Briefs Here & There: Family Center buys building; smoking cessation; Mountain Man event, Food bank and farm fund-raisers

This newly purchased building will soon house the Chester-Andover Family Center./Photo provided

The Chester-Andover Family Center has finalized the purchase of its new building and the sale of its current building at 656 Depot St. The new building will allow the center to increase its space to expand its ability to provide help to individuals and families in need.

Center workers now will begin the arduous task of renovating its new building – the former Curtis’ BBQ Restaurant at 908 VT Rt. 103 S. – and moving both its food shelf and thrift store there. The food shelf will be among the first pieces to be moved.

The family center is also looking for volunteers to help prepare the new building for the move and on moving day itself. If you would like to volunteer, please call the center at 875-3236. You can also monitor the progress on the new building at the center’s Facebook page. A Grand Opening will be planned for September.

Thrift Shop hours will continue to be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays; 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Satursdays. For more information, call 802-875-3236 or email cafc302@gmail.com.

Free smoking cessation sessions

SPRINGFIELD – Springfield Medical Care Systems is offering a weekly Tobacco Cessation Group beginning Tuesday, Aug. 7. The program will meet every Tuesday, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., for four weeks through Aug. 28.There is no charge for this program.

The first two meetings will take place in conference Room A-2 at Springfield Hospital, 25 Ridgewood Road. The final two weeks will be held in the Springfield Hospital Library.

The sessions will be led by Michelle Kuusela, RN, and Susan Norton-Weber, LPN, certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists. For more information, please contact Kuusela at mkuusela@springfieldmed.org, 802-885-4371; or Norton-Weber at snortonweber@springfieldmed.org, 802-886-2526.

Jesus is Lord Tour Concert at Mountain Man

The Jesus is Lord Tour of musicians and testimonials returns to The Mountain Man Plaza, 571 Rt. 103 S. in Chester, Aug. 10 through 12^. This year’s concert theme is “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Bring your lawn chairs, coolers and picnic lunches and spend time with musicians sharing positive and encouraging messages of love, hope and restoration.

Concert hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10; noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11 with services at 7 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday Aug. 12 with services at 10 a.m. For more information contact Thomas Travers at 603-381-9077 or visit www.stationpower.com.

Vermont Food Bank bike ride fund-raiser

WINDSOR – The annual Harpoon Point to Point bike ride to benefit the Vermont Food Bank will take place on Saturday, Aug. 11.

Riders can choose one of three rides: 25 miles, 50 miles or 115 miles.

The 25-mile ride will begin and end at the Harpoon Brewery, 336 Ruth Carney Drive, in Windsor. All rides will connect for the last 10 miles of the trek back to the brewery. The 50-mile ride begins at Whitcomb Jr /Sr High School, 273 Pleasant St. in Bethel, and the 115 mile ride will begin at the Catamount Family Center, 592 Governor Chittenden Road, in Williston.

Free camping will be offered for Point to Point riders at the Catamount Family Center the night before the ride.

Online registration closes at noon on Aug. 7. You can register here. There is a fund-raising minimum of $150 for the 115-mile ride and the 50-mile ride. The ride fees are $80 for the 115-mile ride, $60 for the 50-mile ride and $40 for the 25-mile ride. Fund-raising also is encouraged for the 25-mile ride.

All rides will end at a celebration at the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, which will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. Post ride showers, beer and barbeque will be waiting for riders at the brewery. Blues guitarist Dave Keller will be performing as well.

For more information, call 802-223-2396, email at feedback@pointfm.com or visit The Point Radio Network’s website at www.pointfm.com.

The ride was established in 2002 to raise money and awareness for the growing problem of hunger in Vermont. Since then, the Point Radio Network, Harpoon Brewery and the Vermont Food Bank have raised $446,000 in support of the Vermont Food Bank’s mission to help end hunger in Vermont.

Children’s book to benefit Farm Disaster Fund

This illustration by Mary Azarian is part of the upcoming children’s picture book, Higher Ground, by Kevin Fitton. Sales of the book will benefit the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund (Radiant Hen Publishing).

Vermont children’s book publishing company Radiant Hen of Coventry has collaborated with a Vermont author, Vermont illustrator and other Vermonters to create a children’s picture book that will be sold to benefit the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund.

The book, Higher Ground, is about Tropical Storm Irene and its effects on a small farm. “It’s a lovely story that shows not only how community comes together in times of need, but also how important the farm animals are as well. They are family to the characters in the book – not just money makers,” Tanya Sousa of Radiant Hen said in a press release.

The first printing is 1,000 books and 100 percent of those proceeds will go to the fund. The books are on sale for $10.95. “This benefit print run is a limited edition of only 1,000 books, so we expect them to go fast,” Sousa said. “The faster they sell, the faster we can get funds where they need to be – the small farm families still recuperating.”

Higher Ground is the first published book by Ferrisburgh resident and author Kevin Fitton. The book’s illustrations are hand-painted wood cut prints by celebrated artist and illustrator Mary Azarian of Plainfield, who has illustrated more than 50 books including the Caldecott award-winner, Snowflake Bentley.

The project also was made possible by the donation of time and services from graphic arts and editing team Theresa Perron-Janowski (Perron Graphics) and Jeannine Young (Little House Desktop Publishing), both of West Glover, and a generous donation to pay for printing by Carl and Susan Taylor of Derby.

The book is available for preorder at the Radiant Hen web site, and is expected to arrive from the printer by the end of August, in time for Hurricane Irene’s anniversary.For more information, contact Radiant Hen Publishing at 802-754-6977 or by email at naturese@together.net.