Northshire_12_2_11.pdf-web

thefreepressFriday, December 2, 2011Vol. 21, Issue 48800.354.4232

“Manchester Merriment”

Tractor ParadeThe lights and music start rolling at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3

from the Dorr Farm. See Pg. 2 for details.

PRSRT STDECRWSS

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The Northshire’s Get Out & Go Newspaper

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“A Mighty Storm” chronicles after effects of IreneWhen the torrential rains of

Tropical Storm Irene inundated

Vermont on Sunday, Aug. 28, the

devastation left by the storm

was far worse than anyone

could have imagined. In the

days following, Vermonters

stuck together, got to work and

did what they needed to do to

recover on their own.

The remarkable stories that

unfolded in the days and weeks

after the storm have been com-

piled into a new book “A Mighty

Storm,” that will be available on

Dec. 15.

Award-winning journalist

and educator Yvonne Daley and

the reporters and photogra-

phers of the Rutland Herald

and Times Argus newspapers

traveled across the state, collect-

ing stories that were both heart-

breaking and inspiring.

Together with publishing part-

ner Northshire Bookstore, they

have teamed up to tell the sto-

ries of indomitable Vermonters

who inspired the nation in the

wake of the storm’s wreckage.

“We are truly excited to bring

these stories to readers in book

form, and to lend a hand by rais-

ing money,” said project editor

Fall in love all over again

with Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and

Owl and friends as the Dorset

Players present their annual

youth show “Winnie the Pooh”

on Dec. 2 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and

Dec. 3, 4, 10, and 11 at 2:00 p.m.

at the Dorset Playhouse.

A musical adaptation of the

first of the classic children’s

books by A.A. Milne, “Winnie

the Pooh” introduces the audi-

ence to Pooh, a lovable bear

that just loves honey, Piglet,

and Eeyore, the donkey who

sees a black cloud behind

every silver lining. Central to

the action is the arrival to the

forest of a new and supposedly

terrifying creature, which

turns out to be Kanga and her

offspring Roo.

Director Tracy Hughes and

Music Director Jane Wood

have assembled a young cast

that features newcomers Katie

Kenyon as Pooh and Emma

Weinstein as Roo. Veteran

actors Carrigan Boynton will

play Piglet; Natalia

Sowulewska will portray Owl,

Emily Bleakie is Kanga, while

Evan Crumb plays Eeyore.

As in years past, the Dorset

Players are participating in

the Community Sharing

Project, and they ask adults to

consider dropping an

unwrapped toy for ages six

months to 12 years in the box

in the Playhouse lobby when

attending a performance.

“Winnie the Pooh” is spon-

sored by Baierlein

Landscaping, Northshire

Bookstore, New Morning

Natural Foods, Haskins Gas,

the Bank of Bennington and

Vermont Country Store.

General admission tickets are

$12 adults, $10 for members,

and $8 for students. Children

five and under accompanied

by adult are free of charge. For

tickets, call (802) 867-5777.

Dorset Players to present “Winnie the Pooh”

See STORM, pg. 3

Bennington Museum

seeks regional artists

SVC students to read from workStudents from the Advance Creative Writing Workshop class at

Southern Vermont College will host an evening of readings of

original work in various genres at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 in the

Everett Mansion Theatre. The event, sponsored by the Hunter

Division of the Humanities, is free and open to the public.

At the reading, six students will present excerpts or short piec-

es of work they have produced, from poetry to fiction. For more

information, call (802) 447-6359 or email [email protected].

The Bennington Museum is

calling for regional artists to

participate in the Regional Arts

Program during the Spring and

Summer of 2012. The Regional

Arts Program is an ongoing

series of juried exhibits, select-

ed by a jury composed of local

arts professionals. The museum

welcomes applications in all

media, from photography, illus-

tration, and sculpture to tradi-

tional crafts and oil paintings.

The jury is open to any and all

art forms and styles. If you have

submitted work before and have

not been chosen, you are encour-

aged to re-submit as some exhib-

iting artists have been selected

on a follow-up review. The panel

will evaluate these submissions

the week of December 19, so

entries need to arrive at the

museum by December 16.

