Around&About BY CASSIE HORNER
Lyme gardeners Barbara Stern and Meg Houser give free advice.
Utility Club of Lyme Fundraiser “Community involvement is key,” says Ellen Merlis about the Utility Club of Lyme. “The more people, the merrier—we get more ideas that way.” The Utility Club, founded in 1914, is almost 100 years old and fl ourishes because of the active community that has taken to heart its original mission “to promote usefulness.” On Saturday, September 24, the group’s big annual fundraiser, Fine Art Fine Food silent auction, takes place at a historical barn at 125 Breck Hill Road in Lyme. The event is sponsored by Long River Studios and several other Lyme businesses. Over 90 Upper Valley artists and craftspeople are represented in a cornucopia of beautiful things in this silent auction. The free preview is from 2pm to 4pm, when people can stop by, look at items, and submit bids. At 6pm, the evening festivities begin with wine and hors d’oeuvres. (Tickets are required for the evening events.) Many of the artists are in attendance and are happy to talk about their work. The bidding continues until 8pm, and then the top bidders are announced. “It’s a party!” says Merlis. “People get a little dressed up. It’s a good time.” Arts and crafts are well represented by sculpture, photography, quilts, paper maché collages, pottery, carved gourds, baskets, handbags, scarves, jewelry, stained glass, small pieces of furniture, and other items. Artists receive 50 percent of the proceeds of silent auction items. This big fundraiser is supplemented throughout the year by three other events—the May plant sale, the December bake sale, and the annual fund drive—which raise money for scholarships and awards programs for Upper Valley charities. “We like to put most of the money into scholarships,” says Merlis. “We work with the town of Lyme and the Congregational Church. Together we gave money to 25 students in 2011. There is a big need because college is so expensive.” On its own, the Utility Club gave a total of $12,500 this year; fi ve students received $2,500 each. The Utility Club of Lyme meets monthly from September to May, and membership is open to anyone in the Upper Valley. The meetings feature a diverse array of speakers on various topics, from beekeeping to a baking lesson to the history of the Connecticut River, for example. Tickets for the upcoming silent auction are $35 per person. To prebuy tickets, call Pat (603) 795-4295 or Ellen (603) 795-5015. Tickets are also available at the door. MasterCard and Visa are accepted. The barn is wheelchair accessible.
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