Reminder: The Addison County Solid Waste Management District’s Repair Fair will be held in the Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury today, Thursday, Feb. 14, from 4-8 p.m. The Repair Fair is a free, family-friendly event that empowers people to repair broken and damaged belongings instead of throwing them away. Bring your bikes, clothing, jewelry, eyeglasses, furniture, appliances and more to be fixed for free. Refreshments and kids activities provided. More information can be found online at: bit.ly/2ApqBia.
 
Plans are underway to celebrate this year’s high school seniors who attended Monkton Central School. The tentative date for that celebration is June 1 at the Monkton Recreation Field. But in the meantime, organizers are asking for help in planning the event. Interested volunteers are asked to assemble at the Bristol Cliffs Café this Saturday, Feb. 16, at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Hilary at [email protected].
 
The Vermont Chapter of Native Fish Coalition (NFC) this week confirmed its supporting the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s proposal to close the Salisbury Fish Hatchery as a way to cut department costs and avoid a $12 million upgrade in the Salisbury facility that would be driven by new federal water quality rules. The state’s proposal for closing the Salisbury hatchery is detailed in an article in the Feb. 7 edition of the Independent. The NFC is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to protect, preserve and restore native fish. “Vermont can have healthy, wild native trout populations without farm-raised fish,” Tim Hayes, chair of NFC’s Vermont chapter, stated through a press release. “We can shift away from expensive, aquaculture-based trout fishing.”
 
The U.S. Navy has named a Virginia Class Submarine (SSN 792) the USS Vermont. This is only the third U.S. Naval vessel to be named after the Green Mountain State. The USS Vermont has been christened, with an anticipated commissioning in early 2020. The Green Mountain Base of the United States Submarine Veterans Inc. is looking for submarine veterans to attend this historic event and support the USS Vermont crew. Email Bill Mattoon at [email protected], or call 802-885-3886. Additional information on the USS Vermont Commissioning Committee can be found at ussvermont.org.
 
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is seeking volunteers to become “Let’s Go Fishing” instructors to pass along Vermont’s fishing tradition. The department will host a one-day training workshop for new instructors on Saturday, April 13, at the Essex District Office at 111 West St. in Essex Junction. All curriculum materials and lunch will be provided. The workshop runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and you must be at least 18 years old to participate and pass a background check. Those interested can register through April 10 at vtfishandwildlife.com. A related note: The F&W Department is partnering with Castleton University on graduate-level credit for participants. For those seeking to earn a credit for the course, there’s a $125 fee to cover the cost of that credit. The training is free for those not seeking college credit.