The Fairfield Community Center

SAVE THE DATE!

2012-01-15T18:12:00.025-05:00

The Fairfield Community Center's 3rd Annual

SAP RUN BOOGIE

at Branon's Sugarhouse

Saturday, March 10th, 7-10 p.m.

Music by:

CAROL ANN JONES

& The Superchargers!

LASAGNA DINNER from 5:30-7 p.m.

Advance Tickets available at As the Crow Flies, BNML,

Menard's Market, Stone's Shell and from our advance ticket team.

MUSIC & DINNER: $14/adult, $10/senior, $5/school-aged kids

MUSIC ONLY (beginning at 7 p.m.): $10/adult, $6/senior, kids free!

For more info: 827-3130

Proceeds will benefit the Center's ongoing operations to provide services and programs to our community's families, seniors, and kids!

2011-12-28T09:20:00.004-05:00

2012 Kids-In-The-Kitchen

Cooking Series for 5-12 year olds.

Classes will be held on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5:00. Fairfield students can ride the bus down to the Community Center after school. Parents pick up at 5 p.m.

Classes are $10 per class. Scholarships available – call 827-3130 for more info.

January 18 – Breakfast in the Afternoon. Learn some great tips and recipes for quick and healthy breakfasts – the day’s most important meal - for optimum brain power!

January 25 – Really Super Flatbread (or pizza if you prefer!) – learn to make the dough, the sauce and go wild with some unusual toppings!

February 1 - C omfort Food – ooey-gooey mac and cheese, meatloaf and rice pudding from scratch – prepare and enjoy a complete meal and receive easy recipes for other dishes that you can make at home.

February 8 – Valentine Baking – make and decorate Sweetheart Cupcakes and box up in pretty wrappings for your favorite Valentine!

February 15 – Cold Weather Cooking - Cocoa not from a mix, homemade crackers and other goodies for cold winter days! Maybe even something for the birds!

February 22 – Soup and Bread 101 – Homemade soup and Irish soda bread ~ all from scratch, healthy and delicious. Parents are welcome to come and share a sit-down meal with your young chefs!

Fall at The Center

2011-11-12T14:02:00.004-05:00

THANKSGIVING BASKETS ~ On November 19th from 11-1 community members will hand out boxes full of stuffing mix, potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, homemade pies, and of course turkey! The Fairfield Food Shelf, the kids at the Fairfield and Bakersfield schools and the area churches join together in making this very special project possible. Anyone needing a box, or anyone wishing to help out is asked to call Jessica Gaudette at 933-5137 for more information.

NEW FOOD SHELF HOURS ~ The Food Shelf is now open on every TUESDAY from 1-1:30 (after Senior Lunch) and again from 3-5 p.m. The 2nd Friday of each month is still Commodity Delivery Day and the Food Shelf is open from 10-12. Come meet our new volunteers.

COMMUNITY LUNCHES ~ Every Tuesday at Noon our new chef, Jenn McAllister dishes up a hot meal open to the public. Suggested donation for seniors is just $3.00; for all others just $5.00. Jenn is a lovely gal, mother to 7(!), lives in Enosburg and is originally from Texas. She sure knows her way around a kitchen, and meals have continued to be healthy, tasty and beautifully presented. If you'd like to come to lunch, please call the Center at 827-3130 to reserve a place at our table.
Note: This coming Tuesday at 1:30 there will be a presentation by CVAA representative Rhonda Somers Fletcher about Vermont Assistance Programs, how they work, who's eligible and what's available. Come join us if you're in need of USDA Commodities, Fuel Assistance, 3-Squares VT, WIC, and other programs.

FOOT CLINICS ~ 9:30-11:30 at The Center at 124 School Street. Call 527-7531 for an appointment.
Dec. 16

Jan 6

Feb 17

March 23

May 4

CHRISTMAS FAIR! ~ December 3rd from 9-3 at The Center. We have over 15 vendors this year who'll be selling a wide assortment of handcrafted gifts and baked goods for this holiday season. Maple syrup and gift baskets, honey, knitted items, baby items, hats, scarves, mittens, glassware, white elephant table, candy, preserves and salsa, candles and lots more!

COOKING CLASSES ~ We hoping to start a series of cooking and nutrition classes at The Center starting in January. Free and open to the public. Notable instructors. Tentatively Saturday mornings with lunch to follow. Stay tuned. Look for flyers!

