Attention, four-legged friends and their humans: The Middlebury Dog Park, a wonderful amenity off Collins Drive, is currently closed for at least two weeks as volunteers perform some maintenance chores, including some re-seeding of the grounds. Mud season has hit the fenced-in park with a vengeance. Stay tuned for a reopening date.
 
Funding is now available through the Walter Cerf Community Fund (WCCF), which has contributed millions of dollars to statewide and local charitable causes during the past few decades. The late Walter Cerf, a former Addison County resident and native of Germany, gave more than $10 million to various non-profit organizations and projects statewide before passing away in 2001. He focused much of his giving in Addison County and Brandon. His giving continues through the fund that bears his name, which is run through the Middlebury-based Vermont Community Foundation. Roughly two-thirds of the grants are reserved for Addison County/Brandon projects and roughly one-third is reserved for statewide projects. Priority interests are the arts, education, historic preservation and social services, reflecting the pattern of giving established by Cerf during his lifetime. This year, fund advisors will award multiple grants up to $5,000 and one grant up to $25,000. Applications to the fund will be accepted through June 7. Visit vermontcf.org/Cerf to learn more.
 
The Bristol selectboard is seeking candidates to fill two vacancies on the local Zoning Board of Adjustment. One of those seats is for an alternate member; both terms will expire in 2021. The ZBA consists of seven members and two alternates, and it is responsible for reviewing applications for conditional uses and variances under the town’s zoning regulations. The panel also hears appeals of decisions of the zoning administrator, as well as enforcement matters. The Bristol ZBA meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, as needed, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the town office. Interested citizens should e-mail with contact information, relevant skills, and a statement of interest to [email protected], or [email protected].
 
A reminder that the Middlebury Fire Department will host its 64th Annual Ham Supper fundraiser in East Middlebury on Tuesday, May 1, at the Waybury Inn. Supper will be served continuously from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for kids 10 years old and younger, and free for children younger than 3. Tickets can be purchased at Champlain Valley Plumbing and Heating, 7 South Sandwich Company, Cole’s Flowers, Goodro Lumber and the Waybury Inn — which kindly donates the use of its facilities for this event. You may also purchase tickets from any member of the Middlebury Fire Department, or at the door preceding the event. Take-out orders are also available at the door if you prefer to eat at home. Proceeds help the Middlebury Fire Department pay for essential training and equipment.
 
Three Mary Hogan Elementary School students have each won $250 college savings accounts as part of the state’s “Winning is an Investment” program. “Reading is an Investment” promotes financial literacy and reading literacy through classroom and library instruction and through a personal reading program. More than 5,000 elementary school students completed the reading challenge this year and had their names entered in a random drawing to win one of twenty, $250 college savings accounts provided by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. Reading is an Investment is underwritten by the TD Bank Charitable Foundation, the Windham Foundation, and Comcast. Mary Hogan students receiving scholarships this year included Connor McNamara, Brandy Bishop and Kassidy Brown.
 
Cyclists, get ready to saddle up for the annual Kelly Boe Memorial Bike Ride, scheduled for Wednesday, May 9, beginning at 4 p.m. at Middlebury Union High School. The slow-paced ride honors all those who’ve been injured or killed while cycling on public roads. Kelly Boe was a much-loved Middlebury resident who was killed when struck by a car while cycling in Weybridge on April 14, 2015. The eight-mile loop of this year’s memorial ride will extend from MUHS through downtown Middlebury, out to Weybridge Road to Hamilton Road, then back to MUHS by 5 p.m. Rain date will be May 11, if heavy rain is falling. Donations will be gratefully accepted for the Kelley Boe scholarship Fund.