Montpelier City Council Resolution Concerning the National Election and Related Events
This resolution -- concerning the national election and related events -- was passed at the City Council meeting on January 13. It also references the upcoming expected State Capitol events on Sunday 1/17 and Wednesday 1/20. Please read and forward to others.
MLK, Jr. Week Virtual Events Targeted for Older Vermonters
Each year, AmeriCorps members celebrate and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dedication to service by volunteering in the community. This year, they are celebrating virtually. Fortunately, this gives us a unique opportunity to connect with people from all around the state and participate in activities together. Some Americorps members have skills and interests that they are eager to share. We hope to see you there! Click here to view the entire menu of opportunities...
Last City of Montpelier Budget Workshop and Public Budget Survey about FY22
Jan. 21 | via Zoom
Survey online, still available: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SMJZ68Q .
MSAC is part of city government! The City Council meetings scheduled this month will include budget workshops, discussions and public input sessions. To view agendas and find links to connect, visit this website: https://www.montpelier-vt.org/129/Agendas-Minutes. The city has also launched a Public Budget Survey online, still available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SMJZ68Q.
Capital City Farmer’s Market Returns for Winter
133 State Street | 2nd and 4th Saturdays (next one: this coming Saturday, Jan. 23) | 11am-1pm
We have decided to continue to operate the market outdoors through the winter to make sure you have access to fresh, local food in a safe (if chilly) environment. We feel the in-person market experience is important, especially in these socially-distanced days, to keep our sense of community alive....so we hope you’ll join us every 2nd and 4th Saturday, January through April, from 11am-1pm, in our beautiful new home at 133 State Street (near the State Tax Department). EBT/debit will be available. Pre-ordering encouraged but not required....check our Facebook page, website or newsletter each week for a list of participating vendors. Covid safety enforced - masks required. Market may be canceled due to weather - announcement will be made via Facebook, newsletter and our website. Email us for help with curbside/home delivery (manager@montpelierfarmersmarket.com)
AARP Livable Communities presents: Bicycling and Older Adults
Wednesday, Jan. 27 | 2-3 pm | Online | Free
Join representatives from the League of American Bicyclists on January 27 for a discussion about cycling trends among people age 50-plus, the needs of older bicyclists and the importance of "active transportation" for people of all ages.
Register for this free event by clicking here.
Volunteer Request: Help an Older Adult Grocery Shop and Contactless Delivery
Looking to give aid and care for older neighbors in the community? Are you willing to help with grocery shopping and contactless delivery? If so, apply today at https://www.cvcoa.org/volunteering.html. No formal experience required, and COVID-19 protocols are in effect. Signed and completed paperwork plus background checks are required to volunteer. For assistance, contact AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator, Dante DeNault, at 802-279-0512 or email him at americorpsmember@cvcoa.org.
Washington County Community Meals & Food Resources
We received this resource link from our friends at UCM last week and have posted to our Resource Links and FEAST Pages for your reference. Copies will also be available at FEAST To-Go and distributed to Meals on Wheels recipients.
Montpelier's Own Green Mountain Cemetery featured in VT Digger article: "People who love the land are getting interested in green burials"
"...People are turning to green burials as an environmentally friendly option. While traditional burials emit carbon, green burials can actually sequester it by forgoing the use of hardwood for caskets. " Read the entire article here: https://vtdigger.org/2021/01/10/people-who-love-the-land-are-getting-interested-in-green-burials/..
The City of Montpelier is looking for help identifying local safety hazards to assist in editing the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP)!
Hazard Mitigation Plans aim to develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future hazard events. Hazard mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property damage by lessening the impact of safety hazard events or disasters. This is accomplished by identifying risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural and other risks. Hazard mitigation is most effective when implemented through a strategic, comprehensive, and long-term Hazard Mitigation Plan, which are reviewed and updated every 5 years. A FEMA approved LHMP is a requirement for receiving certain FEMA assistance. The City of Montpelier, in collaboration with the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, has begun the LHMP update process and is looking for input from Montpelier residents to help identify the hazards that impact the City. We’re asking the community to respond to the following survey to help inform the LHMP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MVGR8GD.
Your input is greatly appreciated and will help reduce risks and damages from future hazards. The LHMP Committee is also still accepting members if you would like to assist with the planning! Applications can be found here: https://www.montpelier-vt.org/CommitteeApplication.
Celebrate the 2021 Birthday of Trees with the Montpelier Tree Board
The 2021 Festival of Trees goes outdoors this year with the 2021 Festival of Trees Scavenger Hunt. Go to https://www.montpelier-vt.org/1092/Festival-of-Trees to find the Tree Board Scavenger Hunt. Use the Hunt to go outside and take some time to get to know the trees you see every day at your house, on your street, in your neighborhood or on a walk through Montpelier. Take a Scavenger Hunt selfie with your favorite tree and email it to the Tree Board Chair, John Snell, jrsnelljr@gmail.com, between January 24 and 31, to be eligible to win a prize!
Remember, let's stay safe and healthy, so when you walk outside, dress for the weather and "Masks on faces, 6 foot spaces, uncrowded places." Although we can't hug our human friends right now, we can hug a tree. For more information about the Tree Board's 2021 Festival of Trees and to find the Trees Scavenger Hunt go to https://www.montpelier-vt.org/1092/Festival-of-Trees.