A regional artist is defined

as one who lives or works in

southern Vermont or the adja-

cent areas of New York and

Massachusetts. Artists must

submit samples of their work

either in slides, digital images,

prints, or originals, an artist’s

statement, and a one page pro-

posal for gallery use.

Successful applicants are

given a six week showing in the

Regional Arts Gallery of the

Bennington Museum. The first

show from the most recent

group of selected artists will

open February 4, with other ses-

sions to follow. Applications can

be picked up at the museum or

by calling 802-447-1571.

Dorset Library to host artist reception

Photographer Eric Seplowitz

of Ballston Spa, NY will be feted

at a coffee reception from 11 a.m.

to1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the

Dorset Library. Seplowitz’s

exhibit, which focuses on images

especially for children and chil-

dren’s décor, runs through the

end of December.

The reception will also include

a children’s holiday program

with a holiday story and craft.

Seplowitz notes that the intent of

this series is to “capture images a

child could growth with so they

would not need to be removed

after a couple of years.”

The artist has been a profes-

sional photographer since 2004

as owner of Captured Light

Photography. All photographs in

the exhibit are for sale, and a por-

tion of the proceeds will benefit

the library.

For more information, call the

library at (802) 867-5774 or visit

www.dorsetlibraryinfo.org.

2 - The Northshire FreePress - December 2, 2011

The second annual

“Manchester Merriment”

Lighted Tractor Parade will be

merrier than ever this year

with tractors, floats and lots of

community participation.

The lights and music start

rolling at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday,

Dec. 3 from the Dorr Farm, mak-

ing a loop down Main Street, up

Depot Street and back down

Bonnet Street. Setting the beat

for this year’s parade is the

Spartan Marching Band from

Castleton State College. Enjoy

floats designed by area business-

es and groups including Hildene,

GNAT-TV, Long Trail School, the

Boy Scouts and many more.

The Manchester and the

Mountains Chamber of

Commerce wishes to thank spon-

sors Berkshire Bank, Cape Air

and Orvis, along with supporting

sponsors Efficiency Vermont,

The Perfect Wife, Pyrofax Energy,

Spiral Press Café and Vermont

Renewable Fuels for supporting

this new “Merriment” tradition.

“Manchester Merriment” Tractor Parade

The Bennington Center for

the Arts announces the follow-

ing exhibits now in its galleries:

“Small Works,” representa-

tional works by artists from

around the country; “Impressions

of New England”’ and the

Laumeister Fine Art Competition

will be on exhibit through Dec.

18. All work is for sale.

Also on view is a portion of

the permanent collection, “The

People of Turtle Island,” which

includes paintings, bronzes,

kachinas, pots and Navajo rugs

by Native Americans.

The Bennington Center for

the Arts is located at Rt. 9 West

at Gypsy Lane in Bennington.

Visit www.thebennington.com.

Filmmaker Mary McDonagh Murphy will

show and discuss her acclaimed documentary

film, “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a

Mockingbird,” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7 in

the Riley Center for the Performing Arts at Burr

& Burton Academy in Manchester.

Mary McDonagh Murphy explores the novel’s

enduring power and popularity in interviews

with Tom Brokaw, Wally Lamb, James Patterson,

Anna Quindlen, Oprah Winfrey and others. With

rare cooperation from Harper Lee’s family and

friends, along with never-before-seen documents

and photos, Murphy tells the story of a novel that

became an American classic.

“Hey Boo” is sponsored by the Lodge at Otter

Creek and the Lodge at Shelburne Bay. It is a Vermont

Reads/Big Read event and a National Endowment for

the Humanities We the People Project. For more

information, contact Mark Skinner Library at (802)

362-2607 or visit www.markskinnerlibrary.org.

The acclaimed No Strings

Marionette Company will pres-

ent a special holiday perfor-

mance of “Jack and the

Beanstalk” at 7 p.m. on Friday,

Dec. 2 at the Rupert Firehouse.

