registration is encouraged for planning purposes, but drop-ins are welcome.

Admission is by donation. For more information and to register, visit www.nature-museum.org, or call or call 802-843-2111.

Jan. 6: Andover snow riders host pasta dinner, auction

The Andover Mountaineer Snow Riders host its fifth annual Pasta Dinner and Blind Auction on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the Andover Town Hall at 953 Andover Road in Andover.

The event is open to the public. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. with tickets sold at the door. Cost is $15/couple; $10/individual; with children 12 and under free.

The dinner will be pasta (gluten-free available), salads, rolls, desserts, coffee and punch. The auction starts at 6:30 p.m., with the club’s monthly meeting following.

For more information call 802-875-2343 or email andoversnowridersvt@gmail.com.

Jan. 7: Snowshoe to the Thoreau Cabin at Merck Forest

On Sunday, Jan. 7 meet at 9:30 a.m. at Shaw’s parking lot in Manchester Center 64 Equinox Terrace in Manchester or 10 a.m. at the Merck Forest Welcome Center, 3270 Route 315 in Rupert.

Snowshoe in Merck Forest to the new Thoreau Cabin. If the cabin is unoccupied, the group can have a break and lunch in the cabin. Bring extra clothes, a snack, lunch and fluids. Bring snowshoes or traction, depending on conditions. Reserve a spot by calling Keld Alstrup at 802-362-1422 or emailing alsgrupkeld@gmail.com.

Jan. 7: Celebrate St. Distaff’s Day at Chester fiber shop

Jan. 7 is historically known as Distaff Day. The day after Epiphany and after the 12 days of Christmas, women resumed their household work. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women’s work. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them.

Six Loose Ladies yarn and fiber shop invites spinners to gather at the shop from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7 for an informal celebration on the green at 287 Main St. in Chester. Spin-curious people are invited to come try the craft. Spinning fibers will be on sale.

For more information, visit www.sixlooseladies.com.

Jan. 7: History chats in Saxtons River

Main Street Arts and the Saxtons River Historical Society pair for a series of Fireside Chats to highlight the area’s history from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. on Sundays in January in the dining room of the Saxtons River Inn at 27 Main St. in Saxtons River.

The series begins Jan. 7 with the Back-to-the-Land Movement as told through the experiences of Peter Gould, author of Horse-Drawn Yogurt: Stories from Total Loss Farm.

Gould moved to Total Loss Farm in Guilford in the 1970s at the height of the desire of young people to get back to their roots and live a simpler life. With the help of locals, they learned forgotten skills balancing a peaceful communal life with the chaos brought about by the Vietnam War.

The second in the series is Jan. 14, the topic will be the Art of Timber Framing, with Jason Snell, owner of Old Timers Timber Frames in Saxtons River.

The series concludes on Jan. 21 with a topic close to home when Mike DeBonis, executive director of the Green Mountain Club, talks about James Taylor’s dream of founding a trail through Vermont for his Vermont Academy students.

Attendees are invited to share their own experiences, photos, artifacts and stories related to the topic of the evening.

The series is offered at no charge, with donations accepted.

The inn’s dining room will be open for dinner after the presentation for further socializing. Call the Inn at 802-869-2110 for dinner reservation. In case of inclement weather, cancellation information will be available by calling Main Street Arts at 802-869-2960.

Jan. 9: Wellness coach offers free presentations

Beginning Jan. 9, certified wellness coach Carol Jean Jones leads a series of interactive presentations about wellness at the Rockingham Library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

The series will run from 5 to 6 p.m. for four consecutive Tuesdays in January: Jan. 9, 16, 23, and 30. Jones will share healthy mind, body and spiritual practices that have helped others set obtainable goals and continue to maintain them.

Carol Jean Jones is a graduate of the Wellness Coach Training Program of the Mayo Clinic. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-463-4270, visit rockinghamlibrary.org, or stop by the library.

Jan. 9: Astronomy group hosts discussion on life in universe

The Southern Vermont Astronomy Group hosts Al Budreau, who will lead a discussion on the nature of life in the universe.

He will examine astronomical methods and concepts used to explore the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. The event is open to the public.

The SoVerA monthly meeting and presentation will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Whiting Library Community Room 117 Main St. in Chester. The venue is fully ADA accessible. This presentation was rescheduled from Dec. 12, due to inclement weather.

SoVerA is an organization composed of amateur and professional astronomers, educators, students and the public. They are dedicated to making astronomy accessible to all. Talks and presentations are free and open to the public. For more information visit http://sovera.org.

Jan. 16: Winhall Memorial Library hosts Writers’ Group

Winhall Memorial Library’s Writers’ Group meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. The public is invited to bring some writing and an inventive prompt to share at the library, 2 Lower Taylor Hill Road in Bondville.

The informal group would like to share their interest, trials and tribulations, with the craft of writing. Everyone is encouraged to help one another through problem spots in their writing, bounce ideas off others, and talk about the latest news affecting the industry/craft.

The group is open to all writers regardless of experience. For any questions call the library at 802-297-9741 or email winhalllibrary@comcast.net. Visit www.winhallmemoriallibrary.org for more programs.