The Addison County Solid Waste Management District is hosting a free hazardous waste collection event for residents of three communities on Saturday, June 1, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the new Starksboro Town Garage. This event is for Starksboro, Lincoln and Monkton residents only. What is hazardous waste? Any unused product that is poisonous, reactive, corrosive or flammable. Common items include pesticides, gasoline, motor oil, paint products, cleaning products, automotive chemicals, pool chemicals, fluorescent light bulbs and batteries. Household waste only — no business waste will be accepted. Motor oil will be limited to 10 gallons per household. Items that won’t be accepted include lab chemicals, pharmaceuticals, fireworks, flares, explosives, ammunition, radioactive waste. For those who can’t make the event, the HazWaste Center at the ACSWMD transfer station off Route 7 South in Middlebury accepts household hazardous waste year-round and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
 
The annual planting of flowers at the Bristol Peace Garden on the town green will be this Sunday, June 2, beginning at 11 a.m. Volunteers will also be spreading mulch. If you’d like to lend a hand, please join the group or make a financial contribution to keep the symbolic garden growing. Donations help support the purchase of new plants and any repairs needed to the Peace Garden structure.
 
Curious about the successes and failures of the 2019 legislative session? Then attend the last legislative breakfast of the year at the Bridport Grange Hall this coming Monday, June 3. The breakfast begins at 7 a.m., with the information portion of the program starting at 7:30 a.m. Organizers are hoping for a good turnout of Addison County lawmakers and citizens to share their views on the recently concluded session.
 
This year’s Green Up Day cleanup effort on May 4 was hugely successful in Addison County, in spite of lousy weather. Here are some stats, courtesy of Bristol volunteer Carolyn Dash: A total 17.79 tons of roadside trash was collected in Addison County this year, including more than 2 tons in Bristol, Monkton and New Haven. In Bristol, 600 people helped pick up roadside trash in 426 total bags. Among the refuse collected were 12 tires, a car battery and two large pieces of metal. The most commonly reported type of litter? Light beer and Twisted Tea cans. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Green Up Day. In the meantime, please police your trash so volunteers find less work to do.
 
2019 is the 50th anniversary of the generous donation of the D.M. Means Memorial Woods to the town of Middlebury. Elinor Means gave the 29.4-acre tract to the town in 1969, with a covenant that restricts its use to a green space in conjunction with the adjacent Battell Woods, in the vicinity of Seminary Street Extension and Chipman Hill. The Means Woods Trustees are seeking information, memories and stories about D.M. Means from anyone in the community who knew him. Any descendants, friends, colleagues and neighbors of D.M. Means are kindly asked to get in touch with Cindy Hill, at [email protected], or at 802-989-6906.
 
On Tuesday, May 21, Bi-State Primary Care Association (BSPCA) recognized five Vermont community leaders and providers for their “integrity and outstanding contributions in improving access to health care for Vermonters.” Among them was former state Sen. Claire Ayer, a Democrat who chaired the Senate Health & Welfare Committee for several years. BSPCA bestowed upon Ayer its “Vermont Board Chair Award” for her “16 years as a visionary on health policy issues.”  BSPCA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that represents New Hampshire and Vermont’s 28 Community Health Centers serving over 315,400 patients at 143 locations.
 
The Granville Volunteer Fire Department is selling tickets to its cash raffle. Proceeds will be used to replace obsolete fire equipment. Three winners will be chosen on Sept. 1. Tickets are available now. Buy one while they last. Speak to any GVFD member for a ticket or stop in at the Granville Country Store. For more info, call 767-4600.
 
Organizers of the annual Three Day Stampede Towards the Cure for Cystic Fibrosis (July 26-28) are now accepting donations for the event’s giant lawn sale. Drop-offs will be accepted each Saturday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., on Munsill Avenue near the Bristol Works complex until Saturday, July 20. The final drop off will be at the town recreation field on Wednesday, July 24, from 4-7 p.m. There will be volunteers at the drop-off locations to accept items; please don’t drop anything off when these volunteers aren’t present. A list of items the Stampede can’t accept — which includes wet material — can be found at threedaystampede.org, and organizers reserve the right to reject items they believe won’t sell during the event. The Stampede must pay for disposal of any unsold items at the end of the event. For more information, email [email protected], or call 453-4305