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our many volunteers, all of you who have supported our programs over the years and continue to support The Center. We couldn't be doing what we're doing without you! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-09-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

PLEASE NOTE: As of this morning, we've opened up the ART ON THE BRAIN workshops to grades 4-8. Schedule will roughly follow the same curriculum (see below). Please email sweetrosetta@mac.com or call Nance at 827-3130 if you'd like to participate. Class is limited to 16 students, so sign up soon!

Instructor: Jamie Bedard
Location: Fairfield Common School Art Room
Class dates:: Thursday, Sept. 29th, October 6, 13, 19 (this is a Wednesday, no school on the 20th), 27, and November 3.
Cost: $15/class or $75/all 6 classes include all materials and after-school snacks!

2011-09-13T13:26:00.000-04:00

Are you SASI?

Join the FCCA and BNML for the second part of our Summer and After School Initiative this season with two great programs after school!

Space limited, register soon!

Designs in Nature Camp
Wednesdays, 3-5 pm @ BNML
Ages 5-10
Beginning September 28th with Kurt Valenta of Exordium
Kurt will encourage the curious mind to explore in an environment that is safe, supportive, cooperative and productive. Through student interaction, imaginative play and participative learning, Kurt’s 6-week session allows kids to study nature’s designs. Participants will view intricate designs of nature and discover how these forms contribute to the organism’s chances of survival. Designs in Nature will focus on the core subject and theme of science and environmental literacy while teaching the 21st century skills of reasoning effectively, making judgments and decisions, and using systems thinking. Kurt will also work to expose kids to the environment right around them – solidifying their role as stewards of their community. Open to 16 students, $15/class, or $75 for all 6 classes.
Questions? Contact Kristen @ bentnorthrop@gmail.com or 827.3945

Art on the Brain
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30 pm in the FCS Common School Art Room
Students 7th-12th grades
Beginning September 29th with Jamie Bedard

Art on the Brain is a 6-week program designed specifically for 7th-12th graders who’d like to grow creatively and explore their place in the world through the visual arts.
Creativity is central to the human experience and enriches every aspect of life. The ability to express one's ideas in a multi-dimensional way is an essential life skill. This course is designed to expose teens to different mediums from which they may express themselves in a supportive environment, and reflect on issues that touch their lives. Two-and three-dimensional methods will be addressed, using both fine art mediums and found objects. Our Teen classes will stimulate awareness and observation, emphasize building confidence and encourage self-expression. They’ll also be fun!

Open to 16 students, $15/class, or $75 for all 6 classes.
Questions? Contact Nance at sweetrosetta@mac.com or 827.3130

Click on the link below to register online. You can pay for the program at the first class.

Sign Up Here!

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUMMER CAMP!

2011-08-06T07:10:00.001-04:00

BLACK CREEK ADVENTURE CAMP ON A ROLL! Here are some scenes from the past month. We've all had fun, learned new skills, met new friends, and filled the Center with joyful laughter.

MAJOR UPCOMING EVENT!

2011-07-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

NEW THIS YEAR! The chance to win fabulous items at our Silent Auction to benefit the Food Shelf! Dinner for two at local restaurants! Organic Compost! A Bash Badge from Smuggs! Hot Stone Massage! Look for these and more great auction items under the big new tent!

2011-05-15T17:29:00.002-04:00

2011-05-14T07:32:00.000-04:00

BLACK CREEK

ADVENTURE CAMP

JULY 11 to AUGUST 12, 2011
8:30-4:30 daily

Fun & Adventure for kids 5-12!

Week 1 - The Great Outdoors

Week 2 - Go for the Gold!

Week 3 - Local Farms/Local Food

Week 4 - Summer with a Twist!

Week 5 - Art-a-palooza!

Call 827-3130 for more information

and a registration form.

2011-04-09T18:44:00.002-04:00

Kids-in-the-Kitchen ~ 2011

Our cooking series, Kids-in-the-Kitchen ran this year from January 27th to March 17th. Guest chefs from area restaurants shared their talents and time and gave the kids a taste of what life is like in a professional kitchen. Students enjoyed: Perfectly Fluffy Mashed Potatoes with Chow! Bella Chef Connie Warden; Chili from local, organic beef with Chef Jamie West from Jeff's Seafood, Pizza with Dominic Strano from Mimmo's; Valentine Cookies with Baker Nancy Cadieux from Sweetie Pies, Salads and Dressing with Chef Angie Boardman, Fruit and Vegetable Sculpture with Chef Marcus Hamblett from One Federal Restaurant, and Italian Dinner Night with Jim Cameron, Rachel Huff and Nance Shaw. Many thanks go out to all our chefs, and to our students who made this year's series so much fun!

