Views of Dummerston - 2020#3 - Summer

Art by Gary Blomgren

Volume 30 Issue 3

Summer ~ 2020

Free • Since 1990

Work Begins on Celebrating the Young and Not-So-Young Missing Link Trail

By Carolyn Mayo-Brown Trail work along the new Missing Link Trail that will connect Prospect Hill to the Putney Mountain Association Trail system has begun.

Work is under way on the first three-mile section of trail that heads north from Hague Road. Roger Haydock has laid out a magnificent trail through a diverse woodland with beautiful ledge outcroppings. It crosses three mossy year-round brooks and wends its way through a blanket of ferns in a sugar maple grove. It reaches a promontory overlooking the West River and has glimpses of Black Mountain to the south and Mt. Monadonock to continued on page 2

Dummerston School Graduates 17 Don Hazelton Turns 90!

Richard Fletcher (left), trail crew chief, and Roger Haydock (right), trail designer extraordinaire with the gigantic ash tree on the Missing Link Trail in Dummerston.

On May 16th, Dummerston put on a driveby birthday party to celebrate Don’s 90 th birthday. Vehicles gathered on Middle Road, then followed the fire truck escort up Park Laughton Road where Don sat outside his house surrounded by (properly sociallydistanced) friends and family. The parade then turned around at the intersection with Spaulding Hill, and came back, giving Don the chance to say hi to everybody sitting on the passenger-seat sides of the cars. People waved, called out to, and passed cards and presents to him. One woman got out of her car to hold her phone up to Don, possibly for a quick Facetime? Don says the parade was truly continued on page 2

PHOTO BY ROGER TURNER

PHOTO BY CAROLYN MAYO-BROWN

By Roger Turner

2 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston The Views of Dummerston is a quarterly newsletter published by a group of citizen volunteers since 1990, and has non-profit status through the Dummerston Community Center. Mary Lou McBean had the original vision for and was first editor of the Views, and Gary Blomgren created the original masthead art.

The current steering committee includes Roger Turner (editor), Michelle Cherrier (co-articles coordinator and calendar), Fred Lee (layout), Sara Ryan (ad coordinator), Linda Rood (co-articles coordinator), and Lee Ives Tice (mailing). We always welcome new interest in joining the committee.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

The Views is mailed free of charge to all residents of the town of Dummerston. It is also available online at viewsofdummerston.org. We encourage people to help us save printing and mailing expenses by cancelling their print subscription and accessing the Views online at viewsofdummerston.org; to do so please email Sara Ryan at: subscribe online@viewsofdummerston.org.

If you are not a resident of Dummerston and would prefer to receive a paper copy of the Views, you may subscribe for an annual cost of $5. Mail a check made payable to Views of Dummerston, with your name and mailing address to Lee Tice, 230 School House Rd., East Dummerston, VT 05346.

ARTICLES:

We welcome all articles related in any way to the town of Dummerston, including news of town organizations, personalities, history, or activities. Email Microsoft Word documents (preferred) to: articles@viewsof dummerston.org. Typed or hand-written articles can also be sent to: Michelle Cherrier, 72 Miller Rd., East Dummerston, VT 05346.

Work Begins on Missing Link Trail continued from page 1 the east. Continuing north, the trail will be laid out and built through a 175-year old hemlock forest standing 70-80 feet tall. It will meander past the third largest ash tree in Vermont measuring over 5½ feet in diameter.

The Missing Link Project goal is to connect Dummerston trails with the existing trail system that runs all the way to Grafton and to conserve prime wildlife habitat. The first phase of the Missing Link Project will connect Prospect Hill to the Putney Mountain trails. Dummerston volunteers sought out Putney Mountain Association as the official sponsor to partner with them due to their strength as an established non-profit organization with a successful track

record of fundraising and conservation. So far, the project has successfully raised the funds and purchased one of two undeveloped parcels necessary to complete the northern section of trail. Both parcels are designated by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department as a highest priority wildlife corridor.

We only need to raise $7,500 to complete the purchase of the second crucial Missing Link property. If you would like to know more, contributions may be made at putney mountain.org or contact Carolyn Mayo-Brown 802-579-6641. If you would like to participate in building the trail, contact Trail Crew Chief Richard Fletcher at 802-387-6017 or email him at rafletch5@gmail.com.

A Little Parade to Celebrate 90 Years continued from page 1 a surprise to him, as was the number of cars in the parade. “I didn’t know there were this many people in town,” he told Randy Holhut, covering the event for the Commons. A lifelong resident of Dummerston who has grown us apples and strawberries, served us in the

fire department and town rescue squad, helped out at Grange suppers and Apple Pie Festivals, and to this day cuts and splits firewood with Charlie Richardson to distribute to neighbors in need through the church’s “wood kitchen”, it’s not surprising that there was such a crowd of well-wishers.

CALENDAR:

Any (non-commercial) event you would like listed on our Calendar of Events should be emailed to: calendar@ viewsofdummerston.org, or mailed to Michelle Cherrier at the above address.

NEXT ISSUE:

Submissions due: September 15, 2020

Views will be mailed on: October 27, 2020 ADVERTISING:

PHOTO BY ROGER TURNER

Rates: All rates are for four issues, however a large or small box ad can be placed for just one issue at an adjusted rate. Payment should be by a check made out to the Views of Dummerston, and mailed to: Sara Ryan, 53 Greenhoe Rd., East Dummerston, VT 05346

Small Box Ad $55

Large Box Ad $85 Information/Inquiries: Contact Sara Ryan at: ads@ viewsofdummerston.org, or at 387-0110.

SPONSORSHIPS:

Sponsorships of $25 for four issues augment our ad revenues to provide us with operating funds. You will be notified when your sponsorship is up and invited to renew. If you wish to become a sponsor or have questions, contact Sara Ryan as above.

DIGITAL VIEWS AVAILABLE Featuring easy navigation, clickable links, and full color, we’re sure you’ll love it! viewsofdummerston.org

Dummerston Selectboard Meetings Recorded and televised by BCTV and online at www.brattleborotv.org. (Select “Watch”, select “Watch On Demand”, select “Playlist”, scroll to “Dummerston”, select meeting.)

How Are We Please give us feedback about what you like or would like to see changed about the Views, of if you have any suggestions for articles.

D o i n g ? Send your comments to: viewsfeedback@dummerston.com.

The Views of Dummerston Mission Statement Providing reports of town organizations, and stories of townspeople and their good deeds, in promoting cooperation and understanding toward creating a more “ideal” Dummerston.

