The grass may still be green, but we could get snow anytime now. Are you ready? Check out these tips for being winter weather preparedness at http://www.ready.gov/vermont.

West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department Turkey Raffle, Friday, November 20, 7 PM, West Pawlet Firehouse: Doors open at 6 PM and the turkeys start flying at 7! Learn how to purchase a playing card to participate. The cards will enable 27 lucky winners to each win a turkey with a bag of potatoes. Refreshments – hot dogs, chips, coffee, donuts, soda and water – will be available. Tickets are also on sale now by the fire department for four Grand Prizes to be raffled: Remington 30-06 Model 7600 Pump Rifle (or $400 cash); Binoculars; $100 cash; Turkey Meal with fixin’s. Ticket proceeds support the fire department’s equipment and training needs. Tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated. New members are always welcome. Contact: Ron Taylor, Jr. at 645-0003 or cell # 802-683-8988.

The Vermont Movie continues on November 22 and December 6: Following the successful showings of the first two of six parts of “The Vermont Movie,” the Pawlett Historical Society is pleased to announce that the third and fourth parts will be shown respectively on Sunday, November 22 and Sunday, December 6, 5 PM at the West Pawlet Firehouse. PHS members and non-members alike are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. Each of the six parts of “The Vermont Movie” is self-contained; there’s no need to have seen previous parts in order to enjoy these remaining shows. Contact Steve Williams at 802- 645-9529 or voorburg00@comcast.net.

Upcoming Pawlet Town Government Meetings: All meetings are open to the public and are held at the Pawlet Town Hall on School Street.
Energy Group, Monday, November 23, 12 PM.
Planning Commission Monthly Meeting, Monday, November 23, 7:30 PM.
Select Board, Tuesday, November 24 and December 8, 7 PM.

Haystack Hustlers Seniors Lunch November 24, 12 PM: We will participate in the Mettawee School Harvest Feast. At our October lunch at Mettawee School, we presented student dictionaries to all of the Third Grade Students. This is always an exciting time for the students as well as the seniors. All area seniors are welcome to our lunches. For more information, contact Phyllis Mason at 325-3196.

Pawlet and Rupert Communities consider implications of Act 46: On November 17 a community forum was held at the Mettawee Community School to discuss Act 46, the new education reform law which will require school district mergers. The conversation will continue on December 2 at 7 PM, when a special meeting of the Pawlet and Rupert school boards will be held at the Kittay Library, 2827 VT Route 153 in West Rupert, to discuss whether to convene a formal merger study committee. For more information on the November 17 community forum moderated by BRSU Superintendent Dan French, see http://pawlet.vt.gov/schools/school-board/.

Christmas Craft Fair and Flea Market, Saturday, December 5, 9 AM – 2 PM, West Pawlet Fire House: This seasonal festival includes craft and flea market items, a food sale, raffle and lunch. Santa arrives at 12:30 PM. Lunch is served starting at 11 AM – hamburgers, hot dogs, corn chowder, sandwiches, beverages and more. Some vendor spaces in the flea market area are still available, $10 per space; contact Edna Winot at 645-0174. This event is sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of the West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department. Contact JoAnne Reid 645-0244 or Beth Duquette 645-0398.

Dollar Skate December 6 to Benefit Mettawee PTO: Do you like to ice-skate? Then grab your skates on Sunday, December 6, and come on out to support the Mettawee Community School PTO at the Dollar Skate and Bake Sale being held between 1-3 PM at Riley Rink at Hunter Park, off RT 7A, in Manchester, VT. Don’t have skates? No problem, you can rent skates for $6 at Riley Rink. Questions? Call Mettawee Community School between 8 AM – 3 PM, weekdays, 802-645-9009.

