If you are planning to vote by mail in next Tuesday’s Primary Election but didn’t get your ballots in the mail by now, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos suggest you skip the postal service and drop the completed ballot off in person. You can drop it at your town clerk’s office (if it’s open) or at the polling place on Election Day. The Middlebury town clerk’s office is not open to the public at all, but Middlebury Town Clerk Ann Webster, for instance, said voters can use the small payment drop box outside her office. But the best bet is to turn in a ballot on Tuesday at the Recreation Center on Creek Road, where the polls will be open until 7 p.m. You will not have to come through the polling place to drop off voted ballots, but it wouldn’t hurt to wear a mask in any case.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church has gifted the town of Middlebury $16,800 for the purchase of a stone-paver labyrinth that will be installed as a design element of the new Lazarus Park that will be located near Printer’s Alley. The new park — which will honor the Lazarus family that brought businesses and much goodwill to town — will be built upon completion of the downtown rail bridges project. The labyrinth will be installed by Kubricky Construction at no additional cost to the town.
Stewards of the Sarah Partridge Community House are looking for two people who enjoy weeding, garden design and transplanting. They’ll help Catherine Nichols work on the garden at the well-loved community house on East Main Street in East Middlebury. Contact Nichols at [email protected].
A small group, started within Addison County’s grassroots organization Showing Up for Racial Justice, is looking for input in developing initiatives to address the wealth white Americans have accumulated at the expense of slavery and colonialist practices. The group’s next meeting, via Zoom, is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6, at 5:30 p.m. Email Rob Reiber at [email protected] for more information and the Zoom link.
Youth in our communities need trustworthy and approachable adults now more than ever. Are you a parent, educator or community member who works with or interacts with youth? Are you interested in learning how you can be more “askable”? The University of Vermont Extension 4-H program is hosting an Askable Adult Training created by the Vermont Network. In this training you will hear perspectives from youth and how you can be more supportive. Participants will enhance skills that will enable them to have strong, trusting and affirming relationships; communicate more effectively; strengthen connections; and be a valuable resource for the young people in their lives. This two-part training will take place Aug. 18 and 20, 10-11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Registration is free and will be capped at 35 participants. Register at: surveymonkey.com/r/askable2020. For more information head online to vtnetwork.org/askableadult.
Reminder: During the course of Gov. Phil Scott’s emergency orders, all Vermont driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations have an automatic 90-day extension beyond their expiration date. So if your license expired on Aug. 3, 2020, it’s still good until Nov. 3, 2020. For new drivers, there’s an online test and a third-party driving test. The state now has 53 third-party certified testing agents to schedule driving tests for new drivers. Go to dmv.vermont.gov for information.