Come support the much-loved Trail Around Middlebury at the annual TAM Trek, slated for this Sunday, Sept. 19. The Trek offers several options: A 19-mile course for serious trail runners, a 10K version, and a 2-mile “family fun run” for a more casual experience. All participants start and finish their races in Middlebury’s Wright Park, where there will be live music, great local raffle prizes, and a delicious post-race buffet. Trek entry fees help the Middlebury Area Land Trust cover the $18,000 annual costs of maintaining the TAM, which was launched in 1989 and now encircles the village of Middlebury, traveling through Cornwall, Weybridge and New Haven. To register for the TAM Trek, go to tinyurl.com/ep2928.

Also this Sunday, the Baptist Church of Starksboro will mark the 200th anniversary of its establishment as a congregation. The 10 a.m. worship service will transport all back to Sept. 21, 1721, when former slave Elder Charles Bowles gave the hand of fellowship to the church’s original members in a field on Brown Hill. Mike Blakeslee will lead this experience. Refreshments will be served. The Starksboro Senior Meal will be served at the church on Thursday, Sept. 23, beginning at 11:30 a.m. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the congregation, special desserts will be served. Contact Judy Clark at 453-2121 for more details.

Remember this summer when we reported that the Battell Block on Merchants Row in Middlebury would soon host three new businesses? Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Vermont Realty opened its doors this summer, and now Little Seed Roasters plans to begin business in the old Carol’s coffee shop on Oct. 2.

The Rogers and Hazard Relief Society — a Ferrisburgh nonprofit organization established in 1886 with the mission of neighbors helping neighbors — will be honoring local residents who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and early 2021, when restrictions prevented large gatherings of people. You are invited to a compassionate remembrance of beloved townsfolk on Ferrisburgh Day, Sunday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ferrisburgh Historical Society on the corner of Route 7 and Little Chicago Road. A memorial banner with the names of recently deceased neighbors will be displayed, as well as a collection of obituaries. Families and friends are welcome to gather to share stories and enjoy refreshments. For further information, call Meg Langworthy at (802) 877-3217.

Organizers say the annual Jamaican Hymn Sing, hosted annually by the Shoreham Congregational Church, is being cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This cancellation is out of respect for the health of the many agricultural guest workers from Jamaica, vital to the county’s annual apple crop. This is the second year in a row that COVID has canceled the Hymn Sing, where the Jamaican workers have gathered together for an evening of song and worship through music.

The list of items on loan from Middlebury’s Ilsley Public Library continues to grow beyond just books. The Ilsley now has a small telescope people can sign out. The library purchased the telescope through the Vermont Astronomical Society (VAS) Library Loaner Scope Program. It should be noted the VAS also has a “First Telescope Program,” started as a service to both members and non-members. These telescopes are typically used 4.5-inch, f/8 Newtonian telescopes that have been nicely renovated by a VAS member. They are outfitted with so-called “Dobsonian” mounts. The target is to sell these telescopes to VAS club members for $100, or non-members for $125. For the first year, the new owners can return their telescope for full refund in case of non-use or a wish to upgrade, etc. After a year, the refund will depend on condition. Sales will depend on availability of telescopes and components. So if you know of someone who would like an inexpensive telescope that really works, or if you have old telescopes, eyepieces or parts you want to sell or donate for the program, please contact VAS at [email protected]. The group’s website is vtastro.org.

Addison County Fair & Field Days was a hit last month after a pandemic-related hiatus. Attendees got reacquainted with captivating animals, loud machines, fun rides, carnival food — and the do’s and don’ts of recycling and composting. The Addison County Solid Waste Management District (ACSWMD) was a presence throughout the fair, handing out reusable sporks and giving folks the latest information on how to reduce the local waste stream. The ACSWMD’s “Waste Warriors” posted collection receptacles for pre- and post-consumer food scraps, and they were pretty well used, according to Jessie-Ruth Corkins, the district’s public outreach coordinator. She reported collection of almost 2,000 pounds of food scraps and 200 gallons of used cooking oil from vendors. Folks interested in volunteering with the ACSWMD as a “Waste Warrior” should email [email protected].