Tunbridge, Vermont

Updated: May 18, 2011.

May 8: 250th Hike of the Month — From Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

May 30: Memorial Day. 250th parade theme is “Tunbridge Through the Years.”

• Friends of Tunbridge Public Library plant, book and bake sales, 9-2, Parsonage lawn, Library basement and Town Hall.
• Memorial service with Rose Loving as speaker, Town Hall, 11 a.m.
• Parade 11:40 a.m. followed by dedication ceremony, Village Cemetery.
• Fire Department chicken barbeque, 12 p.m., fairgrounds. Make reservations at 889-5518, 802-356-1092.
• Recreation Committee free ice cream, bounce house, cow pie bingo (tickets sold ahead of time), fairgrounds.

June 5: Mystery History Walk, 3 p.m. from the library, hosted by the library and Tunbridge Historical Society.

June 12: 250th Hike of the Month — From Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

June 18: 250th “Tunbridge — The Past” exhibit at the North Tunbridge
Baptist Church, 10-12.

June 26: 250th “Tunbridge — The Past” exhibit at the North Tunbridge
Baptist Church and Tunbridge Grange open house, 12-2.

July 3: 250th Hike of the Month — From Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

July 9: 250th “Tunbridge — The Past” exhibit at the North Tunbridge
Baptist Church and Tunbridge Grange open house, 12-2.

July 9: Celebrate Tunbridge, 250th Anniversary Dance will feature the Starline Rhythm Boys from 8-11pm in the Fairgrounds’ pulling arena. Pre-dance at 7 p.m.

July 10: 250th Tunbridge Appreciation Picnic 11:30 at the fairgrounds. All invited. Please bring salads and desserts. Hotdogs and drinks provided. Tunbridge Fire Department kids’ activities with the smoke trailer, Smokey the Bear, Sparky and fire trucks. The Larkin Contra Dancers will demonstrate and teach dances at 1 and 3 p.m. Michael Sacca will take a large group photo. More to come!

July 12: “Tunbridge Speaks” oral history program 7:45 p.m. at the Tunbridge Church. Follows the church’s Ice Cream Social with Tunbridge Historical Society 50th birthday cake at 6:30 on the Parsonage lawn.

July 22: 250th Outdoor movies from John O’Brien’s “Tunbridge Trilogy.” Fairgrounds, 9 p.m.

July 24: 250th Concert and Fiddle Jam, 1-5 at the fairgrounds. Hosted by the Northeast Fiddlers Association.

July 29: 250th Outdoor movies from John O’Brien’s “Tunbridge Trilogy.” Fairgrounds, 9 p.m.

July 29-Sept. 23: 250th art exhibit. “Artists Envisioning Tunbridge: Celebrating 250 Years of History” at the Tunbridge Public Library. July 29, Opening reception, 7-9 p.m.

July 31: 250th “Tunbridge — The Past” exhibit at the North Tunbridge
Baptist Church and Tunbridge Grange open house, 12-2.

August 7: 250th Hike of the Month — From Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

Aug. 9: Historical Society potluck supper 6:30 p.m. at the Dodge-Gilman Building and 7:30 slide program about the town’s 21 district schools by Euclid Farnham and Mick Maguire.

Aug. 13: 250th “Tunbridge — The Past” exhibit at the North Tunbridge
Baptist Church and Tunbridge Grange open house, 12-2.

Aug. 13 & 14: 250th quilt & needlework show, “A woman’s work is never done…250 years of Tunbridge life” at the Town Hall. Saturday 10-3, Sunday 11-2. Hosted by the Saturday Sewing Circle.

Aug. 20: White River Valley Historical Fair with area historical societies, including Tunbridge, at the South Royalton School, 10-3.

Aug. 28: 250th “Tunbridge — The Past” exhibit at the North Tunbridge
Baptist Church and Tunbridge Grange open house, 12-2.

September 1: 250th Bell Ringing — Bells at the three Tunbridge churches will each be rung 250 times at 6 p.m. Potluck on Parsonage lawn, 6:30. Sponsored by The Tunbridge Church.

September 4: 250th Hike of the Month — From Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

Sept. 15-18: Tunbridge World’s Fair celebrating the Fair’s 140th and the town’s 250th anniversaries.

October 2: 250th Hike of the Month — From Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

Oct. 8: 250th Variety Show, 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Hosted by the Tunbridge Civic Club.

Oct. 9: Historical Society Ghost Walk, 1:30 at Hunt Cemetery, North Tunbridge.

October 14-16: Christmas in October Shoppe — benefit for the Parsonage. Friday 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday 10-4, Sunday 10-2. Hosted by Tunbridge Women’s Group.