The show is hosted by the

Rupert Kittay Public Library.

Families and children of all

ages are invited to celebrate the

season and enter the wonders of

traditional puppet theater. With 15

large-scale marionettes, this well-

loved tale will be retold with all the

magic and mischief of the No

Strings company. A sense of adven-

ture, optimism, and three magic

beans catapult Jack high in the sky.

Puppeteers Dan Baginsky

and Barbara Paulson perform

in full view of the audi-

ence. After the performance,

children and their parents are

invited to inspect the mario-

nettes and the other tools of the

puppeteer’s trade. Come join

these intriguing puppets as

they journey through lavish set-

tings and a well-loved story into

a world of imagination, enlight-

enment and laughter.

The program is free and open

to the public. The firehouse is

located on Rte. 153 in the center

of Rupert. For more informa-

tion, please contact the library

at [email protected] or

visit the library website at

www.rupertkittaylibrary.org.

The Vital Spark North per-

formance group will take the

stage at Bennington College’s

Martha Hill Theater at 2 p.m. on

Sunday, Dec. 4, in a special show

entitled “States of Being” to

raise funds for Meals on Wheels

of Bennington County.

This entertaining program fol-

lows a timeline of composers

from J.S. Bach to Chopin, Debussy,

Gershwin, Steve Reich and Fats

Waller, featuring original chore-

ography that interprets the music

through varied dance styles.

The program, featuring an

ensemble of dancers from

Vermont, is produced by Vital

Spark North artistic director

Erika Schmidt and her husband,

pianist Gary Schmidt. Erika has

won several awards for her chore-

ography in Prague, Czech

Republic, Cesena, Italy, and

Barcelona, Spain, as well as per-

forming throughout the U.S.

Gary, a pianist and composer,

has accompanied and written

music in collaboration with Erika

throughout their life together.

They will be joined by the couple’s

daughter, Eva Schmidt.

Meals on Wheels of

Bennington County serves 44,000

meals annually, enabling many

people to stay in their homes as

they age. This concert is a great

opportunity to feed your soul as

you help feed our people.

Tickets for the concert are

$25 general admission and $5

for students. To reserve tickets,

call (802)332-8012 or email sfox-

[email protected].

Vital Spark North to perform

Arlington schools winter concertsThe sounds of the holiday

season will be celebrated in

December, as music students

from Fisher Elementary School

and Arlington Memorial High

School and Middle School pres-

ent six different concerts

throughout the month.

The schedule includes four

choral performances directed

by Music and Chorus Director

Patti Cody, and two instrumen-

tal concerts under the direction

of Instrumental Music Director

Phelan Gallagher.

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6,

Fisher students in grades pre-

kindergarten through fifth

grade will perform a choral con-

cert entitled “December in Our

Town.” At 7 p.m. on Thursday,

Dec. 8, the High School and

Middle School choruses will

present “Peace on Earth,” the

AMHS Winter Chorus Concert.

The evening will also feature

two select group of singers,

Patti’s Angels and the Madrigals.

The AMHS chorus groups will

also perform at two addition ven-

ues. At 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10,

the groups will sing at the town’s

Christmas Tree Lighting

Ceremony at the Community

House on Main Street. On Thur,

Dec. 15, they travel to Bennington

to sing for the residents at Fillmore

Pond and to Manchester to sing for

Neighbor to Neighbor at the First

Congregational Church at 1:15 p.m.

Arlington Memorial

Instrumental Music presents

“Lord of the Dance” at 7:30 p.m.

on Tuesday, Dec. 13, a winter con-

cert featuring American classics

and holiday music from around

the world. At this performance,

the Arlington Memorial Concert

Band will be joined by the new

Jazz Ensemble in their debut per-

formance. There will also be an

instrumental carol performance

at the Equinox Terrace on

Sunday, Dec. 4. Community mem-

bers interested in participating

should contact Gallagher at

(802)375-2589, ext. 130.