“All who read may also contribute!”—Mary Lou McBean, founder, Views of Dummerston

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2020 • 3

town government

Budget Reduction Options Rejected

By Zeke Goodband The selectboard has been meeting via Zoom since March when the governor declared the State of Emergency. We’ve adjusted pretty well, members of the public have joined our meetings and, just as in pre-Covid days, the meetings are available on BCTV. In response to the COVID emergency the Vermont Legislature passed S. 344, a bill that gives municipal governments the authority to reduce the budget that begins on July 1, 2020 in order to reduce the tax rate.

We spent a couple of weeks reviewing the budget passed at town meeting in March. We agreed that if we could significantly lower the tax rate we’d consider going forward. As

we could only adjust the municipal budget, our options were limited. Of the total property tax bill residents receive, about 15% of the total goes to the municipal budget and 85% goes towards education.

We came up with a list of possible line items that we felt could be reduced, eliminated or put off until next year. We actually had few discretionary items and we also wanted to avoid taking some savings this year at the expense of over-burdening our budget for the following year. Selectboard stipends were the first to go but paving and capital expenditures wore the biggest bull’s eyes. After thoughtfully slashing our way through both the highway and general funds, we came up with about $100,000 in cuts and reductions. A resident with a prop-

Town Office Says Tax Bills Are In the Mail

By Charlotte Neer Annis Please don’t panic if you have not received your 2020 tax bill yet. Laurie and I hope that by the time you are reading this, the bills will have been sent or are getting ready to be sent. The first tax payment will be due on September 3 and will be written in the lower left hand corner on the payment slip. If you are planning on paying with cash, please bring the correct change. We do not accept debit or credit cards at the town office but we do have a third-party vendor that can set up a payment for a 3% fee. Please call the office if you need that information. We are also able to set up direct debit for tax payments. The funds are withdrawn from your account on the day that taxes are due. It only takes a few minutes to set up and will save you time and worry in the future!

Laurie sends out numerous reminders for

both bi-annual tax payments via her weekly email so please provide the office with your email if you would like an email reminder and lots of information about other “goings on” around town. If you do not use email, reminders for the February payment will be mailed to you if you provide the office with a stamped self-addressed envelope.

We hope that you all have a wonderful and healthy summer.

JOHN & LORI BRUNELLE OFFICE FAX: (802) 254-5818 416 TUCKER REED ROAD OFFICE PHONE: (802) 254-9788 E. DUMMERSTON, VT 05346 JOHN CELL: (802): 579-9788 LORI CELL: (802) 275-7111 JOHN@BRUNELLEANDSON.COM LORI@BRUNELLEANDSON.COM WWW.BRUNELLEANDSON.COM

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erty assessed at $200,000 would see a $75 property tax reduction for the year. While we’d all like to save $75, this just wasn’t a lot of bang for the buck We felt this was not going to bring significant relief to Dummerston tax payers. We were concerned that setting the paving schedule back a year might result in costlier expenditures (and pot holes) in future years.

Deferring capital expenditures might result in costlier repairs and breakdowns and just shift costs to another budget year.

We were reluctant to alter the will of the voters at town meeting; they thoughtfully considered the budget, made additions and passed it resoundingly. While the Legislature gave us the authority to make reductions this year we felt that, for the small savings, the weight of tradition and the voters having the final say took precedence. We left the municipal budget unchanged.

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4 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

town government Dummerston Conservation Commission

Visionary Chairperson Mary Ellen Copeland Resigns

By John Anderson Another three months have come and gone, the great photosynthetic engine that powers all life has been working at peak capacity, and every day there have been births, flowerings, emergences, and fruitings to marvel at and record.

But first:longtime commission chairperson Mary Ellen Copeland has resigned and Christine Goepp has been chosen to fill her seat. Copeland will continue to advise during this transition as a non-voting attendee. During Copeland’s very lengthy tenure as chairperson many new initiatives were undertaken, events planned, meetings at all levels attended. She was the driving force behind much of what the commission accomplished. Among her many, many achievements was the introduction of nature-based educational programs into the elementary school. She will be greatly missed as chair but should also be greatly praised for her lengthy commitment and for her willingness to shepherd the commission through its current transition.

Now, a few words about the commission.

Unfortunately the viral pandemic forced the conservation commission to cancel all planned gatherings. We could not interact and directly share with our neighbors and friends. Therefore we have been relying on a variety of formats to help us stay connected.

The commission’s e-newsletter is, as always, being sent out monthly. Commission member

Daniel Kray has recently taken over editorship. If you don’t get the newsletter and would like to, send your name and email address to Daniel.kray@gmail.com. One feature of the newsletter is a list of seasonally pertinent natural occurrences, sort of a heads up about some of the things you might see that month.

Another point of contact is Dummerston Sightings, the commission’s blog site where daily observations are often posted, at least during the growing season.

The 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day was acknowledged by a signboard constructed and painted by new commission member, Christine Goepp. No computer chips or printed circuits required!

Goepp has also created a conservation commission Facebook page which is attracting many followers.

Several practical matters also came before us.

Goepp along with Rick Mills and Lynn Levine offered insights on a proposed trail at the elementary school. Citizen concerns about the impacts of work on Norse Hollow Road were followed up on. A new invasive, Blue Mustard, was found and a tentative plan has been formulated for its eradication. And member Judy Fink began a monarch butterfly monitoring program by distributing swamp milkweed plants to local residents who will report their observations of any monarch butterflies, caterpillars, or eggs seen on these plants.

It is also our hope that Dummerstonians will continue to reach out to commission members with any questions, observations, or concerns they might have about our wild neighbors or

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about the environment. Physical distancing should not be a barrier to the conservation commission’s involvement in such issues.

Now, having reported the news, I’m going to wander off into one of my personal outdoor experiences, a brief but memorable moment from one of my woods rambles some years ago.

On that June afternoon I was wending my way through a patch of rather open pine woods that had an understory dense with Japanese Barberry. I was following the path of least resistance, avoiding the barberry thorns and paying careful attention to my way forward, when I came to a wind-thrown pine. The trunk of the pine was too high to easily go over, too low to easily go under and I was flanked on both sides by barberry. I paused for a moment to contemplate my options.

At that moment a White-tailed fawn ran up to the other side of the windfall. It was so close that I could have reached out and touched it.

Before I could gather my wits a second fawn charged up and the two romped and jostled and head butted each other. As I watched the scuffle yet a third fawn appeared and charged into the first two. A general twelve hooved, three headed, warm, spotted mayhem ensued before the fawns disappeared en masse back into the barberry.

