Red Cross Blood Drive January 24

 

Friends of FML Hold Book Discussion Jan. 27

Submitted by Joann Milza

On Thursday evening, January 27th , the Friends of the Library will hold their evening book discussion at 7 pm. The book selected is "Digging to America" by Anne Tyler. The story is centered on two families who  meet at the airport when they are adopting Korean babies.  One family is "all American" and the other family are Iranian immigrants. The author uses the growing friendship between the two families to explore what it means to be an American, what it means to belong and what makes someone an outsider. There are many interesting insights into Iranian culture.
 
 The books are available at the library. Please join us. Please use the rear entrance to the library on Main Street in Ludlow. There is a ramp and elevator.

OKEMO WELCOMES GATORADE FREE FLOW TOUR

Submitted by Okemo Mtn Resort

Okemo Mountain Resort welcomes The Winter Gatorade Free Flow Tour on Jan. 22 and 23.  The official amateur series of the Winter Dew Tour, the Winter Gatorade Free Flow Tour visits the country’s premier mountains, giving top amateurs a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go from “Flow” to “Pro.” 

The goal is to find top talent from across the country while giving snowboarders and freeskiers of all abilities the opportunity to have fun while competing in a contest. 

As the official amateur series of the Winter Dew Tour, Gatorade Free Flow Tour offers winners from each event expense-paid trips to the Tour Finals, which take place at the Dew Tour pro event in February. The overall winners at Finals earn a wildcard spot into the first Dew Tour stop the following season.

The 2010/11 Tour consists of 10 regional events across 10 mountain resorts in the U.S., featuring snowboarding (slopestyle and superpipe) and freeski (slopestyle and superpipe). The winner of each regional event earns a trip to compete in the Winter Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals held at the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championships. The champions in the six disciplines of the Winter Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals earn a spot to compete against the pros at the first stop of the 2011/12 Winter Dew Tour. Gatorade’s partnership with the Free Flow Tour began in 2009, and with its presence comes an added commitment to uplift amateur freeskiers and snowboarders and provide an extended platform to grow action sports. Fuel TV broadcasts select coverage of the Winter Gatorade Free Flow Tour, and allisports.com is the home of all digital content and tour information. 

Online registration is available at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com. The fee is $20 for a single discipline and $30 for two. The competition will take place in Okemo’s Superpipe and adjoining Dew Zone terrain park.

Arts and Class Classes for all ages

 

Submitted by Laurie Marechaux

Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts is pleased to announce 41new classes and new class times for Winter-Spring. Along with our regularly scheduled weekend classes we are offering Young Artists classes and Weekly Am & PM Series classes.

From painting to pen & ink, felting, lapidary arts, Zen drawing, mosaics, watercolors and knitting, to name a few. We have something for every age and creative interest.  Her is a look at what you can choose form. Jan. 22 & 23, Drawing in Perspective-Donald Hofer, a great tool for any artist. Feb. 5, learn the art of making Timba Scarves, a silk felting technique with Josie Speckert. On Feb. 5 & 6 learn the art of Watercolor Painting for the Beginner with Bob Sydorowich.  On Feb. 12 we will play with silk, dyes and a form of tie dye to make a Kaledioscope Scarf with Josie Speckert.   Are you into recycling? Join Brian Jewett on Feb. 12-and learn to make a contemporary lamp for your home in this class, Vessels of Light and Garbage.      

Our weekly Series classes include Pen & Ink Mixed Media with Don Hofer, Alla Prima Oil Painting with Nancy Griswold, The Fundamentals of Silversmithing and Beginning Punch Needle Rug Hooking.

For the Young Artists we are offering Beginning Silversmithing for ages 10-17, this is a wonderful time for your creative teen to learn some life skills in jewelry making. Other offering for the youngsters are: Paper Mache Masks, and a new CRAFTER School Club for Boys and Girls on Mondays in March from 3:00pm-5:00pm. And a special TEENS only painting class, students will work with oil paints or acrylics. 

Please call for a flyer or got to our website at http://www.fletcherfarm.org to view all of our current course offering.

Please call for tuition pricing.  A materials fee is paid to the instructor in class and most courses also have a Supply List which includes items that students need to bring to class. Please plan ahead so as to insure space availability in the course of your choice. One-on-one instruction is always emphasized in all of our classes. If you are a Ludlow, Cavendish or Proctorsville resident (age 7 & up) you are entitled to 50% off one class per calendar year. Register online or for a copy of our fall flyer call 802-228-8770.

The Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts is operated by the Society of Vermont Artists and Craftsmen, Inc. The Society has leased the campus and buildings that house the school from the Fletcher Farm Foundation, Inc. since 1947. The Society of Vermont Artists and Craftsmen, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) publicly supported organization.

