West Pawlet Farmers Market, Friday, December 6, 4-7 PM, Fish & Game Club Building:  This week we’ll have beautiful wreaths from Vermont Wreath Company in Tinmouth! Sample some 3 Bean Chili, served over rice with cornbread. Check out goodies from:  Flour Girl Bakeshop, Pine Woods Farm, Pitchfork Preserves,  153 Sandwiches,  Consider Bardwell Farm,  Earth Sky Time Farm,  Hazelton’s Maple Syrup,  Round Bale Farm. Find “West Pawlet Fish and Game Club Building” on Facebook.

Christmas Flea Market, Saturday, December 7, 9 AM to 3 PM, West Pawlet firehouse: Lunch will be served: there will be a ham dinner, bake sale, raffles and kids’ time at 12:30 PM. For information call Edna at 645-0174.

Pawlet Public Library hosts 6th annual Holiday Market, Saturday, December 7 from 10 AM -3 PM and Sunday December 8 from 10 AM -2 PM: We have several carefully selected crafters and food vendors joining us for this fun weekend of local holiday shopping. Check it out at the Pawlet Library, 141 School Street, in the Pawlet Village center.

Pawlet Library Receives National Recognition: The Pawlet Library is one of two Vermont small town libraries named to a list of the nation’s top public libraries, the Library Journal’s 2013 All Star Libraries list. I would personally like to express my excitement and thank the patrons, all our volunteers and the library trustees for making the library the heart of the community! Beth Kashner, Pawlet Library Director

West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department Pancake Breakfast, Sunday, December 8, 7:30 to 11:00 AM: The breakfast menu includes regular, chocolate chip, blueberry and cranberry pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, home fries, sausage and bacon.  Coffee, milk and orange juice are also available. All are welcome. Prices are $7.00 for 12 years and up, $5.00 for 5-12 years and free to children under the age of 5 years.  Proceeds from the breakfast are dedicated for the department’s equipment and training needs. The West Pawlet fire house is located on Route 153 (Main Street) in West Pawlet. For more information contact:  Antonio Landon at (802) 345-4312 or email: wp5801@yahoo.com .

Mettawee Community School PTO skating benefit and bake sale, Sunday, December 8, 1:15 to 3:15 PM, Riley Rink, Manchester: The dollar skate is $1 for children and $3 for adults; skate rentals are $6. This event is sponsored by the Perfect Wife and Spiral Press Café.

Basket Party Benefit, December 14, Mettawee Community School: Doors open at 11 AM, and the drawing is at 1 PM. $5 buys the first sheet of tickets. Each additional sheet is $2. A concession stand will offer chili, macaroni and cheese and sandwiches. Proceeds benefit the Class of 2014 Spring Trip. To make a basket or donate call Leslie or Suzanne at the school, 645-9009, during regular school hours.

West Pawlet Cemetery Association has wreaths for sale: To order your wreath, call 325-3697 OR 645-9252 or email LeachExcavation@aol.com. Wreaths will also be sold also at the Pawlet Library  Holiday Market, Sunday December 8 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Proceeds benefit the West Pawlet Cemetery Association Tree Maintenance Fund. Wreaths are $15 for (16″) and $25 (25″). for $25.00. All are handmade from fresh spruce, cedar and cones harvested from the tree project. Thank you to Denise Davies who kindly made the bows.

Pawlet Town Offices holiday schedule: The town offices will be closed Monday, December 23 through Friday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 31 through Wednesday, January 1. The office will be open Monday, December 30 and Thursday, January 2. Deb Hawkins – Town Clerk.

Update of Pawlet Town Plan: The Pawlet Planning Commission will be updating the Town Plan over the next 18 months. The public is invited to attend the planning commission’s January 27, 2013 meeting, 7:30 PM, at the Town Hall. Our goal that night is to come up with a vision statement on how we see the Town of Pawlet and what we see as obtainable goals and objectives in planning for the future in the areas of land use, transportation, education, recreation, public infrastructure, health care, solid waste, storm water, energy and housing. We are soliciting input from the public at that meeting to craft a vision statement and provide additional input on what the residents of Pawlet view as important to help guide us in crafting the revised town plan over the next 18 months.

Front Porch Forum is now available in Pawlet: Front Porch Forum is a web site that helps neighbors connect and build community by hosting regional networks of online neighborhood/town forums. The new Pawlet Wells Front Porch Forum is in the member recruitment phase. So far, 71 members have signed up. Once we get 100 members on board, then full functionality will turn on and everyone can start using it to share postings among neighbors. Sign up and help spread the word! http://frontporchforum.com/registrations

Town Green Improvements Completed: The town green in Pawlet Village center has now been improved, thanks to the efforts of many community members. The design for the project was done jointly by Gary Baierlein and Eric Mach. Gary was also responsible for the landscaping work and has donated perpetual maintenance of the green by his business, Baierlein Landscaping. Eric did the stone work, including the curbstones, with granite paid for by Club 2011. J & J Trucking of Pawlet transported the granite from Castleton. Matt Waite Excavation donated the topsoil for the green. The green also has a new flagpole donated by Morning Flower Lodge.

In related work, the Highway Department paved School street and Weatherby Lane. More than 20 parallel parking places have been laid out, as well as  2 handicap parking places and a crosswalk. Additional funds for the project were donated by Fred Shehadi and John Beer. The Town of Pawlet would like to thank everyone who donated their time, materials, and funding for this project. A healthy town green and improved parking are significant improvements to our village center.

Emergency Fuel Assistance Fund in Pawlet needs donations: Heating season is here, and our local fund meets emergency situations on the spot. Donations should be made out to: “Pawlet Community Church Fuel Assistance Fund” and mailed to: Pawlet Fuel Assistance Fund, C/O Tim Bryant, 3449 Vt. Rt. 133, Pawlet, VT 05761. For more information contact Bob Schoenemann, Town Service Officer at 325-3146 or 325-3420.