Many hands helped with making potato pizza withChef Connie Jacobs Warden from Chow! Bella

Culinary students watch Chef Marcus Hamblett from One Federal demonstrate lemon flowers during our Fruit & Veggie Sculpture Class

Italian Night Dinner was a great success. We couldn't believe

how long the sheets of pasta stretched! We made sauce

and meatballs and salad too,and shared it all with parents

at the end of class.

SAVE THE DATE!

2011-02-16T07:55:00.000-05:00

2011-01-24T17:52:00.001-05:00

2011-01-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING of The Fairfield Community Center

Wednesday, January 19th, 6:30 p.m.

THE COMMUNITY CENTER IN EAST FAIRFIELD

(Serving residents of Franklin County)

The Community Center in East Fairfield has increasingly seen involvement – both in terms of clients and volunteers - from residents in towns beyond the borders of Fairfield. In fact – by no intentional design or plan – we are becoming a regional community center with participation in our Food Shelf, Senior Meals and Children’s Programming from families in the bordering towns of Bakersfield, Fairfax, Sheldon and Montgomery. This is as it should be, and we’re very pleased to be broadening our service area to include these families in need. 2010 was a year of reorganization with new people joining our board of directors, new volunteers helping out with a wide variety of services, and plans to continue programs in 2011. Here’s a bit of a status report:

Our Tuesday Community Lunches are going strong with an average of 35 seniors in attendance every week. Meals continue to be healthy and delicious under the expert organization and skill of our NECI chef and Bakersfield resident Angela Boardman. We’re grateful for the help of our volunteers, Bill Kittell, Jane Williams and Deb Lynch who set tables, serve, and wash dishes each week. In collaboration with CVAA and Americorps volunteer Jack Quint, our seniors have also been enjoying yoga classes before lunch, and special programming after lunch including writing workshops, magic shows, music and informal card parties. A reminder that these meals are open to everyone, regardless of age, or residency. A suggested donation of just $3 is requested for folks over 60, and $5 for everyone else. Please call 827-3130 and let us know if you’d like to join us!

The Food Shelf also maintains a solid place in our immediate - as well as the broader - community. In 2010 we served 387 households (approximately 1200 individuals), and over 1600 seniors at the mealsite. 70 Thanksgiving baskets were distributed to needy families in November. These were largely residents of Fairfield and Bakersfield, with a smaller percentage from surrounding towns. Many thanks to everyone who has kept our Food Shelf going this past year: the volunteers who organize and distribute food, the churches, schools and individuals who donate food and money, to Charon and Marshall True who drive to Wolcott at least once a month to pick up food at the Manosh branch of the Vt. Foodbank, to all the gardeners who supplied us with fresh vegetables last summer, and to all the kids and teachers from Fairfield and Bakersfield schools who donated food for the Thanksgiving Baskets. And last but not least, thank you to The Vermont Foodbank for supplying us with healthy low cost food that we’re proud to provide to our clients, and for a grant of $6600 that paid our staff at summer camp this past summer.

April Vacation Camp and Black Creek Adventure Camp this past summer were both fully enrolled, and over 50 children registered for last winter’s Kids-in-the-Kitchen cooking classes. All three of these programs will be offered to students from Fairfield and Bakersfield again this year starting with the first session of Kids-in-the-Kitchen on January 27^th. Heartfelt thanks go out to over 40 local supporters of these programs who donated their time and talent to enrich the lives of our kids this past year.

Our fundraising efforts last year brought in approximately $20,000. Two music events, The 1^st Annual Sap Run Boogie and The 18^th Annual Jig in the Valley were especially fun and worthwhile efforts. Many thanks to everyone who made these events successful. Other fundraising events included Family Dinners, Sunday Brunches, our Annual Donation Letter Campaign, a Ballgame Snack Bar, the Christmas Fair Treasure Table, Cookie Dough Sales, and occasional rental of the facility for private parties.