November 6: 250th Hike of the Month from Tunbridge Central School, 1 p.m.

WCAX did a story on Tunbridge’s 250th anniversary [7 minute video], which includes interviews with Euclid Farnham, Scott Terami and John Durkee. There is also some time dedicated to the late Fred Tuttle including old footage from the campaign trail.

The latest edition of the Tunbridge Quarterly is now available for your reading and downloading pleasure!

The legal voters of the Tunbridge Town School District are hereby WARNED AND NOTIFIED to meet at the Tunbridge Central School, Tunbridge, on Monday, May 2, 2011, at 7:30 P.M. to transact the following business:

Article I
To hear the recommendation of the Board of School Directors for the designation of a high school to provide for the high school education of pupils residing within the District by paying tuition.

Article II
To act upon the recommendation of the Board of School Directors to provide for the high school education of pupils residing within the Tunbridge Town School District by paying tuition to any approved non-sectarian public or independent school, in or out of the state in accordance with 16 VSA section 822 School district to maintain public schools or pay tuition.

Article III
To transact any other business proper to come before the meeting.

Article IV
Adjourn.

The Tunbridge Fire Department’s 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held at the Tunbridge Central School on Saturday, April 23, 2011 starting at 10am.

National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Newbery Medal and National Book Award Winner, Katherine Paterson, will speak at the Tunbridge Church on main street on April 15, 7 p.m. as part of the Tunbridge Library‘s Winter Evenings series. More information on Katherine Paterson can be found on her website and on wikipedia.

Jeanne & The Hi-Tops, one of the Upper Valley’s favorite bands, will be rocking away the winter blues at a benefit dance on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at the Tunbridge Town, 8-11 p.m. All proceeds will benefit Safeline, the central Vermont organization serving victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Admission at the door is a suggested donation of $10. The Tunbridge Town Hall is located on Route 110 in the center of town. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be served.

Are you interested in helping build our local farms (and land-based) economy? Are you interested in encouraging more local and fresh food in our school? Are you interested in celebrating the vitality of our community in ways that strengthen the capacity and resilience of our land and social life.

Join us, Wednesday, March 16; 6:30 PM, Tunbridge Town Hall, in exploring the idea of a local farm and food group that helps celebrate all that Tunbridge has to offer.

For more information, contact: Chris Wood at 802-498-8438 / Email or Mary Zentara at 802- 889-5637 / Email

The Tunbridge 250 Committee will meet Sunday, March 6 at 2pm at the Parsonage. Our work as a committee is winding down. We still welcome people who can help with various efforts, such as a 250th presence at events and with the Tunbridge Appreciation Picnic. We should involve as many groups as possible in publicizing the picnic to their members.

Items for Sunday discussion include Fred Pond’s DVD project, the Tree Warden’s Tunbridge Village tree planting and Route 110 “welcome” signs. We expect to hear more about outdoor movies, notecards and postcards, a logo and slogan, and kids’ involvement possibly with a time capsule and through the One Planet summer program.

A new item for consideration is to provide some kind of sign or marker for Peter Button’s grave. The original inscription is very difficult to read.

We heard there was a suggestion that the bell ringing celebration on Sept. 1 end with a street dance. Maybe someone will have information about that idea.

Historical cookbook committee members Nancy Chapman, Joyce Miller and Edie Benson have received a lot of recipes and material and are about to begin the big job of pulling it together. Other volunteers will have to handle the presales and marketing.

The Saturday Sewing Circle was at the Town Meeting and will set up at other events with information about the 250th commemorative quilt. Nancy Howe has a handout, materials and design list.

Volunteers are working with Jean, Euclid and Priscilla on getting Euclid’s many Behind The Times articles edited and formatted for publication this year.

The Grange and the Friends of the Tunbridge World’s Fair are interested in the 250th. The Friends are hosting the Memorial Day afternoon rubber duck race. Parade floats (and marchers) which salute the town’s 250 years are encouraged for the parade.

The calendar of history-related and 250th events (as of 3/1) is posted on the town Web site and was published on the back page of the history booklet distributed at Town Meeting. Note that dates and hours were listed on the inside back page for a summer exhibit at the North Tunbridge Baptist Church.

Booklets will be given to the library and Town Clerk and will be available at public events starting on Memorial Day.

Join the conversation on Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tunbridge Town Hall about creating a town-based farm and food group that would help build on the strength of our agricultural– and land-based economy. Everyone welcome.
Questions: Call Chris Wood at 802-498-8438 / Email or Mary Zentara at 803-889-5637 / Email