FERRISBURGH — Rokeby Museum will continue to be open for weekends throughout the fall. The museum will be open Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 31-Dec. 6 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This will allow visitors to see the ongoing exhibits such as “Free and Safe: The Underground Railroad in Vermont” which details the stories of Simon and Jesse, two fugitives from slavery who found shelter at Rokeby in the 1830s. Also add to your visit a tour of the grounds and outbuildings and exploring the Museum’s extensive hiking trails. In addition, check back to Rokeby’s website for updates on the museum’s plans for special winter offerings at rokeby.org.  
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum continues to hold a variety of virtual learning experiences for adults and youth. There are several options for students and teachers available via interactive virtual options. Although the Museum has minimized in person contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students can still participate in such experiences as exploring an underwater shipwreck or studying the lake ecology. These interactive virtual programs give students the chance to explore our region’s history, archaeology, and ecology. Also, check out the new blog series on Vermont’s Women’s Suffrage Movement. More information is at lcmm.org. 
The Bixby Memorial Free Library is working to support families during this unique school year of 2020-2021. Visit their website to see the variety of books available to patrons on a range of topics related to education, enrichment and resources for home-schooling families, parent support, and stress reduction and mental health and wellness. Additionally, for all its patrons, the Bixby Library offers curbside pickup, including laptop loans, museum and park passes and interlibrary loans on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursdays from noon-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, send an email to Ashley ([email protected]) or Laura ([email protected]) — they would love to help you! Also sign up for the many Bixby events both virtual and in person such as the kids story time, book discussion club, and the Friday Night Movies. 
On Nov. 7, from 11 a.m.-noon, Bixby is hosting a virtual “Picture Books Workshop” with author Angela Burke Kunkel, author of the children’s picture book “Digging for Words.” Kunkel’s book is a wonderful picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia, who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route. The Bixby session with Kunkel will be a great introduction to writing picture books for children, covering the basic rules of the form, tips for writing and revision, and sharing resources for aspiring authors.   
Our area schools have been working hard to provide learning experiences for our children and youth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The mild weather this fall has allowed many outdoor activities so the students can be engaged in settings outside of the classroom. Meanwhile, in the school buildings, the students and staff continue to ward off infection by wearing masks, distancing, washing hands and other methods for keeping the COVID-19 virus at bay. Many key offerings continue to support the students, such as virtual college fairs, school meals, and certain sports activities. Please visit the schools’ website for further information. All the updates on COVID-19 and also the school academic offerings can be found on the Ferrisburgh and Vergennes schools’ websites and there has been additional direct messaging to families to help parents during this very unusual school year.
Please keep in touch with our town governance activities by visiting the Ferrisburgh Town Website, where you can see updates and also access the links that will allow you to virtually attend town meetings, such as the Selectboard, Conservation Commission, and Planning Commission. This is a great way to stay in touch during the pandemic or perhaps get more involved in supporting our town. We thank our town officials and citizens for their energy in continuing the important work of governing during these unusual times. 
NOTE: We are always interested in including a variety of Ferrisburgh-related news in this column, so if you have events that would be of interest, contact Sally Kerschner at [email protected]. You are also able to access these columns and other information about Ferrisburgh news and events by viewing the Ferrisburgh Town Website at ferrisburghvt.org.