The entire incident probably lasted well less than thirty seconds although it felt much much longer. The fawns did not seem to see me or scent me. All of their actions appeared to be just a bit of youthful exuberance.

I had to backtrack quite a way to get out of those woods, but I went home smiling.

You might never experience a moment like the one I’ve just described. You might experience such a moment only after decades of rambling the woods and fields. Or you might experience one the next time you venture out.

The possibility is there now and will, given human care and forbearance, be there for the foreseeable future.

There are more species and more possibilities out there than one person can either name or imagine. There are more little moments of magic. Moments that can’t be experienced secondhand. Moments that will stay with you and leave you smiling, even decades after the fact.

For more information on the conservation commission go to http://www.dummerstonconservation.com.

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2020 • 5

organizations Dummerston Historical Society

COVID Life Experiences Sought for Historical Record

by Muriel Taylor Although the COVID-19 virus required the cancellation of our July quarterly meeting, it should be noted that the directors have bravely embraced technology and “Zoomed” several times to address ongoing (historical) societal needs. In addition, we have been documenting this strange time of shut-down and quarantine by asking community members to send brief commentaries about Dummerston experiences during the pandemic. It’s not too late to add your comments to this project! Please email them to dummerstonhistoricalsociety@gmail. com. You’ll be an official part of Dummerston history!

Time Capsules: At the suggestion of teacher Ellen Rago, two of her eighth-grade students, Georgia Bristol and Kadie Moore, shared their time capsules assignment with members of the DHS Directors via Zoom on June 11th. The two young women presented their decorated capsules and their contents, including daily activities, family experiences, favorite things to do, and the opinions of family members. They plan to open their capsules upon graduation from Brattleboro Union High School in four years’ time. The thought, care and sincerity with which these presentations were made was remarkable and very much appreciated. The girls also allowed Ms. Rago to send copies of their work to be added to our documentation project. Thank you Georgia, Kadie, and Ellen.

Membership Email: We are actively using our email list to notify you of meetings and other activities. In the immediate future, postcard announcements will be sent to our entire membership, but soon people for whom we have email addresses will have to request regular mail if they want it. Mailing is expensive. Thank you for supporting this effort to reduce our expenses.

Items for Sale: Our signature black teeshirts with the covered bridge motif are still available for purchase by calling Gail Sorenson at 802-254-9311. The 2021 “Scenes of Dummerston” Calendar is in the final stages of preparation for printing. We expect them to be “hot off the press” by October. We are grateful to C&S and its Print Shop for supporting our society by printing these calendars through its non-profit grant program..

The proceeds will support programming, the upkeep and maintenance of our beloved

schoolhouse, as well as our 2021 operating budget. As you can imagine, Covid-19 has put us at a decided financial disadvantage. We appreciate your continued support. Supportive donations or membership dues may be mailed to The Dummerston Historical Society, PO Box 8064, N. Brattleboro, Vt. 05304.

Donations of Historical Items: Our collection builds as community members and others contribute items of historical interest to Dummerston. Donations preserve these artifacts for the appreciation of future generations. If you would like to donate an object to the Historical Society, please send an email to dummerstonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or contact a board member directly.

Membership: The Dummerston Historical Society encourages you to join us in 2020 as a member or volunteer and to come to our exhibits and meetings. Please note that you do not need to be a member of the Historical Society to attend any of our functions. We always welcome your company and help.

Our schoolhouse is handicapped accessible.

As promised, here is the second half of “I Remember When”, written by Alice Loomis in 2007. How many of these do you remember?

I Remember When: Alice Loomis on the 1920s and ‘30s Ladies wore silk stockings that have a seam up the back. Trying to keep that seam straight was a “big headache”.

Milk was delivered to the door in glass bottles that had to be washed and picked up the next day. No homogenizing. We could see how much cream there was at the top of the bottle.

There were no movies on Sunday nights in Brattleboro - Blue Laws. Movies in Greenfield at the Garden Theater were the thing.

Husking Bees were a big social event at one time. Calling in neighbors and friends

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was a fun way to get the corn husked. Finding a red ear, there was excitement and hilarity.

The person who found it had the privilege of kissing someone or be kissed. The farmer had a way of making sure there were plenty of red ears.

There were dances in the Grange Halls, alternating between East and West. Both “round” and “square”, Sat. nights.

A spray of flowers on one’s front door indicated that a death had occurred in the home.

Artificial flowers, of course.

A big part of our food was home grown.

Vegetable gardens; from our own pig: pork, ham, bacon, sausage, lard (no Crisco in those days); from our own cow: milk, butter, “Dutch” cheese; chickens: eggs and chicken to eat. When there was a surplus of eggs, they were preserved in a crock filled with waterglass.

Winter time roads were plowed by tractors that traveled at snail’s pace. How did they ever get over all the roads?

Our first radio was run by a battery that looked like the present day car battery. It had to be charged periodically. Those were the days of “Amos and Andy”.

Before electricity, we enjoyed music from the Victrola, a box like container with a handle on the side that would wind up the playing gears and give us music from records. Records were similar to modern day CD’s only much larger and always black.”

6 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

organizations Lydia Taft Pratt Library

LTP Library Reopens with Safety First

By Dena Marger, MLIS Librarian

The ability to access reliable information efficiently has never been more important than it has been throughout the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Information has emerged so quickly, from so many places, and has been constantly changing. It is a challenge not to be overwhelmed by it all! And yet, we all need to stay current with the health risks we are facing, the mandates coming from our state and national leadership, and the economic and legislative implications of the pandemic. The Lydia Taft Pratt library endeavors to stay relevant and meaningful in the lives of our community members by providing access to information on the most pressing issues. As of this writing, those issues include the COVID-19 pandemic and the movements for racial justice.

At LTP, we have consistently referred our community to two important sources for information on the COVID-19 pandemic: the Vermont Department of Health (health vermont.gov) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.gov). These organizations provide reliable and up-to-date information, data, maps, charts and statistics on cases, testing, prevention, employment issues, travel, etc. I have relied on information from these two resources as well as from the Vermont Department of Libraries to help think about how to create a safe and healthy space for our community. The result is that

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you will likely notice a few changes when you visit the library. Visitors are asked not to linger in the library, and so visits are limited to thirty minutes. No more than three people are allowed into our small space at one time, with exceptions made for groups quarantining together, like families with children. And, of course, visitors are expected to wear masks or face coverings, and to use hand sanitizer before entering and exiting the library.