NITKA’S NOTES FROM THE STATE HOUSE

By Senator Alice Nitka, Windsor County, January 14,  2011

The opening week of the Legislative Session was marked by all the members of the House and Senate taking their oaths of office. However, before the newly elected statewide office holders could take their oaths, the Canvassing Committee made up of some House and Senate members needed to meet to certify the November 2, 2010 election results.

No persons received 50% plus one vote for the offices of Governor or Lt. Governor so it was the responsibility of the Legislature to elect the persons to these positions per the VT Constitution. Statewide, in the November election, 243,617 votes were counted of which 50,474 were absentees. There are 453,181 registered voters in the state. In the contest for Governor, Brian Dubie received 115,212, Peter Shumlin received 119,543 and Dennis Steele received 1,917. Other persons ran in the General Election and received votes however the charge to the Legislature was to choose from the top three candidates. These were the only names on the Legislative ballot and Peter Shumlin was elected Governor.  With regard to the Lt. Governor’s race, the top three vote getters were Peter Garritano with 8,627, Steve Howard with 99,843 and Phil Scott with 116,198 and these three names appeared on the Legislative ballot. Phil Scott was elected. The Legislature approved the election results for State Treasurer, Jeb Spaulding who received the highest number of votes, (204,048) of anyone in the state in the November election.  Also certified were the elections of the Secretary of State, Jim Condos, Auditor of Accounts, Tom Salmon and Attorney General, William Sorrell.     

There were many speeches the first week from incoming and outgoing office holders as well as new appointees and those who were more quietly vacating their offices with boxes and personal effects in hand. There were many beaming faces on persons with new jobs as well as concerned faces on ones who wondered where they would find new employment. Several persons who were leaving with the outgoing administration said they might retire while others said they would do some snowboarding before they looked for another job. Governor Douglas and his wife Dorothy, with the governor driving, drove away from his official spot by the side of the State House in his reddish Neon, covered with salt and dirt. It seemed so odd since for the past eight years he has had an official driver and a black, bigger car. As per tradition, the Governor’s outgoing staff threw snowballs at the car as it left and hoped he remembered how to drive. 

It’s down to business this week and all committees are meeting and have full schedules. New members are trying to learn how things work, from the gates into the parking lots, where to find a spot, what the different bells inside the building mean, when one can speak and when one can’t and the real rules of the House and Senate as defined in Mason’s Rules which govern how we operate. New bills are being submitted and some have even come to the floor already. I’m presenting S-1 this week from the Judiciary Committee, which is one of the committees on which I serve.

Please feel free to come and visit your State House. Tours can be arranged or you can tour by yourself with a handheld audio device. I can be reached at home at 228-8432 or at anitka@leg.state.vt.us  or P.O. Box 136, Ludlow, VT 05149   You can find schedules and bills at www.leg.state.vt.us.

RWSU SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH COMMITTEE MEETING

Submitted by RWSU

Special Meeting

Thursday,  January 13, 2011 -  4:00 PM
Superintendent’s Office – 8 High Street, Ludlow, Vermont

A G E N D A

I. CALL TO ORDER:
a. Roll Call

II. BUSINESS ITEMS:
a. Approval of Minutes
b. Review of Candidates (Executive Session)
c. Other Business

III. EXECUTIVE SESSION (anticipated):
   
IV. ADJOURNMENT:

V. NEXT MEETING

BURTON RIGLET PARK TOUR COMES TO OKEMO

Submitted by Okemo Mtn Resort

On Jan. 23, Okemo Mountain Resort will play host to the third stop of the Burton Riglet Park Tour, a mobile product demo and mini snowboard park designed to introduce kids as young as 3 to the sport of snowboarding. 

The Riglet Park Tour at Okemo invites kids to try out Burton’s revolutionary kids’ Learn To Ride (LTR) products and experience the Riglet Reel, a specially designed attachment that fastens to the nose of youth snowboards. With the help of Burton’s Riglet Reel, instructors can tow kids onto features and around obstacles to introduce them to the fun of snowboarding. Also available to demo at the Riglet Park Tour are Burton LTR 80cm snowboards, Progression One-Strap bindings, Progression Velcro boots and Progression Youth helmets. Thanks to this incredible line-up of easy-to-ride gear, kids will be sliding a box, weaving around cones and jibbing in no time. 

“We have been focused on building kid-specific products that make learning to snowboard faster and more fun,” says Jeff Boliba, global resort director at Burton Snowboards. “The Burton Riglet Park is a great way to introduce kids to snowboarding.”

At Okemo’s Riglet Park, families will have a chance to meet Olympic gold medalist and former Burton pro snowboarder, Ross Powers, who will help kids make their first turns in this creative and innovative venue. 

There is no fee for children to participate in the Riglet Park Tour and the park, located at Okemo’s Clock Tower Base Area will be open to the public. More information about Okemo Mountain Resort may be obtained by calling (802) 228-1600 or by visiting okemo.com.