A testament to our solid dedication to meeting the needs of our community is the financial support we’ve received this past year from the Vermont Community Foundation, the Turrell Fund, The Vermont Foodbank, the Jessie K. Maynard Fund, The Vermont Arts Council, and Annie’s Organics. Recently we applied for - and received - a $12,500 grant from the State of Vermont Buildings and General Services toward a $26,000 energy-saving weatherization project that will mean substantial savings on fuel costs, and allow us to direct more money to programming, where it’s most needed. This is a matching grant ~ and any donations to help with this project would be greatly appreciated!

It is our hope that more residents of adjacent towns will recognize both the value and the potential of The Community Center in the upcoming months. We invite you to call or stop by soon and discover how you can become part of this important community asset. 827-3130

Thank you,

The Community Center Board of Directors

Michele Bessett, Jane Williams, Rachel Huff, Pat Hartnett, Deb Paradee, Kelly Christie, Faith Cassidy

2011-01-03T10:08:00.001-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish you and your family a wonderful year ahead full of good things for happy kids, moms and dads, prolific gardens, peaceful relationships, and pleasant surprises!

We'd like to mention a few important events upcoming at the Center and hope to see you soon.

December 28 to January 11 ~ Senior Writing Project. For three consecutive Tuesdays, join us after lunch to remember the “good old days” through the spoken and written word. Johnson State College Writing & Literature professor Tyrone Shaw will speak on Tuesday, Dec. 28 on the craft of writing memoire and lead the group in some warm-up writing exercises. Bring along your favorite stories and memories to share! Jack Quint will lead the second week’s activity as we read aloud from our writing, and design a small “book” of our stories. For this session, bring photos or other memorabilia to enhance your writing. The third week we’ll collate and sign our “books,” and decide whether we’d like to take this project to even greater heights!

January 19, 2011 ~ Fairfield Community Center’s Annual Meeting. 6:30 p.m. We urge all interested residents to attend and welcome your input. As a community, we need to discuss the role of the Center, how we will meet the needs of our residents as we move forward, and options for filling the vacant spaces within the Center, especially now that the Preschool move to Fairfield is a sure thing. Please mark your calendars for January 19, and come prepared to infuse the Center with some new ideas! Coffee, tea and dessert will be served.

January 27 through March 10 ~ Kids-in-the-Kitchen every Thursday from 3:30-5:30 for 5-12 year olds. Back by popular demand, this 7 week cooking class for kids will feature guest chefs, new techniques, and innovative ideas for simple, healthy meals that kids can make for (and with) their families. Registration for all classes on January 20 at 5 p.m. at the Center.

March 19, 2011 ~ The Second Annual SAP RUN BOOGIE with Vermont’s own STARLINE RHYTHM BOYS. To be held this year at the Branon’s Sugarhouse with a potluck dinner and lots of dancing room! More information to come, but save this date!

Ongoing Events:

Tuesday Community Lunches served at Noon. Open to EVERYONE! Suggested donation for seniors is just $3.00; all others $5.00. By far, the best deal in town! Call ahead for menu & reservations
827-3130

Home Health Care Foot Clinics - next clinic is Friday, January 28th. Call 527-7531 and ask for Brenda Holbrook.

Community Center Food Shelf open every Monday from 3-5, and every 2nd Friday of the month from 10-12.

2010-12-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

The Starline Rhythm Boys benefit dance at
Chow!Bella in St. Albans, scheduled for tomorrow from 5-8 p.m. has been canceled due to unknown and potentially nasty weather.

We're sorry for any inconvenience, and hope

to reschedule this event in March.

2010-12-03T07:34:00.002-05:00

UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE CENTER

Saturday, Dec. 4th - HOLIDAY FAIR, 10-4

Sunday, Dec. 12th - Benefit Dance at Chow! Bella in St. Albans with THE STARLINE RHYTHM BOYS! Come on out and dance to this fabulous band, bring an item of food for the Food Shelf and support the Center.

Tuesday, Dec. 14th - Christmas Party and MAGIC show with Christopher McBride - 1:00

Saturdays from 10-12, Knitting with Angie - beginners to more advanced knitters welcome. $5/class

Almost Home Frozen COOKIE DOUGH fundraiser! Chocolate Chip, Gingerbread, Old fashioned Sugar Cookie and Peanut Butter in 16 oz. containers. Just $5. Available at the Center or at As The Crow Flies in St. Albans. From now through February. Great gift idea!

Come Feel the Magic!

2010-11-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS!