Contribute to a Community Art Project!
A quilt is a covering, it makes one feel at home, safe. Our charge for most of the year has been to stay safe as individuals and stay home for the strength and health of the community at large. Montpelier Alive is launching a new public art project, the "Tumbling Blocks" quilt, to stitch together our community. Individual designs created by the community at home will be glued onto panels to come together as a community quilt. The “quilt” will be installed on the large panel walls at the Transit Center in Montpelier, VT for all to see. We will unveil the quilt in March 2021 to mark one year of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our community. We will wrap a blanket around the community. We want YOU to be part of this project! How can you be involved? Download our quilt template, unleash your artistic passions, turn in the completed template, and your art will be part of our larger piece! Montpelier Alive thanks AARP Vermont for supporting this project. To learn more and download the template, click here: http://www.montpelieralive.org/quilt.
Older Announcements
COVID Vaccines in VT
The Vermont Dept. of Health has put together a webpage all about COVID-19 vaccines, it can be found here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/about-covid-19-vaccines-vermont. Check often for updates about how, where and when to get your vaccine! We are hoping to get more information from the State in the coming week to share with you.
Do you know about Kanopy - a video streaming service for Kellogg Hubbard library patrons?
Over 30,000 movies, documentaries, and kids favorites are available on your mobile device or home computer -- through this service you get as a card-carrying member of our local library! To learn more and find instructions, click here: https://www.kellogghubbard.org/kanopy.
TW Wood Art Gallery Board seeks Treasurer
Are you a retired finance person who is interested in the arts? T.W. Wood Gallery seeks someone with a background in finance to serve as treasurer on the volunteer board of directors of this unique institution: we are the first art museum in the state of Vermont, the holder of Montpelier native Thomas Waterman Wood’s art collection, the New England repository of an extraordinary collection of WPA art, and exhibitor of diverse and exciting contemporary Vermont artists. We offer fantastic after-school and summer-art camps, which have been vital to families during Covid. Interested? Contact therese.mageau@gmail.com. Click here to read the position posting.
Fuel and Food Assistance Available
Vermont seniors may be eligible to receive fuel assistance if your household income is equal or less than 185% of the federal poverty level, regardless of resources. It is possible that people who live in your home will not be in your Fuel Assistance household, such as a caretaker, which means their income will not be counted when determining your eligibility. Visit this site https://dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/fuel-assistance, call the State’s benefits center at 1-800-479-6151, or call the Senior Helpline at 1-800-642-5119 to learn more or get help to apply.
Note: In the newsletter on page 8 and on the state’s website, you’ll also find information about 3Squares in a SNAP, an easier way for older & disabled Vermonters to access 3SquaresVT – a program that helps you put healthy foods on the table.
Film Appreciation with Rick Winston: Announcing his Winter Film Class Online (and a link to his film recommendations)!
Rick Winston will offer his fourth remote film appreciation class this winter, starting on Thursday, January 7 and continuing for eight weeks each Thursday morning from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Instead of a film showing followed by a discussion, as we've done at MSAC for many years, Rick has been using a different format for these Zoom-based classes: a different theme each week, illustrated with many film clips. This winter’s class will cover disparate subjects: two will highlight the work of a major director (Akira Kurosawa and Mike Leigh); one will be an in-depth exploration of one Hollywood classic (“Sunset Boulevard”); and there will be several other general subjects, such as Australian films, British comedy, and films about colonialism.
“I miss the intimacy of the MSAC classes, where we’d all be part of one audience,” says Rick, “but despite Zoom’s limitations, it’s a vital way to stay connected these days.” There’s a personal element, too. He adds, “Preparing these sessions in this new format has deepened my understanding of these films.”
The fee for the eight-week class is $50. To register and to see a full listing, contact Rick at <winsrick@sover.net> Rick adds, "Last year, Andrea and I listed some film recommendations each month. You can see all six months' worth at www.rickwinston.org/four-thumbs-up-recommendations.
Zumba with Megan Pow - class updates ( another Zumba Gold class!) and discounts for MSAC members
Beloved Zumba instructor, Megan Pow just let us know that in addition to her "Tuesday Zumba Gold"" class that we mentioned last week, she will also be offering a "Saturday Zumba Gold" class as well! Click here for more information Zumba Gold and for all of Megan's other classes! (When you go to register, make sure you choose the 6th or 8th option to receive your MSAC discount)!
COVID Support VT: New Wellness and Mental Health Resources free for the community!
COVID Support VT is excited to announce that they have three Support Counselors, now available Mondays-Fridays, 8am-8pm, to provide emotional support, connections to community resources and to be a listening ear. Support Counselors are available by calling 2-1-1.
Weekly Wellness Groups offered every Tuesday at 1 pm and 5 pm. To get the Zoom link visit our Get Support Wellness Group webpage.
That news, and more, can be found here in their new monthly newsletter (view newsletter). Want to stay up-to-date – get the newsletter in your inbox – sign up here.
They also have a new Media Center where you can self-serve and download our resources, available in many languages.
To order printed materials simply fill out this new Printed Resources Request Form.