No-Strings Marionette Company at Rupert Kittay Library

Curling ClinicThe Equinox Curling Club

(ECC) will hold a three-hour

“Learn to Curl” clinic from 6:15 to

9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at

Riley Rink in Manchester. Ages 15

and up are welcome. Cost is $35.

During the first hour, partici-

pants will learn basic rules,

technicques, strategies, eti-

quette and safety. The next two

hours will be on the ice, with

hands-on instruction, practice,

and a game of curling.

Pre-registration is required to

attend; get a registration form at

www.equinoxcurlingclub.org or

at Riley Rink.Participants can to

become members of the ECC at a

$15 discount, and curl weekly

throughout the winter. For more

information, call (802) 645-0222.

Bennington Center for the Arts exhibits

Filmmaker to discuss “To Kill a Mockingbird” documentary

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The Northshire FreePress - December 2, 2011 - 3

Barney Saltzberg, the author

of more than 30 books for chil-

dren, will present his new book

“Beautiful Oops!” at 11 a.m. on

Saturday, Dec. 3 at Northshire

Bookstore.

In “Beautiful Oops!”

Saltzberg offers a healthy anti-

dote to an overly-structured,

mistake-averse culture that

entraps kids and adults alike.

Imperfection is ever-present,

says Saltzberg, so it’s never too

early to learn how to turn it to

your advantage. The life lesson

he teaches is “it’s OK to make a

mistake.”

Barry Saltzberg is also the

author of “Good Egg” and the

bestselling “Touch and Feel

Kisses” series, which has more

than 800,000 copies in print. In

addition, he has recorded four

albums of songs for children.

Saltzberg lives in Los Angeles.

For more information, call

the bookstore at (802) 362-2200

or visit www.northshire.com.

Rob Mitchell, state editor of the

Herald and Times Argus. Chris

Morrow, owner of the Northshire

Bookstore, noted “Not only is

the book a fitting testament to

the resilience of Vermonters,

but all proceeds will go to benefit

those who are still recovering

from the devastation.”

Book sale proceeds will be

split evenly among the follow-

ing charities: The Vermont

Irene Flood Relief Fund, which

provides grants to small busi-

nesses affected by the flooding;

The Mobile Home Project Fund,

which benefits many of the

state’s most vulnerable resi-

dents by rebuilding affected

mobile home parks; and The

Rutland Relief Fund, which

benefits Rutland area residents

who were affected by flooding.

Pre-orders for the book are

being taken now. Contact

Northshire Bookstore at (802)

362-2200 for more information.

StormContinued from front page

Children’s author Barney Saltzberg

to appear at Northshire

The Inn at Ormsby Hill in

Manchester will host two

Holiday Open House Tours on

two consecutive Saturdays, Dec.

3 and 10, from noon to 4 p.m., to

benefit the Vermont-New

Hampshire affiliate of the Susan

G. Komen for the Cure. Tickets

will be $5.00 at the door, with all

proceeds benefiting the affiliate.

On the Dec. 10 tour, acclaimed

Vermont mystery author Archer

Mayor will be on hand from 1 to

3 p.m. to sign copies of his new

release, the New York Times

bestseller, “Tag Man.” Mayor,

who is also a death investigator

for Vermont’s Chief Medical

Examiner and a Windham

County Deputy Sheriff, will

appear in cooperation with the

Northshire Bookstore.

On both weekends, tour-

goers will receive a “pink” gift

bag filled with offers from local

businesses including Christmas

days, Equinox Valley Nursery,

Green Door Day Spa, Hildene,

Manchester Designer Outlets,

Manchester Hot Glass, Mother

Myricks, Northeastern Fine

Jewelry, Orvis, Pets, Etc.,

Southern Vermont Art Center,

The Kitchen Store at JK Adams,

The Lighting Place, Vermont

Bird Place & Sky Watch,

Vermont Kitchen Supply and

Yarns for Your Soul.

In addition, guests will be able

to sample award-winning artisan

cheese from Cabot, Taylor Farm

and others, and will be entered in

a raffle to win a hand-carved

bangle from Leaves of Gold.