2010-11-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

FALL & WINTER EVENTS AT THE CENTER

2010-11-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

This year, once again, we'll be collaborating with the Fairfield Center School, the Bakersfield 4-H, and the area churches to distribute approximately seventy THANKSGIVING BASKETS to area families trying to make ends meet. Baskets will consist of a turkey, stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, potatoes, winter squash, and a homemade pie. We also provide rice and seasonal root vegetables and directions for making turkey soup from the leftovers. Anyone wishing to donate frozen turkeys (or money to buy turkeys), butter, canned green beans, or sweet potatoes to this project may do so. Please drop off your donations at the Center by Wednesday the 17th. Thanksgiving Basket pick up is from 11:30 - 1:00 on Saturday, November 20th.

NEW PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS ~ We're working with Americorps volunteer Jack Quint to bring the seniors some new programs this fall and winter. Activities will be on Tuesdays either before or after the community lunch at noon (or both). We'll be starting up another round of Seated Yoga on November 9th with a special guest who'll lead the group in LAUGHTER YOGA. Proven to be beneficial to the immune system, strengthen stomach muscles, and reduce stress and fatigue, it's also lots of fun! Join us at 11:00 on November 9th.

Mark your calendars for the weekend of December 4th and 5th as the town of Fairfield hosts numerous HOLIDAY FAIRS, Santa visits, luncheons and lots of handcrafted gifts with events at The Community Center, St. Patrick's Church, the Fairfield Center School Gymnasium and Esden Florist. Make a day of it!

2010-09-30T16:08:00.007-04:00

It's FALL!

Come celebrate with friends and family at a

HARVEST SUNDAY BRUNCH!

Oct. 10th ~ 10:30 to 1:00

at the Center in East Fairfield.

Chef Kenny Miller will be dishing up made-to-order omelettes, hash browns, pancakes, bacon, homemade muffins and sweet breads and seasonal fruit dishes.

$7.00 per person, kids under 10 free, suggested senior donation $5.00.

All proceeds will benefit The Center's winter programming for youth, seniors and families.

2010-09-06T08:29:00.003-04:00

2010-08-19T08:05:00.014-04:00

Black Creek Adventures Weeks 4 and 5

Campers road the bus to the St. Albans Community Pool every day for swim lessons. Before and after, back at the Center there were all sorts of fun activities scheduled.

Melissa Dion led the group in morning yoga classes. We had visits from Michele Bessett who made chocolate chip zucchini bread with the kids, and Brian and Tom Steele who played music, sang songs and led an African drumming circle. Pat Esden came with flowers and vases and the kids made carnation critters to take home with them.

Sorel Chaput and Judy Wright taught campers some basic sewing techniques and everyone made a colorful drawstring bag. Beth Peloquin spent a morning making rubber stamps with the kids and then in the afternoon they learned about letter boxing, and followed coordinates to find hidden treasure!

Two afternoons were spent under the direction of Larry Steeneck, who built a beautiful cedar outdoor table and benches with the kids. And Phoebe and Julie Wolcott-McCausland built an Adirondack-style arch for the garden. Rachel Huff made bread and butter pickles and Krunchy Kale right out of the garden.

It's awfully quiet at the Center now! We're wishing everyone a very happy end of summer. Mark your calendars for another Community Pizza Fest at the Outdoor Oven on Sunday, September 19th, 4-7 p.m. And check back soon for more upcoming fall and winter events.

Black Creek Adventure Camp - Week 3

2010-08-04T17:56:00.006-04:00

Our third week of camp focused on things WET & WILD! Campers spent the week busy with all sorts of activities involving water, including tie-dying t-shirts, visiting Missisquoi Refuge, water play, water balloon tosses, and sponge tag outside at the Center on those hot, hot days, exploring a fire engine, studying bugs in Black Creek with naturalist John Little, doing science experiments with water, and taking a field trip to Kill Kare State Park with a cookout. We had special instructors Martha Burns and Johanna Moyer who led a three-part photography class, and painted a giant bug mural with Johnson State College artist Carolyn Mecklowsky. Stop by and see it!

Stay tuned for highlights of Weeks 4 and 5 at

Black Creek Adventure Camp!

