Exploring the Sacred

A couple of years ago the Montpelier Interfaith group held a series of programs at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library called Under Abraham's Tent. It was an interesting series and was well attended. This group is now offering a five week series of lectures and conversations Exploring Death and Its Spiritual Dimensions on Wednesdays beginning April 2 through April 30th at 7pm. The lectures will be held at the Stone Science Building on the Vermont College Campus located directly behind the Wood Art Gallery. Other sponsoring organizations include Central Vermont Ethics Committee and Vermont College of the Union Institute and University.
Presenters include Dr. Walter Brenneman, Professor William Paden, John Turner, Betty Blouin, Ellen Fein, Virginia Fry, and local clergy. This series is free and open to the public. If you have any questions Regis Cummings is the person to call at 223-6043.

This Week at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library

THE POWER OF NOW, by Eckhart Tolle, a Celebration with Justine and Robert O’Keefe,
This is the last program of a three-part series
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 7:30-9:00pm
“The Pain Body” Recognizing our cumulative pain and how it is triggered by and feeds on our thought patterns.
Books are available on loan at the library or bring your own copy.

CCV Lecture Series
Computer Information Security for the Everyday User
Thursday, March 27th, 7:00pm.
Cyber security breaches resulting in identity theft and stolen credit card information have brought the world of information security home to the everyday person. Recognizing the need for information security has become front page news and is increasingly salient in the public consciousness. This lecture will focus on how computer users, from the casual user to the more sophisticated user, can protect themselves as well as their company from information loss or corruption. The risks from hackers, dumpster diving and password sharing will be examined. Topics covered will also include password protection, the ethical use of computers and home security such as firewall applications. also include password protection, the ethical use of computers and home security.

Pruning Trees
Saturday, March 29, 2008 10am-12noon. With Dave Wilcox, VT Urban & Community Forestry. This hands-on workshop is a perennial favorite. Dress appropriately for the weather. Meet in the East Montpelier room. If you plan to attend the lilac pruning workshop in May, you must have pruning experience. Registration required! Call 223-3338. A Washington/Orange County Master Gardeners Program.

StoryWalk & Language Lunches at the Library

In today's edition of The Times Argus is an article about StoryWalk. Check it out by clicking here!

Last week the library was featured on the front page! Read about Language Lunches here

EVERYONE'S IRISH!

Hey! Spring fever at the Library! Join us on Monday March 17 for a gala o' green and our Everybody's Irish St. Patrick's Day party in the Hayes Room. With great music by Hilari Farrington (our esteemed library director) and Benedict Koehler, step dancing by Meagan Kane, and an ol' yarn by Ben O'Matchstick. Blimey! Tis a jolly lot o' fun for one great green hour at the library. Begins at 7pm. Wear your greenest attire and snacks for sharing. Want to volunteer for the decoration committee? Come speak to Ben at the Children's Library desk.

Planning for summer hikes

When the snow is three feet deep and the sidewalks are icy it’s hard to think about a time when we want to get outside and go for a long walk or even longer hike. But, of course, now is the time to plan and dream about those long summer treks. Two recent additions to the library could help with that planning.

If your goal is to hike Vermont’s Long Trail (or wonder what it would be like) Jan Leitschuh wrote a day-by-day humorous account called, The Ordinary Adventurer, Hiking Vermont’s Long Trail: a Primer for Baby Adventurers, and Other Musings on the Nature of the Journey.

She and her partner started the month long hike quite out of shape but finished the trip through the wilderness stronger, wiser, more thoughtful, and ready to try the Appalachian Trail.

If a month long end-to-end adventure isn’t exactly what you had in mind, maybe having a smaller area to explore is a better plan. If so, you may be interested in the Guide to the Wildlife Management Areas of Vermont, published by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

This spiral-bound book compiles 81 areas in Vermont that are managed by the state from Averill Mountain located on the border with Canada to Roaring Brook in the south-east corner. Each management area is identified in the book with a full page map, several paragraphs on the fish and wildlife that one can see there, and what the habitat features are including tree species, streams, ponds and/or vernal pools. There is also a short history of the area plus a general description of its location and size in acres. These wildlife management areas are open to regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing.

Be sure to include a camera and a notebook in your plan. It’s a great way to remember what Vermont looks like when the snow keeps us closer to home.

Town meeting day success!

All towns passed the full appropriation for the library, raising $390,000 (see the preceding post for town-by-town amounts). Worcester, Calais, and Middlesex voted in favor during town meeting. Australian ballot results in the other towns:

Berlin: 393 - 362 (Does not include write-ins. Town clerk does not expect outcome to change.)

East Montpelier: 724 - 327

Montpelier: 2,323 - 872

Our success is based, in my opinion, on the fact that Kellogg-Hubbard is an exceptional library that has had a real impact on the quality of life for people living in central Vermont.

Thank you!