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.

Clubs & organizations

3rd Annual Spaghetti Dinner to benefit local seniors

The third Annual Spaghetti Dinner hosted by Community Cares Network of Chester-Andover Inc. will be an evening of spaghetti, entertainment by the Achenbachs, along with good friends supporting a valuable community outreach to the Chester and Andover seniors.

The event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 15 at the Andover Town Hall, 953 Weston Andover Road in Chester. There’ll be a selection of sauces, salads, homemade breads and a table of desserts but the highlight of the evening will be the mellow golden oldies performed by the Achenbachs: Scott on guitar; Mona on keyboards; and Jesse on drums. The group will be asking for a free will donation at the door. You may call the CCN office at 802-875-6341 for additional information.

Chester Seniors Citizens luncheon

Join the Chester Senior Citizens Club for their monthly luncheon meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, May 18, at the Chester First Baptist Church on 162 Main St. in Chester. Enjoy good food and fellowship at the free event. The program will be a performance by the Silvertones. Bring a place setting and a friend. If you need a ride, call 802-875-6242.

At your library

Hear about the plight of Central American refugees

Local resident discusses Central American refugees

On Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m., the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls presents a timely program on Central American refugees.

Local resident Steve Crofter volunteered at a Catholic Charities shelter for asylum seekers in Texas and will share his experiences and his understanding of refugee issues. The free program is appropriate for ages 12 to adult, will be interactive and include a song. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, call 802-463-4270, email anne@rockinghamlibrary.org, log on to rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library.

Bellows Falls Riverfront Park and Trail System addressed

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, join the public discussion at the Rockingham Free Public Library at 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls about Phase 3 of the Bellows Falls Historic Riverfront Park and Trail System Project. The KAS Inc. engineering firm will review Phase 3’s main goals. The floor will be open for any questions, suggestions or comments.

Phase 3 will cover the Poet’s Seat brownfield that the Bellows Falls Historical Society acquired from the village in a land swap. An encapsulated trail will link the main trail with the Poet’s Seat river overlook at the top of the hill. Some early ideas to explore are the possibilities of creating nature trails, a dog run, labyrinth, ramparts, meditation garden, to name a few.

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

Putney Library holds Book and Plant Sale

Putney Public Library’s annual Book and Plant Sale is from 9 a.m.–noon on Saturday, May 23 at 55 Main St. in Putney. Browse an eclectic assemblage of books and pick from donations of houseplants, perennials and seeds starts. All funds raised will benefit the library’s programs. The library will not be open for regular library functions during this special event.

The library is looking for volunteers to help the day of the sale and is still welcoming donations of plants and books. Bring book donations in during library hours: Monday through  Friday, 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.–1 p.m. For information on plant donations or volunteering, contact Rebecca Nixon rebnixon@comcast.net or 802-722-9047.

Music

Ben and Rebekah Hamblett entertain at Chester coffeehouse

Ben and Rebekah Hamblett return to Grounded4Life

Ben and Rebekah Hamblett celebrate their End-of-School-Year grand reunion with a concert featuring their laid back approach to contemporary Christian music at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 15. Grounded4Life is located downstairs in the First Baptist Church at 162 Main St. in Chester. Come and listen, join in and sing as the sister and brother duo feature some familiar and some original praise choruses. Enjoy an evening of fellowship, food, encouragement and a report from Rebekah on her recent trip to Italy.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and music begins at 7 p.m. The coffee bar and refreshments will open all evening. The program is free. Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page or contact John Nunnikhoven at john4ns@fastmail.fm.

Outdoor adventures

Bird Diva Bridget Butler presents a series of birding workshops for children and adults both inside and outside this week.

Birding programs for all ages

On Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, the Nature Museum at Grafton teams up with Bridget Butler (aka the Bird Diva) to provide three unique birding programs. Butler has been a naturalist for more than 20 years. Her mission is to tap into each person’s innate passion for nature through exploration and deep listening.

Homeschool program: Unraveling Avians with the Bird Diva
On Friday, May 15, Unraveling Avians, a homeschool-oriented program presented by The Nature Museum at Grafton, will help kids ages 7 to 14 to learn how to identify birds by sight and song. The five-hour program will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum at 186 Townshend Road and in the fields and forests surrounding it.

Students will discover what a bird’s anatomy can tell us about bird behavior and feeding habits; and discussion and fun activities involving beaks, feet and feathers will help them to learn about the life of birds. Students, binoculars in hand, will explore field marks and how they are used to identify individual species.

In the afternoon, Butler will present a program that encourages students to tune in to the world of birds, which surrounds them all the time. Tuition is $25 per student. Register online at www.nature-museum.org.

Birding By Ear
Also on Friday, Butler will give a free public talk titled  Birding By Ear from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Newsbank Conference Center at 397 Main St. in Chester. Learn to train your ears to hear the differences in bird songs and increase your ability to identify birds by sound with some simple skills. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This program is appropriate for ages 8 and up. Donations are welcome and light refreshments will be served.

Guided Bird Walk at Herrick’s Cove
On Saturday, May 16 from 7 to 10 a.m. at Herrick’s Cove on Herrick’s Cove Road in Rockingham, Butler will lead a guided bird walk. Herrick’s Cove is a river delta and riparian habitat along the Connecticut River, which is listed as one of Vermont Audubon’s “Very Important Bird Areas.” This guided bird Walk is appropriate for adults and requires pre-registration at: www.nature-museum.org. The Guided Bird Walk cost $25 per person if registered and paid for by May 6. After May 6 price is $30 per person. Space is limited. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

For more information, call the museum at 802-843-2111.

Tag sales & flea markets

Bargain hunter’s take advantage of this large multi-day Rummage Sale benefit ing Black River Good Neighbor Services

BRGNS’s Spring Rummage Sale in Ludlow

Black River Good Neighbor Services will hold its annual Spring Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farms, 611 Route 103 South in Ludlow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16 and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Sunday, May 17. The sale will feature clothing, housewares, books, linens, furniture and all manner of goods. There is also a bake sale as part of the event. Proceeds from the sale will purchase food for the food shelf or be used for community financial assistance programs.

Black River Good Neighbor Services holds a rummage sale twice each year, in the spring and in the fall, and sells donated gently used items. They run a thrift store at 37B Main St. in Ludlow—behind the Ludlow Community Center. Its programs serve Ludlow, Cavendish, Mount Holly and Plymouth.

The group also seeks volunteers to help set up and staff the sale, and people to donate baked goods. For more information or to volunteer, call Audrey at 802-228-3663.

First Universalist Parish seeks donations for May tag sale

Are you spring-cleaning with the onset of sunnier days and warmer temperatures? The First Universalist Parish of Chester is seeking donations of goods for its annual tag sale. Consider starting a box or two of your unwanted items to drop off at the Old Stone Church, 211 North St., Route 103 in the historic Stone Village, Chester. Items will be accepted the week before the sale, 9 a.m. to noon  Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22.

Donations may include: kitchenware, toys, home décor, bric-a-brac, china, antiques and collectibles, small wood furniture, small appliances (such as food processors, juicers, popcorn poppers, etc.) and costume jewelry. Small furniture such as chairs, tables and bureaus will be accepted. Donations of broken watches, clock parts, gears, small wooden boxes, crafts supplies and stuff from the junk drawer are also acceptable. The church is not accepting clothing, electronics or books.

The sale is planned for 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 23. No early birds. For more information about the tag sale or if you need to arrange a pick up for items, contact Melody Reed 802-875-5414 or email her at melodious54@gmail.com.