2010-07-28T17:50:00.010-04:00

Black Creek Adventures - Week 2

The Great Outdoors: On the first morning of camp, 32 campers mastered a few handy knots and then had archery lessons. Later in the day we built wooden boxes that we took up to Chet Arthur's birthplace and installed along the paths. We hiked with forester Nancy Patch and placed drawings and writings into the boxes for other visitors to the landmark to discover. The next day Ralph and Kathy Rosenburg came and helped us build bluebird houses. We also had a visit from Kurt Valenta who took us on a nature walk along Black Creek where we found water bugs, interesting plants, and went swimming! We came back to the Center and made plaster casts of some of the plants we found. On Friday, we went to Sheldon Woods, did geo-cacheing and then had a cookout at Lake Carmi. Here are some pictures:

Next week: Wet & Wild! Bugworks, Mural Painting, Missisquoi Refuge, Water Music, Relay Races, Field Trip to Killkare State Park ~ check back soon for more pictures!

Black Creek Adventure Camp - Week 1

2010-07-17T12:58:00.004-04:00

Summer Camp is up and running! We were blessed with glorious weather for our first week of camp, and 34 campers enjoyed 5 days of activities and field trips. We visited Greenwind Farm, Does' Leap Farm and the Flack Family Farm. We picked berries, took goats for walks, made pizza in a wood fired oven, made cheese and dilly beans, learned yoga with Melissa Dion, built an Adirondack style arch for the Community Garden, made beeswax candles, sang songs, and played badminton. We created a giant chicken with papier mache, had a visit from the Children's Literacy Foundation with a story-teller and book give-away, and recorded the highlights of our week in our journals at the end of each day.

Counselors Sharon Provasi and Kelsey Mays were joined by junior counselors Izzy Carter, Jessica Deyette and Jenna Mays. Our new camp cook, Sunni Yandow served breakfast, lunch and snacks for us every day, and directors Joanna Jerose and Nance Shaw kept up with the administration, and were responsible for the program planning.

Some campers will return for next week's camp (The Great Outdoors), and some campers will be new. We're looking forward to another busy week full of interesting activities, field trips to the Chet Arthur Birthplace & Sheldon Woods/Lake Carmi, and visits from various local characters.

And don't forget The 18th Annual JIG-IN-THE-VALLEY on Sunday, July 25th! A day of music, great food, kids' activities, a flea market, homemade pizza in our wood-fired oven and an auction of interesting items throughout the day! Bring the whole family. Rain or shine. On the green in East Fairfield.

2010-07-09T10:22:00.003-04:00

SAVE THE DATE ~ JULY 25th!

Bands are lined up, menu's planned, kids' activities organized.

Bring your family for an afternoon of great food, fabulous music, and lot of fun for all ages!

(Click on poster to view larger.)

And this year, for the first time, we'll have a BOVINE BINGO contest! Pit your luck against the gastronomical actions of our cow and you could win up to $500! Tickets available at the Jig.

Proceeds to benefit the Fairfield Community Youth Programs.

2010-06-23T08:10:00.000-04:00

2010-05-28T16:46:00.008-04:00

Still time to enroll in BLACK CREEK ADVENTURES ~ Fairfield Community Center's Summer Day Camp for kids entering Kindergarten to 5th Grade!

July 12-16 LOCAL FARMS/LOCAL FOODS

Campers will visit three local farms, learn to make beeswax candles, goat cheese and goat masks, cook with fresh local ingredients, work in the Community Garden, and learn how to care for bees, horses, cows, goats and chickens!

July 19-23 THE GREAT OUTDOORS

This week campers will learn archery, how to make herbal tinctures, build bluebird houses, work on an interpretive trail @ Chester Arthur Trails, discover geo-caching, and enjoy large group games & low ropes. They'll also have fun learning animal tracking & more outdoor skills with environmentalist Kurt Valenta.

July 26-30 WET & WILD

Campers will visit Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge and learn all about invertebrates. Then they'll tour the Highgate Airport and have an opportunity to fly with the nationally acclaimed “Young Eagles Program” (optional). They'll enjoy BugWorks w/ John Little, tie dying, cooking, music and arts n’ crafts fun!

August 2-6 and 9-13 SWIM LESSONS and LOTS MORE!

Swim lessons are offered in St. Albans for a two-week program. We'll take the bus into the St. Albans Community Pool at 10:45, returning to the Center around 2:30. Before and after swim lessons, campers will be busy with wood-working projects, sewing, cooking, gardening, and arts and crafts. Campers are encouraged to attend both of these weeks for swim lessons and overlapping projects.