In the wake of the uprisings against police violence and racism, I’ve been thinking a lot about the unique role the library can play as a cultural institution poised to inform, entertain, and educate our communities. This is a remarkable moment in history, when large numbers of people, Black and white, urban and rural, are looking to become more informed about the realities of being Black in the USA; and they are looking to libraries and bookstores to do it! The Lydia Taft Pratt Library is in full support of the movements for racial justice and we stand behind the idea that none of us are free until all of us are free.

That is why Black Lives Matter. To this end, we have augmented the collection in response to requests from community members. The library acquired a number of new titles on the theme of racial justice and diverse representation, for adults, young adults and children, from local Brattleboro bookseller Everyone’s Books, including: So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Olou), How To Be An Anti-

racist (Ibram X. Kendi), The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness (Michelle Alexander), Our Time is Now (Stacey Abrams).

Books geared to young adults include: The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas), This Book is Anti-racist (Tiffany Jewell), Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You (Ibram X. Kendi), Visit us at the library to check out these and many books representing the diversity of our communities and the issues we face!

In addition to a responsive collection, we are interested in starting an (online via Zoom?) book club for adults and young adults interested in these issues. We plan to start with a reading of The Hate U Give, which happens to be this year’s Vermont Reads Selection from the Vermont Humanities Council. Contact me for more information about this program.

I have also been thinking a lot about the idea that representation matters. In a recent article in Cosmopolitan, young adult novelist Nic Stone writes:

I can’t help but wonder how different the world would look if we’d all grown up seeing Black people do the stuff white people did in books. Going on adventures. Saving the day. Falling in love. Solving mysteries. Dealing with

continued on page 11

Dummerston Community Center

Community Center Activities Still on Hold

By Ann Davis

Like everyone else, we’re still waiting for this COVID-19 virus to, hopefully, pass in the very near future. Until that time the Community Center will remain closed, with the excep-

tion of the library.

Please feel free to use the playground and baseball field.

Stay safe and healthy until we meet again.

Keep the Community Center in mind for future events and functions.

Sponsors Carolyn Mayo Brown & Gregory Brown Len Oppenheim Tonia & Whit Wheeler Cheryl Wilfong & Bill McKim Mary Lou & Bill Schmidt

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2020 • 7

organizations Dummerston Cares

Cares Services Modified During COVID

By Bill Schmidt We’re finding in Dummerston Cares that life in COVID time has affected what Cares does and how Cares functions now. Core services continue but some with modifications or at a different pace. I expect this is the way it is for some of us in our own lives in COVID time. COVID has made changes in some of the things we do and how we do them. Some of us are not as busy or active as we were in the time before COVID and others are just as busy or even more so with some new things that need attention.

Cares continues to provide its most basic services but in more deliberate and measured ways. The Rides program has fewer drivers because of COVID but the remaining drivers are available to take people to medical appointments and provide some grocery shopping assistance. Medical equipment loans are happening but in ways that don’t involve direct

contact between the person needing equipment and the Cares volunteer who delivers it.

Both rides and medical equipment requests slowed considerably in the first three months of COVID but picked up in June when hospitals reopened for elective surgery and other services.

The Friendly Visitors program has morphed into a Friendly Call Program with telephone check-ins and visits now being made in place of direct in-person visits.

Chores Corps assistance is provided on a case by case basis, with all COVID protocols observed as is the case with all of Cares services.

Cares’ yoga and t’ai chi exercise programs continued into early summer. The yoga program was done using the on-line Zoom platform and the t’ai chi program in tick-free outside locations pending reopening of the Community Center. Future plans for them are under consideration now, in late June when

this article is being written. Anyone interested in an exercise program should call the Cares message line (257-5800) and leave their name and contact information.

Cares is assisting the school district by providing volunteers for the district’s Summer Food Program in Dummerston. This program provides lunches and breakfasts for kids who are registered with the program. Van deliveries of food bags are made on weekdays for pick-up in late morning at the parking area by the Dummerston Congregational Church.

A volunteer assists in taking coolers with the food bags out of the van and giving the food continued on page 11

Positive Changes in Life with COVID

By Bill Schmidt COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down and inside out in many ways. Much of what we’re experiencing is negative, or we see it that way. We’re told to stay at home, practice social distancing, wash our hands incessantly, keep our hands away from our face, and more.

All important and necessary things to keep in mind and do, but….. They get wearisome after a while. And then there are the things we normally do, like to do, even need to do, and we can’t do them or have to do them differently in COVID time. A lot of negatives get our attention these days.

All this said, there are upsides in COVID time as well. Some people are discovering that social isolation allows them to do things they

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normally don’t do, or do what they normally do with more attention and focus. Some things that have been put off are getting done and there’s getting ahead on some others. New tasks may be taken on. New ways to be of help to others may be realized. And then there may be welcome unexpected happenings or experi-

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ences. All of these can be positive silver linings in COVID’s effect on our lives. Here are some of the positive things that some folks in town are experiencing in this time of COVID. Re-boot to Most Important Relationships (Anonymous): Self-isolation has forced me to continued on page 12

WEST DUMMERSTON, VT

8 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston Windham Solid Waste Management District

The Big Picture Behind Composting

Project C.O.W. provides a way for residents, businesses and schools to recycle food scraps and other organic materials.

Compost the following items at WSWMD:

Food Scraps: Bread/Rolls/Crackers, Rice/Pasta/Beans, Egg Shells, Cheese/Dairy Products, Fruits & Vegetables, Coffee

Grounds and Filters, Tea Bags, Cooking Oils & Fats (solidified), Cooked or Raw Meats & Fish (including Bones)

Non-Recycable Paper & Cardboard: Used Tissues & Paper Towels, Milk/Juice Cartons, Soiled or Waxed Cardboard, Soiled/Damp/Wet/Waxed Paper, Paper Plates & Cups, Cardboard Egg Cartons, Frozen Food Containers, Sugar or Flour Bags (without plastic liners!) Certified compostable bags and small amounts of pet waste are ok (the equivalent of 1 box of kitty litter per week).

DO NOT COMPOST!

Plastic Bags, Plastic Wrappers, Liquids, Aluminum Foil, Plastic Utensils, Trash, Metal, Glass and Styrofoam

*Do Not recycle leaves, grass or brush in C.O.W. dumpsters. See scalehouse attendant at the Ferry Road Recycling operation for further instruction on disposing of these items.

