We got a bit of news from Mike Kiernan, the emergency department doctor who runs a side business planting flower gardens around solar arrays to support bees, butterflies and other pollinators. He gave a little thumbnail update of the business, called Bee the Change, pointing out that the acreage of pollinator-friendly plantings his outfit has coming online in the next year will mean they have created pollinator habitat equal to each Vermont household planting a 6-foot-by-8-foot pollinator garden. That’s pretty cool, but Dr. Kiernan reminds us all that each household should also plant its own garden, too. Check out Mike’s Bee the Change video celebrating Earth Day; it’s on the Addison Independent Facebook page.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of MAUSD community members is attempting to connect local students to older district residents and households without children in school. So they’ve created “2 Way Postcards” as the vehicle for this conversation and connection. The hope is that students would send a pre-addressed and stamped postcard to a random community member. The recipient community member would then tear off the attached second postcard (already stamped) and return it to the student. In Lincoln, the postcards will be in a labeled small red box outside of the Lincoln General Store. Further instructions can be found attached to and within the small red box. Pick the 2 Way Postcards up at your convenience. Organizers want to run the program through May 15. Any questions, contact Rob Backlund at [email protected].
With the uncertain times we are in and everyone’s safety our first priority, this year’s MED47 fundraiser in Bristol will look a little different; organizers have decided to hold the popular silent auction online. Organizers won’t be reaching out to businesses for donations; instead, they’re hoping folks will consider buying from a favorite business or craftsperson and then donating the gift certificate or item to the silent auction. So your gift would have double the impact. All proceeds will go to benefit the Brendon P. Cousino Med47 Foundation, which awards scholarships to area tech students, and provides funds to area first- response groups and food shelves. Brendon Cousino was a young EMT, carpenter, father and husband and Mount Abe grad from Bristol. He was killed in a wrong-way car crash in 2015. The Med47 foundation was created in his memory to carry on his legacy. The online silent auction will be held for one week, starting Friday, May 29, running thru Friday, June 5. Check for updates on Facebook: Brendon P. Cousino Med47 Foundation, or you can contact Cindy Cousino at [email protected], or call 802-233-8334.
Middlebury Girl Scout troop 51875 has cookies the group had planned to sell at a booth in April. Due to COVID-19, the troop members can’t sell cookies to individuals or at a booth. But with your help, they can donate cookies. One of the troop leaders is an essential worker who can drop off donated cookies to Porter Medical Hospital and Middlebury EMTs. The troop has donated 24 boxes (valued at $120) to Porter and plans to donate another 12 boxes to Middlebury EMTs. You can help by buying the cookies to be donated, by sending a check to: Girl Scout Troop 51875, P.O. Box 451, East Middlebury, VT 05753. Your check should be made out to Troop 51875. Cookies cost $5 per box and you can purchase as many boxes of cookies for donation as you want. If you include your email address, and a girl scout will email you a thank you note for your donation.