Upcoming events: Fiddle music for St. Patrick’s Day; presentation on West River; Grounded4Life Friday concert; Steampunk chili-cookoff in Springfield; Comic Book Jam in Chester; St. Luke’s annual Maple Fest Dinner; Youth Summit in Woodstock; live stories in Proctorsville; and Vermont & the Civil War in Rockingham

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.

John Specker joins daughter Ida Mae at JJ Hapgoods

John Specker joins daughter Ida Mae at J.J. Hapgoods

March 17: Fiddle music to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

On Tuesday, March 17, from 4 to 6 p.m., John and Ida Mae Specker of Andover will perform a St. Patrick’s Day concert of Irish and American fiddle and banjo music at J.J. Hapgood General Store and Eatery, 305 Main St. in Peru.

Most American fiddle tunes have their roots in Irish music. Yet the tunes carried over to this side of the Atlantic took on a unique identity of their own, transformed through the rhythms and influence of generations of African Americans, Native Americans and Appalachian mountain folk who made them their own.

The Speckers will entertain the attendees with Irish songs to the sounds of such favorite traditional tunes as The Fairy Dance, Musical Priest and Boil ‘Em Cabbage Down. For more information visit http://thespeckers.com or http://jjhapgood.com.

March 18: Londonderry group offers presentation on West River

The Londonderry Conservation Commission will host an evening presentation “A River Runs Through It: The Past, Present and Future of the West River.” The program will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18 at the Twitchell Building, 100 Old School Road, South Londonderry.

Attendees will learn about the history and geology of the river, its health and status and the measures that must be in place to ensure its future. The evening’s speakers will include Dick Smith from the Londonderry Historical Society and Marie Caduto, watershed coordinator for the Vermont Agency for Natural Resources.

This event is recommended for the whole family. For more information contact LCC members Irwin Kuperberg at irwin234@yahoo.com or Mark Wright at markbwright@gmail.com.

Jennings and McComber at Grounded4LIFE Friday

Jennings and McComber at Grounded4LIFE Friday

March 20: Jennings and McComber at Grounded4Life

Jennings and McComber return to Grounded4Life at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 20 at Grounded4LIFE located in the coffee house at the First Baptist Church at 162 Main St., Chester. The husband and wife team will perform their own blend of music with a Celtic flair. Kara plays banjo and guitar and Andy plays almost anything that makes music. Together they will present an evening of contemporary Christian music and Jennings and McComber originals.

The event is free. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music will begin at 7 p.m. The coffee bar and refreshments will be ready when you arrive. Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page or contact John Nunnikhoven at john4ns@fastmail.fm.

March 20: Steampunk Society hosts Chili Cook-Off Benefit

The Steampunk Society of Vermont is holding a chili cook-off featuring the chili recipes from over a dozen area chefs and cooks. The cook-off will take place from 5:30–8 p.m. Friday, March 20 in the Congregational Church United Church of Christ at 77 Main St. in downtown Springfield.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for youth and children under 6 get in free. Guests will sample chili from competing chefs and vote for their favorites. The evening will include a raffle for weekend passes to the Springfield Steampunk Festival. Winners will also receive a special trophy, ribbons, a certificate and bragging rights.

Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Springfield Community Center that serves the area with a myriad of activities and programs and includes the Senior Center, a gymnasium and various game rooms. To learn more go here: www.freewebs.com/springfieldvtparksandrec. For more about the Steampunk Society of Vermont and the Springfield Steampunk Festival and Chili Cook-Off go here: http://springfieldvtsteampunkfest.com.

Create comics at the Comic Jam

Create comics at the Comic Jam

March 21: Comic Jam in Chester

The Chester Community Art Garden is hosting its third Comic(book) Jam on from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at 295 Main St. in Chester. Comic Jam participants will draw and create collaborative comic strips. Local comic artist Mindy Fisher will facilitate the two-hour workshop. At the end of the session, those who wish may read their comic to the group. This workshop is suited for artists of all ages and abilities who enjoy drawing.

For more information, contact Emily Burkland at theartgardenvt@gmail.com or call 802-289-3071. Cost for the workshop is a sliding scale $8–$15 per artist and registration is recommended to hold your spot, though drop-ins will be welcome. The CCAG’s hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday 3–5 p.m. and Saturday noon to 2 p.m. for Open Studio. For information about Mindy Fisher and her art work visit www.mindyfisher.com.