Overnight guests at the inn

will receive a package that

includes tickets to the tour, din-

ner at the inn on Friday evening,

tickets to the Dorset Theater

Festival on Friday night, and

tickets to see Peter and Paul of

Peter, Paul & Mary fame on

Saturday, Dec. 3. All overnight

guests will also take home a

Vermont Christmas tree.

The Inn at Ormsby Hill is locat-

ed at 1842 Main St. in Manchester

Center. For more information, call

Chris Sprague at (802) 362-1163 or

visit www.ormsbyhill.com.

Experience how the Lincoln

family celebrated Christmas at

Hildene, which will be decorat-

ed this year as though it were

Christmas Eve 1912, one of the

years that Robert, Mary and

family spent the holidays at

their Vermont retreat.

From the candlelit windows,

winterberries and greenery that

greet guests at the port cochere to

the Christmas tree replete with

Victorian ornaments, Hildene por-

tends of wonderful things to come

on Christmas Day. During regular

hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

interpreters and staff will be on

hand to answer questions.

On weekends in December,

the sounds of the season will

resonate from the pipe organ

and Steinway piano, courtesy of

musicians Dr. Joseph Eppink,

Joanne Beck, Michael Gallagher,

Stephen Morse, Annette Cohen,

Stan Hynds, Gary Schmidt, Alan

Dann and Deirdre Donaldson.

Hildene will hold its annual

“Our House for the Holidays”

open house in the museum store

on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday,

Dec. 4, with the 100 year old car-

riage barn dressed in all its holi-

day finery. Visitors will find dis-

tinctive items for gift-giving from

Victorian era ornaments and holi-

day cards to choices for children.

Adding to the festive atmo-

sphere will be live period music

featuring George Haggerty on

dulcimer from noon to 2 p.m. on

Saturday, and the Emerald Valley

Recorder Ensemble from 1 to 3

p.m. on Sunday. From 1:30 to 2:30

p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18, members

of Burr and Burton Academy’s

Advanced Vocal Ensemble will

sing carols in the Welcome Center.

Sun, Dec. 4 will be the last day

for estimating the number of

Lincoln pennies in the big jar.

Winners in two categories, youth

5-15 and adults 16 and older will

be drawn on Monday, Dec. 5.

Admission to the house and

grounds, including Hildene

Farm and Pullman car Sunbeam,

is $16 for adults and $5 for youth

six to 14 years old. Members, vol-

unteers and youth under six are

free. Admission is not required

for visitors to the Welcome

Center and the Museum Store.

For more information call

Carol at (802) 367-7968 or email

[email protected].

The Northshire Bookstore

and the Manchester and the

Mountains Chamber of

Commerce continue their series

of events on sustainability at

the bookstore with two pro-

grams in December.

On Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.,

the bookstore presents its sec-

ond annual Holiday Bookseller

Presentation, with the best

books, music, film and chil-

dren’s items of the season.

Enjoy light refreshments and a

discount on all merchandise

presented by the booksellers.

At 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2,

Gwendolyn Hallsmith will dis-

cuss “Developing New Systems of

Exchange.” Hallsmith is the

founder and director of Global

Community Initiatives, and is the

author of “The Key to Sustainable

Cities” and “Creating Wealth:

Growing Local Economies with

Local Currencies.”

Linda Wheatley will conduct

a Gross National Happiness

Workshop and Seminar at 6 p.m.

on Thursday, Dec. 8.

For more information call the

bookstore at (802) 362-2200 or visit

www.northshire.com.

The Southern Vermont Arts

Center announces that its bian-

nual Winter Ball, now called

“Arts for All,” will take place at

6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 in the

newly renovated Colonnade

Ballroom at the Equinox Resort

& Spa. The ball is a black tie

event.

Formerly named the Scottish

Winter Ball, Arts for All is the

major fundraiser for SVAC. The

elegant evening includes a cock-

tail reception, seated dinner

with wine, a live and silent auc-

tion, and dancing with the

Central Park Orchestra from

New York City. This year’s auc-

tions feature some fabulous

items, including a destination

package to a luxurious hillside

villa in St. Lucia and a week’s

stay at a private home in Vero

Beach, FL. Works of art by

Luigi Lucioni, Jane Armstrong

and Sabra Field will also be

open to bid, among many other

items.