SCHEDULE:

Camp runs Monday - Friday from 8:30 to 4:30 beginning July 12th for five weeks. Extra 1/2 hour of childcare morning and evening for additional cost.

FEES:

Weeks 1,2,3: $75 per camper.

Weeks 4 & 5: $85 per camper per week (this includes price of swim camp).

CALL TODAY FOR A REGISTRATION FORM ~ 827-3130

2010-05-13T17:27:00.003-04:00

TREAT YOUR DAD TO A FATHER'S DAY BRUNCH!

Sunday, June 20th at

THE FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER

10:30-1:00

MENU:

WAFFLES & ASSORTED TOPPINGS

BACON & SAUSAGE

EGGS & HOMEFRIES

FRUIT SALAD

COFFEE, TEA, JUICE, MILK

$7/pp, $5/Seniors and kids 4 and over

Kids under 4 - FREE!

Bring your dad and enjoy a healthy, leisurely brunch prepared by all the ladies of the Center!

April Vacation Camp Review

2010-05-04T10:12:00.009-04:00

Friday was our last day of camp. It was another beautiful day - warm enough so that we could once again work on the oven with Vidar. The kids helped make the cob mixture (native clay, sand and straw) to cover the oven framework.

It was hard work, and most everyone had fun getting really dirty! Some more than others!

Once the cob was thoroughly mixed, we smeared it over the framework that had been covered with burlap.

Here, you can see the dome of the oven is nearly covered with the first layer of cob. The door is on the other side. Unfortunately, due to the snow storm, our schedule didn't allow us to finish the oven but Vidar will be working on it this week. Stop by if you'd like to help him or just to see how things are going!

We had an outdoor Pizza Picnic and talked about how much fun it will be when we can bake pizza in the outdoor oven and invite the whole town to a pizza party!

After lunch we had relay races...

finished up some planting...

and enjoyed ice cream sundaes with homemade ice cream, did some face painting, worked on more gardening chores outside and flew kites out in the ball field. It's been a great week, and we all agreed that we'd rather stay here at camp than go back to school!

2010-04-29T19:23:00.015-04:00

On Tuesday, clouds gathered, the wind blew and it began to SNOW! What a difference a day can make. Here is our oven framework, and our willow fence in the snow. We stayed indoors today reading, doing art projects and making dream gardens.

By Wednesday morning, some places in town reported over a foot of snow. The power was out and camp was canceled for the day. No lights, no stove to cook our lunch and no guarantee that things would improve as the day wore on. But things were pretty much back to normal today, although the snow was still quite deep and we had another indoor day for the most part, with a few romps on the playground back in snowpants and mittens. We spent the morning doing some collaborative vegetable printing, painting row markers for the garden, and making beads out of recycled magazines...

We prepared a great lunch of sandwiches with SPROUTS!, fruit salad, chips and hummus and a snack for later on of homemade granola bars and yogurt.

After lunch we read stories, wrote in our journals, and planted some more seeds for the garden.

And if we couldn't work on the bread oven outside...we tried our hands at

building small ones INSIDE...

Hard to believe tomorrow's Friday already!

April Vacation Camp in Full Swing

2010-04-27T15:39:00.019-04:00

Twenty-two exuberant Fairfield and Bakersfield kids gathered at the Community Center for the first day of April Vacation Camp yesterday. Ranging in age from 5 to 12, the kids were divided into three groups and rotated among various activities throughout the day, with snacks, lunch, stories, and more snacks in between. The weather was gorgeous, and everyone enjoyed a lot of fresh air and sunshine.

OUR WOOD-FIRED BREAD OVEN!

One group of campers started their day with Master Oven Builder Vidar Zay, who had spent the previous week constructing the base of the oven with field stone.

The beginning of our oven base.

Vidar, filling in the base with loose stones and gravel.

Vidar built a frame on top of the base and poured a cement slab about

6 inches thick.

Next, the kids added a layer of cushioning sand for the hearth stones.

And on top of the hearth stones, another framework to help in forming

the willow dome, shown here, side view. More willow branches were woven into the dome, which is sort of half a pear shape. Oven door will be to the right.

(Stay tuned for more updates on the oven building project.)

INCH BY INCH and ROW BY ROW, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A GARDEN GROW!

Rachel's group began spring gardening chores by marking off the site in quarters, establishing paths and hauling leaves and old black humus from the edge of the woods. The group helped construct a woven willow fence along the parking lot side of the garden, and discussed various vegetable varieties they'd like to plant.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE KITCHEN...