A MOVING EXPERIENCE FOR BLACK RIVER GOOD NEIGHBOR SERVICES

Submitted by Christine Fuller

Saturday, January 8th was a snowy gray morning but inside of the new and old locations of Black River Good Neighbor Services the sun shone from the smiles and enthusiasm of the 60 plus volunteers who came to help the areas only food shelf and thrift move from its old building to its new digs.

One group of volunteers helped empty the three floors of BRGNS’s location at 105 Main Street, while others loaded trucks which drove down the street to the new location where another group of volunteers helped unload, carry, sort, hang or arrange on shelves the assortment of merchandise.  About 15 pick-up trucks made multiple trips between the locations.  And of course there were many trips to the transfer station with now empty boxes.  People were coming and going all day long making a daunting task much easier.

Peter LaBelle, President of the Board of Directors, said “This is a historical event.  We have volunteers from every town that BRGNS serves.  There are teenagers from local schools, seniors from everywhere and even some people who recently moved to Ludlow that have given a hand.  Many of the community women spent time cooking and baking in advance so that all of the volunteers had healthy, delicious food for lunch and breaks throughout the day.   There were native Vermonters working side by side with those who moved here later in life.  Everyone shared the common goal of getting the new location up and running for Monday, January 10th so that those who rely on BRGNS for food and other services would not see an interruption in their supply line.”

Audrey Bridge, Director of the Thrift Shop and Food Shelf said “when you look at all of these volunteers and realize how many hundred work hours are being donated, you can’t help but beam with pride over this extraordinary community effort.”

Peter added, “We also want to thank the Selectmen of Ludlow and Frank Heald the Town Manager for all of the support they gave us throughout this process.  The Board of Directors of BRGNS has been working very hard towards this goal for over a year, they deserve a lot of credit for this too.”

LPCTV was at the event to film and interview many of the volunteers and you’ll be able to see for yourself how hard everyone worked while having a good time.  Pictures will also be posted on BRGNS’s web site at www.brgn.org.

BRGNS serves the villages and towns of Ludlow, Cavendish, Mt. Holly, Plymouth and Proctorsville.  The new store is located at 37B Main Street in the New Ludlow Community Center Complex, once the home of the Vermont National Guard.  Store hours are Monday through Saturday 10am to 4pm.  The phone number is 802-228-3663.

Big Weekend for BRGN and Community Center

 
This past weekend witnessed two major events in the development of the Ludlow Community Center and its affiliated renovated rental facilities formerly known as the tank barn.  During this two day period, the Black River Good Neighbors Services (BRGN) group moved its entire operation from its old Main location in downtown Ludlow to its portion of the old tank barn.  Anyone familiar with the inventory of food goods, clothing, shoes, household goods, and other assorted items commodities handled by BRGN will realize the magnitude of this effort – and the physical labor associated with the storage of much of it in the converted firehouse that BRGN has called home for most of it years in Ludlow.  What was both impressive and gratifying was the turnout of people to help BRGN in this immense and time restricted project.  Area folks from all walks of life, representing virtually all the towns serviced by BRGN, volunteered to help the staff and board of Good Neighbors move everything to its new location.  Even the minor snow storm failed to dissuade them from becoming a part of this relocation.  On Sunday of this past weekend, Ludlow officially opened the new Community Center to the Community for its inspection of the facilities.   It gave everyone the opportunity to see the new gym and weight room available to the public, the classrooms now usable by local residents, and the new kitchen and dining area – finally be used by the students from the Ludlow school complex.  It’s fair to say that the Ludlow Community Center and the new home of BRGN are now on the fast track to public usage and support.

 

FOLA Holds 1st Annual Meeting Jan19

FOLA (Friends of Ludlow Auditorium) will hold its first annual meeting on Wednesday, January 19 at 6 PM in the Auditorium at Ludlow's Town Hall.
 
The meeting will feature a review of the past year's efforts by FOLA to promote the increased use of the Auditorium.  Among the events that FOLA has brought to Ludlow were:
 
* Okemo Young Artists Concerts
* Concert by Gypsy Reel
* Two public debates
* Community Christmas Celebration
 
In addition to these events, FOLA was able to raise money to purchase equipment to show family movies in the auditorium.
 
The meeting will review the monies raised by FOLA to purchase this equipment along with the gift of an upright grand piano and its tuning.
 
David Almond will discuss the financial plans for the coming year.  Bruce Farr, Program Director, will review event plans for 2011 which already include Skip Gorman and Connie Dover in April for country and western music, a holiday celebration in December, and several other events in negotiation.  Movies will become a frequent activity at town hall after the new screen is erected and the equipment installed.
 
The meeting is open to all members of FOLA.  New officers for the coming year will be selected.
 
Call 802-228-7239 for information.