Cornwall resident and University of Vermont senior Ian Gill is scheduled this Thursday, Feb. 21, to box for the New England Golden Gloves Novice Division 174-pound championship in Lowell, Mass. Gill, who won the Northern New England title back in late January, advanced to the final without having to throw a punch in his scheduled Feb. 14 regional semifinal. Gill told the Independent his opponent contacted him before the bout and said he couldn’t make the 174-pound weight limit, meaning Gill won by forfeit. Gill — whose father, Cornwall Boxing Club founder Brian Gill, serves as his corner man — carries a 2-0 record into the final.
 
Consider sponsoring a child in the “Bites in a Bag Program,” offered through Bristol’s Have a Heart Food Shelf. Bites in a Bag” is currently providing around 40 area children with some healthy food for each weekend during the 40-week school year. In their bags each week the kids receive approximately eight healthy and kid-tested snack foods, such as a half-cup of carrots, a yoghurt, cheese sticks, an apple, an orange, a package of peanut butter and crackers, a bag of pretzels, and a bag of dried fruit. The program costs about $2.50 per child to run each week, or about $100 per week total cost. This program is staffed completely by volunteer parents in cooperation with the school food service staff. Make your check out to: Have a Heart Food Shelf, with “Bites in a Bag” written in the memo line. Mail it to: Have a Heart Food Shelf, c/o Rebecca Price, 928 Stony Hill Road, Bristol, VT 05443.
 
Congratulations are in order for several local Nordic skiers, who have qualified for Eastern Championship races in Maine in early March. Elvis McIntosh, Lucas Palcsik, Zach Wilkerson, Joe Graziadei and Phoebe Hussey have qualified for the Vermont team going to the NENSA 16-and-Under Eastern Championships on March 8-10 in Bethel, Maine. McIntosh, Malia Hodges and Addy Harris will be joining the Vermont team at the Eastern High School Championships, which will be held in Fort Kent, Maine, March 15-17. All but Harris are members of the Frost Mountain Nordic club. Hodges, McIntosh, Palcsik and Wilkerson are all students at MUHS. Graziadei and Hussey attend North Branch School in Ripton, and Harris, skiing independently from Frost Mountain Nordic, is a student at Mount Abe.
 
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.
 
Middlebury Community Players is throwing a party on Monday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Theater, and you’re invited. “Play Date” is for anyone who might like to work with the Middlebury Community Players and who wants to find out about future productions. Drop by the Town Hall Theater for food, drink, conversation, door prizes — and some surprise entertainment. There will be a “Name That Show” slide show, and bring a friend in order to get an extra door prize ticket. “Play Date” will be a casual get-together for people who are interested in learning more about acting, directing, designing, stage managing, costuming or working on a crew. For those curious about local theater, this will be a great time to ask questions, give suggestions, voice ideas, and meet people who share your interest. Find out about the MCP by visiting middleburycommunityplayers.org, or email [email protected].
 
The Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) has awarded its Revive and Community Building literacy grants to elementary schools, public libraries and organizations serving low-income, at-risk, and rural kids in Vermont and New Hampshire. This year’s Revive grants recipients included the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury and the Platt Memorial Library in Shoreham. CLiF’s Revive grant provides funding to the organization’s past partners (schools, libraries, and organizations that have received a CLiF grant in the past five years) to revive their literacy programming. The grant pays for community visits with one of CLiF’s 64 Vermont and N.H. authors, illustrators and storytellers.
 
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.
 
The Vermont State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is partnering with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to host a mentored turkey hunting event on May 18 and 19 for hunters with disabilities, called “Wheelin’ Sportsmen.” NWTF developed the Wheelin’ Sportsmen program to work with hunters with disabilities to provide the extra assistance and mentorship needed to have a safe and enjoyable hunt. To sign up for the Wheelin’ Sportsmen Hunt contact Kaylee Campagna at 802-363-8071, [email protected], or on Facebook at Vermont NWTF Wheelin’ Sportsmen Hunt. Pre-registration is required by March 9, 2019. Participants are responsible for obtaining their hunting license. Vermont residents may be eligible to obtain a free permanent hunting license with proof of a qualifying disability at vtfishandwildlife.com.