Our talented chef, Angie and her group cooked our lunch: macaroni and cheese, vegetables and hummus (not to be confused with humus, that nice black dirt from the edge of the woods!), applesauce and zucchini bread - YUM!

At the end of the day, we all played outside, sat on the grass and talked

about our day. We were all really tired!

April Events at the Center

2010-04-12T06:59:00.017-04:00

The Fairfield Community Center hosted another Sunday Brunch yesterday to which approximately 60 townspeople attended and enjoyed the company of friends and family over a great meal. Volunteers for this event spent Saturday afternoon setting up and prepping the meal of homemade quiche, farmer's hash, blueberry coffeecake and spiced applesauce. Fresh daffodils adorned the tables, the coffee was strong and hot, and it was great to see such a multi-generational crowd all gathered under our roof. Thanks to everyone who made this event successful - from the team of volunteers who planned, cooked, served and cleaned up to all our guests who attended the brunch. We were asked, "When is the next one?" Mark your calendars: Our next brunch will be on June 20, from 10:30-1 p.m. ~ in honor of Father's Day!

Today starts the countdown to April Vacation Camp with an orientation from 5-6 p.m. at The Center. Parents will have a chance to meet the instructors, view the week's schedule, hear all about our activities, and ask questions. Camp will run from April 26-30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We're hoping for beautiful weather, a chance to try new things and take part in an underlying "theme" of gratitude - for our community, our friends, our food, and our strengths and talents.

The menu for this week's Tuesday Community Lunch is roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas and maple pie. Lunch is served at noon, open to all! Come early (10:45) and join us for a Gentle Yoga class with Americorps volunteer Jack Quint. $3.00 suggested donation for seniors, for everyone else the price is just $5.00. Please call 802-827-3130 to reserve your place at our table.

Have a great day everyone!

Nance

Welcome to The Fairfield Community Center!

2010-04-08T12:43:00.011-04:00

Greetings, and welcome. As I write this, my first-ever blog post(!), spring is happening out the window here at the Center. Little things are greening up along the brook, the red-tailed hawks are back, the garden is calling out for my attention, and the sun's trying to come out after a few days of rain. Always so much to do this time of year, with days never long enough.

We just heard that we'll be receiving a mini-grant from Annie's Organics for funding for our gardening endeavors this summer! This is very exciting, as we have lots of plans, and a lot of work to do! Thanks, Annie's!

Starting with April Vacation Camp on the 26th of this month, kids 5-12 years old will join us for 5 days of cooking, gardening, art projects and helping to build a wood-fired pizza oven! We'll definitely highlight the development of this exciting project, from start to finish. Parents, don't forget to send along rubber boots (for stomping around in the clay/mud/straw mixture), an extra set of clothes, and sunscreen!

Hope to see you all on Sunday for our April Brunch, 10:30 - 1:00 at the Center. Scrumptious menu: assorted quiches, farmers' hash, blueberry coffeecake, spiced applesauce and juice, cocoa and great coffee! Bring a friend, a neighbor, your kids and enjoy a leisurely brunch this coming Sunday, the 11th!

Ongoing: Every Tuesday and third Thursday of the month, we serve a Community Lunch at noon. These are not your normal "senior meals" - these are fabulous, healthy, delicious meals made by NECI Chef Angela Boardman right here in our own kitchen. Suggested donation for anyone lucky enough to be age 60 or over is just $3.00. But everyone is welcome, and the price for guests under 60 is still incredibly reasonable - just $5. Reservations are appreciated - call 827-3130 or 827-6626 to reserve your place at the table. Come see what the buzz is all about!

The Food Shelf at the Center ~ Open every Monday from 3-5 p.m., every 2nd Friday and every 3rd Saturday from 10-Noon. Friday's also commodity delivery day, so come early - it can be really busy. Looking for a way to help out? We're in need of volunteers for distribution and organizing at the Food Shelf - also plastic ziplock bags, personal care items and baby food & diapers.

And finally (for today at least), we're always looking for people of all ages to help out in lots of different ways at the Center. There's outside gardening - both vegetable and flower - to be done, window washing, administrative stuff, helping out with our kids' programs, food projects, special events, Jig-in-the-Valley, donations of food & supplies, time and ideas! Come get involved!