The Equinox is offering a

discounted rate for attendees

who wish to stay the night;

please mention Arts for All

when booking a room. All pro-

ceeds from the event benefit

children and adult program-

ming at SVAC. To register for

the event, visit www.svac.org or

call Jackie Bell-Sargood at (802)

362-1405 ext. 22.

SVAC to host Winter Ball

December Sustainability Series

Inn at Ormsby Hill tours to benefit Komen

Experience a 1912 style Christmas at Hildene

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4 - The Northshire FreePress - December 2, 2011

BENNINGTON/MANCHESTER The Northshire United Counseling Service will offer an expanded lineup of Therapy Group Meetings. The groups will include coping skills; managing anxiety, mood and rela-tionships; substance abuse recovery; acute and chronic medical problems; livings skills; and more. Information/registration: 802-362-3950.

LONDONDERRY A Holiday Bazaar will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Flood Brook School in Londonderry. Enjoy lunch at the café, browse offerings from local vendors, par-ticipate in a silent auction and gin-gerbread house contest, and get a photo taken with Santa. BENNINGTON A “Reading for Fun Night” will be conducted by stu-dents from Southern Vermont College’s Introduction to Literature class from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 in the school’s Everett Mansion. Children in grades kinder-garten through five are welcome to attend and enjoy reading, crafts and pizza in a safe and fun environ-ment. Information: Professor Lynda Sinkiewich at 802-447-6373 or email [email protected].

MANCHESTER The Manchester and the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce will present Gwendolyn Hallsmith, founder and director of Global Community Initiatives and author of “The Key to Sustainable Cities,” at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester. Information/reservations: 802-362-6313.

MANCHESTER The Southern Vermont Arts Center invites every-one to its biannual, black-tie Winter Ball, “Arts for All,” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, in the newly reno-vated Colonnade Ballroom at the Equinox Resort and Spa in Manchester. Bid on a luxurious, five-bedroom hillside villa in St. Lucia, a weeklong stay at a private home with a pool in Vero Beach, and much more. There’ll be a cocktail reception, seated dinner, live and silent auctions, and danc-ing. Information/reservations: Jackie Bell-Sargood at 802-362-1405, Ext. 22, or www.svac.org.

RUPERT The Rupert Kittay Public Library will host the No Strings Marionette Company with a pre-sentation of the fairytale classic, “Jack and the Beanstalk,” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Rupert Firehouse on Route 153.. Free and open to all. Information: Email [email protected], or www.rupertkittaylibrary.org.

DORSET The Dorset Players will stage “Winnie the Pooh” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 and 9, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3, 4, 10 and 11, at the Dorset Playhouse. Cost: $12 adults; $10 members; $8 students; free age 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. For tickets: 802-867-5777.

DORSET The Dorset Public Library will host a coffee reception for photographer Eric Seplowitz from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. Seplowitz’s new show, which is a series of images espe-cially suitable for children and chil-dren’s décor, will be on display through the month of December. Information: 802-867-5774 or

www.dorsetlibraryinfo.org.

MANCHESTER The Inn at Ormsby Hill at 1842 Main Street, Route 7A in Manchester, will host Holiday Open House Tours from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 and 10. Cost: $5 at the door, with all pro-ceeds benefiting the Vermont/New Hampshire Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure of breast can-cer. Pink gift bags with offers from local businesses, artisan cheese sampling, free raffle tickets and more will be featured both days. And from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 10, Vermont mystery writer Archer Mayor will sign copies of his new bestseller, “Tag Man.” Information: Chris Sprague at 802-362-1163.

MANCHESTER A Grandmother/Granddaughter Tea will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Equinox Village in Manchester. Great-grandmothers also are invit-ed to this event that will feature a holiday story read by Janet Kleinberg from the Mark Skinner Library. Free and open to all. Call 802-362-4061 for reservations.