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Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2020 • 9

school news

Graduation Parade Wraps Up School for 8th Graders

By Julianne Eagan Principal

Corey and Mary Bandish for performing Pomp and Circumstance; to Melissa Gullotti and Pure Green Tees for creating wonderful signs, t-shirts, and masks in honor of our 8th graders; to the West Dummerston Fire Department, the Windham County Sheriff’s Department, and the Vermont State Police for your support during the graduate parade; and to the 8th-grade graduation 2020 committee: Ellen Rago, Nancy Livingston Clements, Jen Brown, Liz Dimick,

Nancy’s art instruction has had a visible and June brought the end of an unprecedented, tangible effect on our school community, unforgettable spring for Dummerston School. consistently bringing us together in a celebraOur last weeks together as a school community tion of our students’ creativity and artistic were like no other, and the absence of the usual voices. From coaching soccer to field trips, she rituals, activities, and ordinary moments of joy participated in every element of Dummerston and togetherness that otherwise would mark our School life, and we will miss her greatly.

May and June was palpable. After enduring We also said goodbye this June to our PreK a three-month period teacher Jill Johnson who of physical separation has moved with her family 8th-Grade Awards from the Dummerston to Northampton, MassaSchool community and chusetts. Over her years as Physical Education Award: Grace Gabriel navigating the complex our kindergarten and PreK Athletic Award: Michael Thibault, Macie Golding and challenging landteacher, Jill’s dedication scape of distance to best practices in early Ruth E. Knapp Memorial Fund Award: Alex Gregory, Georgia Bristol learning, teachers, staff, childhood education, her Jenny Rubinstein English Award: Abigail Barnes and families worked loving relationship with together to find meaneach child and family, and Arlene G. Forrett Memorial Award: Zadie Olmstead ingful ways for students her sense of wonder about Teachers’ Award: Sadie Mills and Sophia Stauffer to “move up” to their the world has touched the next grade level and lives of so many DummerTravis Sweetser Award: Michael Thibault transition to summer ston School children. We Art Avery Award: Maddie Bozetarnik break. will miss you, Ms. Jill!

For our 8th graders Melinda Bussino Community Service Award: Michael Thibault Chinese teacher Zhihua in particular, our spring Xu ended his teaching Art Award: Kadence Moore and Kyle Meggiolaro separation meant the exchange this year and Dummerston Women’s Association Award: Katherine Normandeau, Lily Smith loss of a number of irrewill be returning to his placeable activities that home in the Anhui ProvMargaret T. Irsch Writing Award: Oshal Scott, Katherine Normandeau mark a rite of passage ince of China. Sponsored Jean Shaw Creativity-in-Science Award: Madison Wood for Dummerston School

by Hanban, a non-profit students. In a fitting public institution whose Timothy Garland Award: Noah Simpkins tribute to these students, mission is to enhance on the beautiful evening mutual understanding of June 12th, the whole community came Molly Stoner, Julianne Eagan, Keith Marshall, between cultures while promoting language out to show their love and support for these Hannah Van Loon, Kim Lane, Melanie Keiser, teaching and learning, Zhihua spent two years 8th graders as they drove by in the Graduate Erica Garnett, and Carmen Winchester. at Dummerston School along with his two Parade. Accompanied by members of the West Our 8th-grade graduation was the culmina- children who attended school here. Throughout Dummerston Fire Department, the Windham tion of a full slate of Spirit Week activities orga- his tenure, Zhihua taught Chinese language County Sheriff’s Department, and the Vermont nized by the middle school ASSET team and and culture to all grades and forged life-long State Police, 8th graders took a tour of town their advisor, school counselor Erica Garnett. friendships with Dummerston School staff, in cars decorated for the occasion. Following From pet selfie day to gratitude Thursday, each teachers, and students. We wish Zhihua and the parade, each graduate pulled back into day featured an opportunity for lighthearted his family well as they journey back to their the school bus loop where teachers and staff sharing and virtual community building. At the home in China. cheered for each graduate and endowed them same time, each teacher closed out the year in Finally, congratulations are in order for with their diplomas and awards. During a pre- their own online classrooms, reflecting on the Liz Dimick who has accepted the position recorded virtual graduation shown live that year and setting their students’ sights on their of WSESU Special Education Elementary same evening, a slideshow of these students move up to the next grade level.

Schools Coordinator. We will miss working growing up through the years was followed by Another difficult aspect to the end of the with Liz every day at Dummerston School, but teachers and staff acknowledging each graduate year was our inability to say goodbye in person are excited that we will have the opportunity through a “shout out,” and a recording of music to those staff leaving Dummerston School, to continue to collaborate with her in this new educators Rita Corey and Mary Bandish playing including art teacher Nancy Livingston Clem- context.

Pomp and Circumstance as principal Julianne ents who retired at the end of the school year.

The end of June has offered an opportunity Eagan called out each student’s name.

Over her many years as Dummerston School’s to press pause and reflect upon the magnitude Thank you to John Gregory for his technical art teacher, Nancy has inspired a dedication of our shared experience these past months. In support in creating the graduation video; to Rita to the arts among students and adults alike. continued on page 11

10 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston

school news

Delayed Budget Vote Gets the Nod

By Thomas Nolan Hello Dummerston! Much has been underway in the Windham Southeast School District these past few difficult months. Our students, teachers, and administration have been adapting to online learning at a quick and admirable pace. As the school year has ended, our district faced a delayed public vote on our proposed budget for the 2020-2021 school year. Thankfully, this budget was overwhelmingly approved by voters in Dummerston, Putney, Brattleboro, and Guilford, averting any layoffs or reductions in programs. Aside from the negative effects that our students would have felt if cuts had occurred, I believe that the economic impact of lost jobs at a time of mass unemployment would have been unnecessary. The district moves on fullyfunded for the next year.

On July 1st, the board formally adopted a thorough commitment to anti-racism. This document outlines plans for significantly increased diversity of employees in the district, anti-racism training for administrators, staff, and students, support for students of color, and a deep review of our educational practices. This will be more than a one-off statement. Instead, it is the beginning of a process that will include a draft of specific action items from all schools within ninety days, and continuing review of our progress. As chair of the board’s diversity committee, I will be a part of this process in the coming months.

We should be proud of this development. It will make us a stronger region.

In addition, the board’s climate crisis task force is finalizing a district-wide policy proposal to address our impact on climate change. This proposal will discuss what the Windham Southeast School District must do in regards to transportation, food, energy, facilities management, and education. We expect to have this proposal ready for a full board discussion in August.

Details of all committee meetings will be posted at wsesu.org. Please consider attending future meetings to provide your thoughts on these important topics.

Our greatest concern at the moment, of course, is how to safely reopen our schools in the fall. As a nation, we’ve fallen far behind the progress in controlling the COVID spread that other countries have seen. Based on a steady round of grotesque failures by the president (and the rest of the federal government) to respond with sanity, we are now in a worse position nationally than we needed to be.

