Rutland Herald Community News

AROUND TOWN

Poetry reading

MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College Axinn Center for the Humanities presents “The Weight of History: A Poetry Reading and Talk” by Tracy K. Smith at 4:30 p.m. March 15 at Wilson Auditorium.

She was U.S. poet laureate (2017-19), and her Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection “Life on Mars” (2012) was also voted a New York Times Notable Book, and The New Yorker, Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year. Smith is currently the Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at Harvard Radcliffe Institute and a professor of English and of African American Studies in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Bridal show

MIDDLEBURY — The Vermont Wedding Association will hold its 21st annual Middlebury Bridal Show Sunday, March 19, at the Middlebury Inn, 14 Court Square. Highlights include refreshments, music and meeting the area’s wedding professionals to find a DJ, photographer, baker, florist and venue. Also featured are grand prizes, including a two-night stay with breakfast at the Middlebury Inn, $600 value; $250 wedding services certificate from Overtime Events; $250 wedding flowers certificate from Flowers 4 All.

The association celebrates 14 years partnering with Kerry Ellis and the Marrow Donor Program at Rutland Regional Medical Center donating a table at bridal shows to welcome couples and their families to find a match; a match has been found at five shows and some have gone on to become donors.

Call for exhibitors

RUTLAND — The Chaffee Art Center invites applications for its 62nd annual summer and fall Art in the Park Festivals featuring fine artists, craft persons and specialty foods.

Shows dates are: Summer Festival Aug. 12-13 and Fall Foliage Festival Oct. 7-8; hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Both are held in Main Street Park at the junction of Routes 4 and 7 in Rutland.

Also featured are free kid’s activities, musical entertainment and a food court. Estimated attendance 6,000+ is drawn from Vermont, adjacent states and tourists. Exhibitors applications available at www.chaffeeartcenter.org/art-in-the-park/exhibitor-information or email artinthepark@chaffeeartcenter.org.

BUSINESS

Lynn promoted

WAITSFIELD — Agri-Mark Chairman of the Board James “Cricket” Jacquier announced David Lynn has been named president and CEO of the cooperative. He had been serving as the organization’s interim CEO since September 2022.

Lynn has been with Agri-Mark for five years, starting as SVP Operations and promoted to SVP Top Operations in September 2020. He has nearly 28 years of experience in consumer-packaged goods and food manufacturing. Prior to Agri-Mark, Lynn worked for the Kroger Co. for 12 years, including three years as vice president of operations for Kroger’s subsidiary, Turkey Hill Dairy. His background includes roles with L’Oréal USA, Hillshire Farm and seven years in the U.S. Navy.

AROUND VT

Maple open house

The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association is hosting Spring Maple Open House Weekends Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26 and April 1-2, statewide. Vermont continues to be the top maple producing state in the country. Total Vermont maple syrup production in 2022 was 2.55 million gallons, an 800,000 increase over the prior year and about half of the U.S. production of maple syrup. Visit www.VermontMaple.org/MOHW for more information.

Apprenticeship

The Vermont Community Broadband Board, in partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor and Vermont Tech, is starting a new broadband installer technician apprenticeship program. When finished training, candidates will enter an industry with potential for high paying jobs with opportunity for growth. These jobs can lead to careers in information technology trades, smart grid and engineering trades.

Free training will be provided at locations statewide for people who want to start a career as a maintenance technician, splicer or installer. The first training starts in April. For more information or to apply for the program, go to Broadband Installer Apprenticeship-VTC CEWD, email fiber@vsc.edu, or call 802-547-3653.

Labor coordinator

The Vermont Department of Labor has hired Rachel Dumeny as its communications and outreach coordinator to serve as the media contact for the commissioner’s office. Dumeny, a native of Franklin County, is a recent University of Vermont graduate with experience in social media marketing strategy and community outreach.

Do you have an item you would like to see in Community News? A milestone? A public announcement? A short news release about something entertaining going on in your town? Simply email the information to us at news@rutlandherald.com. Be sure to put For Community News in the subject line. (Note: We do reserve the right to edit for length.)