Live music this Saturday at VAE

The Vermont Arts Exchange is featuring Toshi Reagon as part of their Basement Music series this coming Saturday night. Located at the Sage Street Mill in North Bennington, this is one of our best venues for awesome live music. For more details, visit the Vermont Art Exchange website.

Church Supper this weekend

Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church Upcoming Fundraisers. Please note:

Saturday, February 6 – Spaghetti and Pasta Dinner (sounds very good) from 5:00 until the food is gone with take-out available. $7.50 adults and $4.00 for children

Saturday, February 20 – 13^th Annual Toy and Model Show & Auction $3.00 entrance

Saturday, February 27 – Soup Supper 5:00 p.m. til gone.

Call the Parish Office from 9-12 and 1-4 daily at 442-3141 for more information.

Bennington Winterfest this weekend!

This weekend is the annual Bennington Winterfest and Penguin Plunge in North Bennington. A great family event, with lots of activities all day long. Check out the details at http://www.bennington.com/winterfest/

Bennington Museum Re-opens!

The Bennington Museum was closed for the month of January, but re-opens on January 31 with a Free Community Day. With free admission, this is a wonderful time to come and enjoy the special exhibitions, permanent collection, and all that the museum has to offer– Free of Charge. At 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, tours of the museum will be given by museum docents. In addition, there will be free light refreshments and Vermont inspired art activities for children in the schoolhouse. At 2:00 pm, the museum’s winter exhibition Vermont Impressions will be introduced with a gallery talk by Curator of Collections Jamie Franklin.

January 31 also marks the opening of the annual Student Art Show at the Bennington Museum. The Student Art Show brings artwork of the region’s elementary, middle and high school students to the museum in a display ranging from whimsical projects by the young students to more advanced work of older students. Certificates of participation will be presented to youth as they arrive. This exhibit runs from January 31 through February 28.

Winter in Vermont

With all the snow we've had recently, it's truly a winter wonderland here in the Shires of Vermont! For skiers, all the area mountains have terrific snow cover and conditions. Likewise for the cross-country skier crowd, Prospect Mountain in Woodford, and Wild Wings in Peru, both have lots of snow. If you prefer to cross country ski in natural conditions (no groomed trails) I highly recommend Woodford State Park on Route 9, which is closed in the winter but open to cross country skiers at no charge. Do not park right in front of the entrance to the park, instead travel a very short distance east of the park entrance to an off-road public parking area on the north side of the road.

This is also a great year for snow shoeing. One of my favorite spots is the trail to Little Pond also on Route 9 in Woodford, or the public access trail on Dorset Mountain located off Dorset Mtn. Road.

Snowmobiling is also very popular in our area, and there are hundreds of miles of trails. Contact VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) for more details.

Stay warm!

First Big Snow in The Shires

Like most of the country, we got hit hard and heavy with the first major snow of the season. Of course this is a source of great joy to all of us who are eager to get out and ski or snowshoe, snowmobile or sled! The mountains are now loaded with snow and are a bit icy so be careful traveling. Still waiting to put on your snow tires? The time is now!

The valleys have some snow, but are clear and safe for your holiday shopping. Only 15 shopping days left!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you all have a safe and happy holiday. The day after Thanksgiving is the official start of the Christmas shopping season and most of the shops in our area are having sales to celebrate. Shopping our local downtowns is a really nice alternative to fighting the traffic and crowds at the mall. It also supports the local community and preserves the character of our region that makes us unique.

On a personal note, if you are looking for handcrafted jewelry, pottery, glass, wood, or fine gifts, consider stopping by the Hawkins House craftsmarket in Bennington, Vermont. This second generation business was started by my parents in 1977 and is today run by my wife Elizabeth Ganger. It's a really fun store that is well liked by both locals and travelers (many come year after year). The Hawkins House is located on North Street, two blocks north of four corners in downtown Bennington.

Thanksgiving is also traditionally a popular time for hunting, so remember to wear red or orange if you are out hiking this weekend. I'm not personally a hunter, but hunting is a vital part of wildlife management and the license fees also support a wide range of non-game conservation programs.

Again, have a great holiday!

Early winter in the Shires

Everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving, so not a lot of events this weekend. I love this time of year. The leaves are down and you can see a lot when hiking outside.

Hunting season continues, so if you are hiking remember to wear red or blaze orange. Cold weather has stopped the black flies and mosquitos, but it's prime season for ticks, so remember to check carefully for unwanted "visitors" after you hike. Ticks in our area carry Lyme disease so this is important. Remember, Lyme disease takes at least 24 hours to transfer from a tick to you... so as long as you check and remove any ticks you don't have to worry about catching the disease. Common Lyme Disease symptoms are aches, and flu-like symptoms MINUS the runny nose. (With runny nose, it's probably the flu!) A bulls-eye shaped rash often occurs at the site of the bite, but not always. Lyme is easily cured if caught early. If you have had a tick on you for more than 24 hours, and show symptoms, you should consult your doctor!