Thankfully, our state and region have mostly acted responsibly. To date, no decisions have been made about how and when to reopen our schools. We will be reviewing guidance from state authorities, such as the Vermont Agency of Education. The process is our top priority and new superintendent of schools Andy Skarzynski is working with parents throughout the district to make sure that communication is open and the process is transparent. He will be Naturally Grown Vegetables Free Choice CSA Raw Honey 440 Miller Rd, E. Dummerston VT

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staying in touch with leadership councils from each school. Our leadership council is a great way to stay in touch with what is happening at Dummerston School. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

Students Describe Their 8th Grade Spring

By Georgia Bristol and Kadence Moore We had the last few months of our 8th grade school year disrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic which meant instead of going to school every day we did it online.

Our teachers posted our assignments on a site called Google Classroom. Sometimes we would have to upload pictures and sometimes we would have to upload a Google Doc. This also meant we couldn’t have a normal graduation ceremony. Instead we had a parade. The 8th graders decorated their cars and drove around Dummerston. Along the route were teachers, other Dummerston students, and community members. At the end we went back to the school and got our diplomas.

Even though we didn’t get to have a normal graduation like we wanted, we still enjoyed the parade. Everyone probably felt different during this experience but we felt stressed, sad, disappointed, and happy. We felt stressed because learning online and not having a teacher right there with you is stressful. We felt sad and disappointed because we have always looked forward to a normal graduation and we didn’t get to have that. We were also sad and disappointed because we didn’t get to have a normal last year with our class. We were happy because we could do the work when we wanted to, as long as it was done by the due date, and because we had more time to spend with our family. Overall this experience was definitely a time we won’t forget.

D u m m e r s t o n Congregational Church SERVICES AT 10:00

a.m.

Rev. Shawn Bracebridge, pastor Office 257-0544 • Home 802-689-0753 www.facebook.com/DummerstonChurch/

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2020 • 11

Graduation Parade Wraps Up School for 8th Graders continued from page 9 many ways, although painful and difficult, this period brought us closer together. Distance learning required all of us to work together in new and unprecedented ways, and the level of effort, determination, creativity, collaboration, and focus required of staff, students, and families was massive. Simply put, our distance learning initiative could not have been possible without this coordinated effort, and gratitude is owed to all who worked in partnership to support the continued learning of Dummerston School students.

Of course, our work navigating the complex educational landscape brought on by the pandemic has not ended. Governor Scott has instructed schools to prepare for reopening in the coming school year. Over the summer, our new superintendent Andy Skarzynski will work with the district leadership team to design protocols and procedures in line with the Agency of Education and Vermont Department of Health’s safety and health guidelines. We look forward to reuniting with our students on campus in support of their academic, social, emotional, and physical growth and learning. At the same time, as we plan for in-person instruction, we will also make sure we have contingency plans in place should circumstances require us to adopt a hybrid model or experience a period of distance learning again. We deeply appreciate your love, support, and encouragement as we embark upon this journey together.

Cares Services Modified During COVID continued from pae 7 bags to families who come for them. This program will continue until mid-August.

The Putney Foodshelf, which Cares supports and collaborates with, continues to make healthy supplemental food available to those in need. The Foodshelf now has a drive-in arrangement. It’s open at the Putney Community Center on Saturdays from 9-11 a.m. Shoppers drive to the Community Center but remain in their cars. Volunteers direct parking, greet each car, and determine what is needed. Then runners prepare and deliver the bags. Each family receives a bag of shelf-stable foods, a bag of produce, and a bag of meat, milk, and eggs. A distance of six feet between people is maintained at all times.

“Providing Helping Hands for our Neighbors” is the aim and purpose of Dummerston Cares. In this time of COVID, may all of us in Dummerston see and act on opportunities to offer helping hands when we see neighbors in need.

The graduation parade approaches the covered bridge

School Announcements Summer Garden Program: Dummerston School, in collaboration with Food Connects, RiseVT, WSESD, and summer garden coordinator Tara Gordon, will be hosting open garden hours as well as art activities for Dummerston School families each Wednesday from 9:30-11:30. The River Gallery Art School, The In-Sight Photography Project, and The Human Art of Play will all be offering fun art and garden-based activities throughout the summer. Create a bug poster, learn about cyanotype art, and join in on circus yoga. All activities are free and supplies

are provided. Students must be accompanied by parents who are welcome to join in the fun!

Space is limited to ten, and families must sign up ahead of time at the Summer Garden Program website: https://www.foodconnects. org/summer-garden-program. Please see the attached flyers for more information.

PreK Slots Available! Dummerston School still has several spots available in our PreK program. Students who turn 4 on or before September 1, 2020, are eligible to register for our nature-based, student-centered program.

Our PreK program follows the regular school calendar and daily schedule.

LTP Library Reopens with Safety First continued from page 6

a broken heart. Getting caught up in a riveting love triangle.

Taking down oppressive regimes.

Tiny as we are, the Lydia Taft Pratt library is fortunate to carry books of all sorts and in all genres about people of color doing all kinds of things, in addition to fighting slavery, marching for civil rights or protesting police brutality.

We plan to highlight these titles in the coming weeks and months. It is important for all of us to see ourselves reflected in our cultural institutions, media, and it is just as important to see representations of people who are different from ourselves. LTP library is proud to carry titles by diverse authors and intended for diverse audiences. June is widely regarded as Gay Pride month, and we are happy to make available titles in all genres by and about LGBTQ people including Jacqueline Woodson, Chaz Bono, Augusten Burroughs, Sarah Waters, and Ocean Vuong among many others. In fact, these titles are available all year round, not just in June!

So, hurray for a diverse collection, and hurray

for a diverse community!

What else is new at the library, you ask? We are excited to announce that we’ve created a public access computer workstation for our user community. Library users can now use our laptop computer to check email, search the library catalog, use the library research databases, or surf the internet. No longer must you access our Wi-Fi from your car in the parking lot (unless you want to)! You can come IN to look at the websites of the CDC or the Vermont Department of Health. You can also use our computer to create documents on MS Office products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). You must keep the thirty minute limit in mind, however, and follow our common-sense internet policy guidelines. We are looking into developing a summer reading program for our young readers that may include a storywalk, online storytimes, and various other activities throughout the summer. Lastly, we are always looking for folks interested in volunteering at the library, and we are always interested in your thoughts and ideas about how better to serve our community!