March 21: St. Luke’s Maple Fest

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 313 Main St., Chester will hold its Annual Maple Fest Dinner in Willard Hall at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 21, serving a full maple touched meal to benefit PINS (Partners in Service). A pork loin roast with a pomegranate sauce will be the main entree with peas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, baked beans, and crucifer salad and pumpkin muffins. A choice of wines will be available. The selection of desserts includes: apple, maple cream, cranberry-nut, squash, and pecan pies; carrot-date cake and cheesecake. Tickets: $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Before and during the dinner guests will be able to choose from a variety of raffle items. Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. To make a reservation call Norm Wright at 802-875-6561. For more information visit its website.

March 21: 2nd annual Youth Summit looks for participants

Youth Voices will be heard at the second Annual Regional Youth Summit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the Woodstock Inn at 14 the Green, in Woodstock. The summit will provide a forum for young people from the region to share and learn about issues that are important to them. Interested adults from the community are invited participate. Advance registration is advised.

Youth organizers and leaders seek to include people of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. Together, they will build relationships and develop skills for creating positive change in our communities.

Transportation to the summit will be provided if indicated up to four days in advance. Financial reimbursement for school groups can be awarded for up to $100 upon request. Registration is free for students. Email biz.alessi@gmail.com with subject headline ‘student registration’ and an evite will be sent to you. The price for adults is $15 through March 16 after that $25. To register, download a form at ocpvt.org and mail to OCP, P.O. Box #181, Woodstock, VT 05091 or scan the form and email.

The group is looking for volunteers to film the event. Those interested may contact biz.alessi@gmail.com.

The Summit is being planned by the Vermont Youth Action Network in coordination with the Ottauquechee Community Partnership and with funding from the Windsor County Prevention Partners, the Woodstock Foundation and the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.

Live stories 1425603368630March 22: A seven-story afternoon in Proctorsville

A True Tales live storytelling event will take place in Proctorsville’s Gethsemane Church at 4 p.m. on Sunday March 22, located at 89 Depot St. in Proctorsville. Seven local storytellers will stand before the audience and tell unscripted tales that include criminal capers, flying lessons, housesitting gone bad and the world of Vermont politics. The event is modeled on the wildly popular National Public Radio program the Moth Radio Hour. The line-up of brave souls stepping up to the mike on March 22 are Sara Stowell, Abe Gross, Penny Coldwell, Todd McKee, Alice Nitka, Ian Martel and Jon Springer. Admission is $10. This year’s program is a fundraiser for the church with a tiny congregation that does tremendous outreach.

March 23: Civil War episodes begin at the Rock Library

At noon on Monday and Wednesday, March 23 and 25, the Rockingham Library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls will screen several Civil War-related episodes of University of Vermont’s “Across the Fence.”

The true story of the Confederate soldiers’ raid on St. Albans in 1864 will be the featured topic of Monday program. In the Wednesday episode, Howard Coffin will describe his quest for Civil War connections on Vermont soil. His book Something Abides: Discovering the Civil War in Today’s Vermont, is a culmination of this research. Slides of some Rockingham sites mentioned in the book will follow.

Six Union musicians of the 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment relaxing at camp in Virginia

Six Union musicians of the 4th Vermont Infantry Regiment relaxing at camp in Virginia

These 30-minute programs are a precursor to a special Vermont Humanities Council presentation given by Howard Coffin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 at the library. He will speak about Vermont’s involvement in the Civil War.

Eric Bye will entertain attendees before the program on a Civil War-era banjo. Refreshments will reflect what a Civil War soldier carried in his pack or ate while in an army hospital. Coffin plans to carry with him a violin that was played by a Vermonter at Gettysburg.

Those who arrive on the library’s front walk 15 minutes before 1 p.m. will hear the ringing of the Immanuel Episcopal Church bells — just like they did when townspeople learned the Civil War was over back in 1865.

All three events are free, open to the public and accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, call 802-463-4270, email anne@rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library.

— Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson

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Filed Under: Community & Arts in BriefCommunity and Arts Life

About the Author: This item was edited from one or more press releases submitted to The Chester Telegraph.

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