MANCHESTER Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of the legend-ary group, “Peter, Paul and Mary,” will set to music their book, “The Night Before Christmas,” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester. A book signing will follow at this free event that’s open to all. Information: 802-362-2200, or www.northshire.com.

MANCHESTER The Second Annual Manchester Merriment Lighted Tractor Parade will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, from the Dorr Farm and proceed-ing through downtown Manchester Center. Information: www.visitman-chestervt.com.

DORSET Everyone is invited to a “Taste of Europe” event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at The Long Trail School off Route 30 at 1045 Kirby Hollow Road in Dorset. Students will serve gourmet European hors d’oeuvres and des-serts. Cost: $10, with proceeds going toward a spring trip by 18 students to France and Spain. Silent auction, too, with winners announced during the intermission of a perfor-mance of “A Christmas Carol.” Information: Anharad Edson at email [email protected].

MANCHESTER The Northshire Bookstore and the Equinox Resort will present Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey in concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Equinox Resort in Manchester. Cost: $45, including a copy of the book, “The Night Before Christmas;” and $65 VIP tickets, including a 6:30 p.m. pre-concert meet-and-greet with Peter and Paul, a copy of “The Night Before Christmas,” preferential seat-ing, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Proceeds will benefit Music2Life and the Book Angels Program. Information/tickets: 802-362-2200, or www.northshire.com

DORSET Long Trail School will host an afternoon of holiday fun for kids starting at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4 with a gingerbread man decorating and contest. At 2 p.m., the Arts Department will present a matinee performance of the Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.” For tickets: www.brownpap-ertickets.com/event/212520.BENNINGTON The Vital Spark

North group will perform a “States of Being” concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, in the Martha Hill Theater at Bennington College. Works by Chopin, Bach, Debussy, Gershwin, Steve Reich and Fats Waller, along with original chore-ography, will be featured. Cost: $25, $5 students, with proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels of Bennington County. Information/reservations: 802-332-8012, or email [email protected].

ARLINGTON The Arlington Garden Club will hold its Christmas Luncheon and Annual Meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Manchester Country Club. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. and the meeting will follow at 1:30 p.m. Information/reservations: Fran Shepherd at 375-2465.

BENNINGTON Janet Flammang, professor at Lee and Seymour Graff University, will discuss her book, “The Taste of Civilization: Food, Politics and Civil Society,” at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. You’ll find this free event that is open to all in the Everett Theatre on the Southern Vermont College cam-pus in Bennington. Information: 802-447-6389, 447-6388, or email [email protected].

DORSET The Dorset Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7, on the green in Dorset. The annual community potluck supper will follow.

MANCHESTER The Equinox Curling Club will hold a Learn to Curl Clinic for ages 15 and older from 6:15 to 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Riley Rink in Manchester. Cost: $35. Pre-registration is required at www.equinoxcurlingclub.org, on Facebook, or visit Riley Rink.

MANCHESTER Filmmaker Mary McDonagh Murphy will show and discuss her acclaimed documentary film “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird,” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Riley Center for the Performing Arts at Burr & Burton Academy. The event is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesday lecture series and is hosted by Mark Skinner Library. Information: (802) 362-2607.

MANCHESTER Mark Skinner Library will demonstrate its newest resource, “Universal Class,” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8. The program offers more than 500 online courses taught in real time with 24/7 remote access. To reserve space for the intro-ductory program, call 802-362-2607.

MANCHESTER The Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning and Burr and Burton Academy will screen the National Theatre of London’s play, “Collaborators,” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9. Cost: $20; $5 stu-dents. You’ll find this event at Burr and Burton’s Riley Center for the Arts in Manchester. Information/tickets: Renee Bornstein at 802-362-1199, or www.greenmtnacad-emy.org.

Out & AboutBy Jim Carrigan

FRI 12/2

SAT 12/3SUN 12/4

TUE 12/6

WED 12/7

THU 12/8

FRI 12/9

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