12 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston Evening Star Grange

Take-Out Meal Income Keeps Grange Afloat

By Sallie J. May, Secretary Well, as I write this it’s officially the first day of summer, it’s almost noon, and the temperature is creeping up on 90 degrees.

So, instead of doing housework, laundry, gardening, or that never-ending paperwork, I decided to sit in the shade with my laptop and bring you up-to-date on the happenings at the Grange.

It has been several months since we got our St. Pauley’s recycle clothing shed and it has been a real benefit to the Grange and the many folks stuck at home with the pandemic who are cleaning their closets and needing a place to get rid of the clothing they no longer need. Please note that people are following the rules and not leaving items around the shed or making the place untidy, and we much appreciate this. The shed has been repainted white and soon the green trim will be added to make it look even more like the grange building itself. We hope you will continue to support us in this endeavor.

I am pleased to report that the take-out only senior lunches continue to be very successful, with over 100 meals created, boxed up, and picked up by area folks looking for a great meal. The meals happen on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, and everyone is eligible to participate…you don’t have to be a “senior”.

Cost is by donation, the suggested donation is $3 for those 60 and above, and $4 for the younger folks, but if you can’t afford it, we will accept what you can give. Call 254-1138 to reserve your meal by Tuesday afternoon, if possible.

Certainly the biggest and best event we have been able to pull off this season to date was our chicken pie supper which we did as a take-out only meal. Almost 250 meals were created, bagged up and handed out to a lot of very appreciative folks, and plans are underway to do our peach shortcake supper the same way on August 15. Watch the paper and social media for more information.

Glabach Land Management Ted & Kristen Glabach Landscaping & Excavation Dummerston, VT 05301 802-536-4025 Glabach@yahoo.com

Our Grange is still collaborating with the church across the street to make and serve a meal once a month for the Brattleboro Homeless Shelter. Because of changes due to the pandemic, we no longer serve the meal but we do deliver it to one of the local motels where the clients are being housed. The number being served has increased significantly since the pandemic started and we supply what we are able, given our time and talent. Last week

we sent down food for over fifty people and we have yet to hear whether a meal will be required in July. We thank all of you for your physical and monetary assistance.

If you would like to learn more about the Grange, its activities and purpose, please get in touch with Larry (802)-310-0799, Carol 254-2517, or Sallie at 257-0387. Stay cool, stay safe, and stay in touch with your neighbors and friends.

Positive Changes in Life with COVID continued from page 7 re-boot. The busy-ness of life has been stripped away and suddenly, without competing demands on my time, I feel more centered and free to focus only on my most important relationships. Being able to devote myself to these special people and having more time to read and reflect feels like a gift.

Some Very Specific Gains (Judy Morton): Got all of my Christmas 2020 knitting finished.

Got home repairs done with the $1200 stimulus check by hiring local people who were glad for the work.

Cut down on the cost of groceries with all the free food flying around from food trucks and neighbors dropping off food. When my youngest son was just starting at UVM I asked him what was the most valuable lesson he had learned thus far; he said, “If people offer to feed you, let them.” I borrowed a keyboard from another son and am re-teaching myself

Sponsors Alvino & Bea Fantini Allan & Sally Seymour Milt & Barbara Gilmore Rip Lhamon & Fita Ferguson Ron & Jo-Ann Tier Tim Knapp & John Bouffard

to play the piano. So far I have gotten as far as “This Old Farmer Had a Dog and Bingo was his Name.” Definitely not ready for a concert tour yet.

Mother and Son Relating as Adults (Cindy Jerome): When the school where he taught closed, my 28-year-old son, Ben, came home to Dummerston. He needed sunlight and air and places to walk and to be with people who love being with him. My younger son, Jesse, just graduating from BUHS, always enjoys having his big brother around, and I revel in seeing the two of them together. But something new happened this time. The pandemic nurtured an introspective mood, a focus on what matters, appreciation for family, home, and community. That context led Ben and me into conversations and a connection that grew beyond mother and child, and into two adults who have a common history and care deeply for one another. I suppose that would have come in some way as the years pass. But these months together, rather than the brief visits we’d become used to have been an unexpected gift. I am profoundly grateful.

Fundraising for Navajo People (Miriam Dror): I’ve added to my life, at this time, a fund raising activity for the Navajo People with whom I am very close. This made and continues to make my time very full. However, I’ve felt extremely grateful all the way through and very glad to be able to contribute through my work and this fundraising activity, when the need to feel of use has been so present and the needs so great. I guess I continue to feel that a committed life is my style and is likely to continue to be so. For more information about the Navajo People’s situation or to make a contribution call 802257-7916.

The Views will be publishing more remembrances in the fall issue.

Good Books

Views of Dummerston • Summer, 2020 • 13

What to Read During a Pandemic, Part 2

By Linda Rood When we first began to stay at home for the coronavirus sequestration, I imagined that I would now have the time to do some serious reading. This would be my chance to finally read Middlemarch, or all of Virginia Woolf, or some presidential biographies. Instead, I have found myself strangely unable to do any reading for pleasure that seems hard, either because of the content, or because of the brain power required. To be sure, I spend hours each day reading and watching news, and perhaps that is serious enough. Of course, once the weather turned nice, the garden called, and I wanted to be outdoors as much as possible. So, it seems that I have turned to reading for entertainment, comfort, and escape! And that is what I have to offer you this time.

If you are longing for the ocean, or have been missing the Cape this year, let me remind you of The Outermost House A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod by Henry Beston (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1928), which I wrote about in the Spring 2017 Views. This is Beston’s memoir of the full year he spent living in his two-room cottage in the dunes of Eastham in the 1920s.

The book is full of observations of life alone, the wildlife of the beach and dunes, the tides, and the weather. I love this book, which I am re-reading; federal officials have cited it as one of the forces that motivated the creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, for which I am grateful.

On the recommendation of Lou Nelson, I discovered the delightful Faithful Travelers

by James Dodson (Bantam Books, 1998). The sub-title is “A father. A daughter. A fly-fishing journey of the heart.” The book, which Roger and I both read, is sheer comfort food. It’s a road trip book. Dodson and his seven-yearold daughter Maggie, and his elderly golden retriever Amos, leave Maine in Old Blue, his aging Chevy truck, to camp and fly-fish their way to Yellowstone National Park. Their first stop: Green River, Vermont, where Dodson had spent some time in his youth. This was the most soothing book I’ve read this spring. The writing is good; so are the fish stories and the travelogue, along with the heartwarming tale of a father-daughter relationship and some bits of helpful wisdom. Also recommended by Lou is Dodson’s Final Rounds (Bantam Books, 1996), the story of a dream golf trip through England and France with his father.

