Oct. 1 and 15: Ferrisburgh Selectboard Meetings, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 4: First Friday Movies “The Public” 6 p.m., Bixby Library.
Oct. 5: LCMM James Wakefield Rescue Row, Burlington Waterfront 9:30 a.m.
Oct. 12 and 26: Ferrisburgh Grange King Pede card parties, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 20: History of Beekeeping in Vermont, 3 p.m., Rokeby.
Oct. 26: Pancake Breakfast, 8 a.m., Fire Department, Route 7.
 
FERRISBURGH — On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Ferrisburgh Fire Department’s annual pancake breakfast fundraiser will be serving up lots of pancakes and Vermont maple syrup. The pancakes will be on the griddle as of 8 a.m., so get there early for breakfast. This is a perfect way to visit with your neighbors while supporting our Fire Department and its many dedicated volunteers!
The Bixby Library’s First Friday Movie Night will air the film “The Public.” This is a story about an act of civil disobedience that turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold. The film is rated PG-13 and will be shown at the Community Room on Oct. 4 beginning at 6 p.m. As always, free popcorn and comfy chairs and couches will be provided. Feel free to bring in drinks and snacks.
The Ferrisburgh Grange “King Pede” card parties are scheduled for the Saturdays of Oct. 12 and 26. These get-togethers are held at the Ferrisburgh Town Hall and Community Center and begin at 6:30 p.m. with a sandwich supper and then on to an evening of fun and card games. King Pede is an unusual game that involves “trick-taking” techniques such as in Hearts and Spades or Pitch. This is a game of fun and skill so come prepared to use your strategic thinking.
Rokeby presents “A History of Beekeeping in Vermont” on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. A number of years ago, several literary-minded beekeepers got together to discuss how they might write the history of beekeeping in Vermont. Fast forward to 2019, and the book is now available for purchase. Ross Conrad is one of the book’s authors and will give an overview of the history of beekeeping with a special emphasis on Addison County. Conrad turned to Rokeby archives in researching this history and will share how beekeeping has changed over the years in response to environmental changes.
Conrad is the author of “Natural Beekeeping,” (Chelsea Green, 1986), and operates Dancing Bee Gardens in Middlebury. This will be the final in a series of lectures and special events provided by Rokeby during the 2019 season. The public is invited to tour the house and other exhibit up to the museum’s seasonal closing in October — and stay tuned for another great series of events beginning May 2020.
Our area schools are continuing through the fall semester and we wish the best to all the students and their families. There are many activities scheduled that students and families should be following. Visit the schools’ websites and social media to learn of events and volunteer opportunities and other ways in which we, as a community, can support our children and schools. Organizations such as the Ferrisburgh PTO and the Commodore Boosters always welcome parent and community involvement. Ferrisburgh Central School is at ferrisburghcentral.org. Vergennes Union Middle/High School is at vuhs.org.
The VUHS Guidance Department offers a variety of supports for students to negotiate the college application process, such as meetings on scholarship and tuition payment options and the fall visits from college representatives. Contact the school counseling office with questions at 877-2567. Also, the presentations and information from the Sept. 23 orientation for parents of all students are now available, including the orientation to the proficiency-based learning system. These documents are on the school’s “Google Docs” site and parents are always welcome to contact Jay Stetzel with questions at [email protected].
The Vergennes Union Middle and High Schools are participating in the “Fuel Up to Play 60” program through the health classes taught by Kyle Vickers. An online program launched by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League, in collaboration with USDA. “Fuel Up to Play 60” encourages students to dedicate themselves to sixty minutes of physical activity in addition to making healthy and nutritional choices each day. The goal is to earn as many points as possible by creating specific challenges such as walking as a family or designing a personalized obstacle course. The points that students and the school earn are counted toward an opportunity to meet with football players from the NFL.
Students can join this program by going to fueluptoplay60.com and creating an account for themselves by using the VUHS school code “Commodores.” Parents can also support their students by helping them complete various challenges. The school’s overall goal is for all students to schedule in 60 minutes of physical activity and to make healthy nutritional choices every day.
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has a full agenda of tours, classes and workshops up to their 2019 closing date of Oct. 13. Visit their website at lcmm.org for the dates and details of their rowing trips, blacksmithing and bladesmithing workshops, and many more opportunities to learn about Lake Champlain and its history. The James Wakefield Rescue Row is an annual rowing race named after a brave first responder who in 1876 rescued passengers and crew of the shipwreck of the General Butler on the Burlington Breakwater. The race consists of 200 youth, rowing 32 and 25-foot rowing boats in a series of heats along the waterfront. Teams hail from Vermont schools and also New York and Massachusetts. This year’s rowing event will take place on Saturday Oct. 5 at 9:30 a.m. at Perkins Pier in Burlington.
NOTE: We are always interested in including a variety of Ferrisburgh-related news in this column, so if you have news that would be of interest, contact Sally Kerschner at [email protected]. You are able to access these columns and other information about Ferrisburgh news and events by viewing the Ferrisburgh Town Website at ferrisburghvt.org.