For fiction, my neighbor, Muriel Taylor, lent me The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

by Lisa See (Scribner, 2017). This story is a

kind of fairy tale set mainly in the Yunnan Province of southwestern China, beginning in 1988. Li-Yan, the protagonist, is an Akha girl, a member of one of the numerous ethnic minorities native to the dramatically beautiful mountainous region known for the exquisite teas that are grown there. Her story begins in a remote village, so isolated that they still have never seen an automobile. The Akha people, who work as tea farmers, follow a set of deeply held beliefs and superstitions. Li-Yan is one of the few girls in her village to be educated, and she is fated to break some of the taboos of her people, and is thus propelled into an exile in the modern world.

Li-Yan gives birth to an out-of-wedlock daughter whom she manages to leave on the steps of an orphanage. By Akha custom, this baby would have been killed at birth. Thus begins the parallel story of Haley, a Chinese orphan being raised in California by her Caucasion adoptive parents. Will Li-Yan and Haley ever find each other? Through many twists and turns of fate and odd coincidences, we wait to see if this can happen. While I found some of the writing too facile for my taste, I was glad to read this book. It takes on the subjects of Chinese adoption, the existence of ethnic majorities in China, modern Chinese migration to the US, the international tea market, life in contemporary China, and I learned a lot about tea!

Last but not at all least, I came upon Lily King’s new novel, Writers and Lovers (Grove Press, 2020), her first since the excellent Euphoria in 2014. This book was just what I needed. It’s a witty and observant story about 31-year-old Casey Peabody, a distressed young woman living in Brookline, Massachusetts and aspiring to be a writer. She has been working on her first novel for six years; her mother has died suddenly and unexpectedly; she has no money and must work as a waitress in an upscale Cambridge restaurant while she carves out time in the mornings to write in the converted garden shed where she lives. What makes this seemingly ordinary story interesting is the writing.

It’s the details. The restaurant scenes alone will

Sponsors Linda Rood & Roger Turner Nick & Joan Thorndike Dick & Harriet Virkstis Marcy Hermansader Lou Nelson

make you wince with the deadly accuracy of the pressure cooker environment, the patrons seen from the wait staff point of view, and the beautiful rhythm of the descriptions of a night at work. King writes as though she really knows this world.

From the title, you would expect some romance, and you will not be disappointed.

Not just one, but three men come in to Casey’s life, with the accompanying excitement and anguish. Casey herself is a fine character, funny, sad, smart. She fights through grief, poverty, and loneliness to stay true to her dream of being a writer. She fights back against cynicism and mockery. Her landlord, Adam, says: You know…I just find it extraordinary that you think you have something to say.” Casey’s response: “I don’t write because I think I have something to say. I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.” The title of the New York Times review is “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman on the Road to Happiness.”

The novel takes on the problems of college debt, health insurance and what it can mean not to have it, affordable housing, as well as loss, passion, ambition and the writing life.

It’s a good read.

I hope you find something in my list to interest and entertain you. I’d love to hear suggestions from you to keep me going.

Compliments of

Priscilla Svec, P.T.

Practicing Holistic Physical Therapy 126 Main Street, Putney

387-4799

Organic Vegetables and Fruits Summer Flowers

Route 5, Dummerston

254-2051

14 • Summer, 2020 • Views of Dummerston PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Mailed From Zip Code 05346 Permit No. 61

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Dummerston Calendar of Events Community Center Jean Momaney 254-9212 Conservation Commission Web site: www.dummerstonconservation.com Dummerston Cares Message line & Fuel Assistance 258-5800, email: info@dummerstoncares.org,, web site: wwwdummerstoncares.org Dummerston School 254-2733 Web site www.dummerston.wsesu.org Evening Star Grange Ruth Barton 254-1128 or mrgjb@sover.net Fire Chief Rick Looman 258-1731 Fire Warden Marty Forrett (h)387-2180 (w)254-9877 Deputy Fire Wardens Charlie Richardson 254-6963

Wayne Emery (h)254-8708 Lydia Taft Pratt Library 258-9878 Hours: Tue. 2-6; Wed. 1-5; Thu. 1-5; Sat. 10–1 Web site: library.dummerston.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/dummerstonlibrary email: dummerstonvtlibrary@gmail.com Meals on Wheels Chris McAvoy 257-1236 Selectboard selectboard@dummerston.org Senior Solutions Ruth Barton 254-1128 Springfield Office 800-642-5119 Town Garage Lee Chamberlin 254-2411 Town Office Laurie Frechette 257-1496 email: townclerk@dummerston.org Veterans Assistance Contact Dummerston Cares message line or email.

Vermont Theatre Company 258-1344 Views of Dummerston views@viewsofdummerston.org WSESU 254-3730 Websites: Official Town www.dummerston.org Municipal Calendar http://calendar.dummerston.org Local Interest www.dummerston.com

Senior Lunches

Evening Star Grange, 2nd and 4th Wednesday; Take-out only. Call 254-1128 by 6 PM Tuesday.

The Front Porch Forum

online at www.frontporchforum.com

August 11 Statewide Primary Election.

8 a.m.–7 p.m. For information see the Vermont voter page at https://mvp. vermont.gov/

15 Peach shortcake supper

Evening Star Grange, 5–7 p.m. Take-out only available. Watch the newspaper and social media for more information.

September 3 Property Taxes Due

Payment amount noted in lower left hand corner on the payment slip. Questions— call the town office; Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., 9 a.m.–3 p.m., 802-257-1496.

TBA Apple pie making

Dummerston Congregational Church

November 3 Election Day

Vote by mail or in person at Dummerston Elementary School

Dummerston Meetings Please note that these meetings will not be taking place at their usual locations. Please refer to the town web site, www.Dummerston.org, for updated information.

Town Meetings Selectboard

Every other Wednesday

Planning Commission 1st Tuesday

6:00 pm 6:30 pm

Conservation Commission 6:00 pm 2nd Thursday

Energy Committee 1st Monday

6:00 pm

Development Review Board 7:00 pm 3rd Tuesday at the town office

Community Center

7:00 pm

PTFO

6:00 pm

WSESD

6:00 pm

1st Monday at the Community Center

3rd Thurs. at the Dummerston School Library 1st & 3rd Wed., revolving locations

Dummerston School Leadership Council Monthly meetings; date, location and agenda posted on the Dummerston School web site

Historical Society

7:30 pm

3rd Thursday of Jan./April/July/Oct. at the Dummerston Historical Society

Senior Congregate Meal

Information/reservations:Ruth Barton 254-1128