West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department Pancake Breakfast, Sunday, December 13, 7:30 to 11 AM, West Pawlet fire house: Pancake menu includes regular as well as chocolate chip, blueberry and cranberry. Sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and home fries are also served, along with coffee, milk and orange juice. Prices are $8 for 12 years and up, $5 for 5-12 years and free to children under the age of 5. In recognition of Youth Deer Hunting Weekend, all youth hunters who provide proof of your deer will receive a free breakfast. All proceeds are for the benefit of the department’s equipment and training needs. Contact: Antonio Landon at 802-345-4312 or email: wp5801@yahoo.com. Our monthly benefit pancake breakfasts run from September through April each year. Hope to see you there!

Shelter Defibrillator Fund Update: The Red Cross Emergency Shelter for West Pawlet is collecting funds to buy a defibrillator for the firehouse. We are closing in on our goal of $1600. A very generous donation from the WPVFD Auxiliary brought us up to $800, half of what we need. We have a Please help us wrap this up by December 15 so that we can take advantage of this special offer by the American Red Cross. Donation checks should be made out to the WPVFD Red Cross Emergency Shelter and mailed to P.O. Box 87, West Pawlet, VT 05775. Your tax-deductible donation will be acknowledged. For further information, please call Paul Turnley, Shelter Manager, 802-645-0955 pturnley@aol.com or Dolores Luebke, Shelter Volunteer at 802-645-0109.

Pawlet Planning Commission seeks clerk: Duties include attending evening meetings on the fourth Monday of each month, transcribing and distributing minutes to Planning Commission members, the Town Clerk and others as necessary. Ability to distribute minutes electronically in PDF format is required. Must be willing to attend occasional special meetings also. Please send letter of interest stating your qualifications to Deb Hawkins, Pawlet Town Clerk, PO Box 128, Pawlet, VT 05761.

2015 November/December Town Office Hours:
The Town Clerk’s office closed Tuesday, 11/24 thru Friday, 11/27; Wednesday, 12/23 thru Friday, 12/25; and Wednesday, 12/30/15 thru Friday, 1/1/16.
The Town Clerk’s office open Monday, 11/23, Monday, 12/21, Tuesday, 12/22, Monday, 12/28, & Tuesday 12/29.
Regular office hours will resume 1/4/2016! Thank you, Deb Hawkins, Town Clerk

Emergency Fuel Assistance Fund in Pawlet needs donations: Heating season is here, and our local fund meets emergency situations on the spot. Please make a donation to help replenish the fund. 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. To get confidential help locally from the Pawlet Community Church Fuel Assistance Fund, call Pawlet Town Clerk Deb Hawkins, 325-3309.

Pawlet Bone Builders Group, Monday and Thursday Mornings: The Osteoporosis Prevention and Reversal Program is an effective combination of weight bearing, balance and stretching exercises, with nutritional information and socialization. Originally developed from the Strong Living Program of Tufts University, Bone Builders is a free, ongoing program open to all those with concerns about osteoporosis. The Pawlet Bone Builders group meets at the Pawlet Library on Monday mornings at 10:15 and Thursday mornings at 9. We have room available for new members to join us. No experience is necessary. Volunteer coaches will teach you the exercises, which may be done seated or standing. Men and women of all ages are welcome. For additional information, call Ruth Friedman 802-645-0226.

Do You Keep Poultry? If you raise chickens or turkeys, take note: the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a very contagious poultry disease that can be devastating to chickens and turkeys, and the farmers who depend on them for their livelihood. It is most commonly spread to domestic poultry by infected waterfowl, through direct contact or contact with droppings, during migration periods. The HPAI is not known to impact human health and has not yet been identified in Vermont. But poultry producers should become familiar with it now. The entire Northeast, including Vermont, is preparing for the possibility that an outbreak of HPAI could affect our region this fall or during the spring of 2016. If you raise poultry, please review information posted here: http://pawlet.vt.gov/town-offices/health-officer/. Thank you! Bob Morlino, Health Officer

Rutland Area Visiting Nurse offers monthly community health clinics: The Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice sponsors a wide range of clinics for area residents and businesses, including health education, screening, testing, and adult immunizations. For more information visit http://vermontvisitingnurses.org/events/categories/rutland-area/ to learn about their flu and foot care clinics; cholesterol, diabetes and blood pressure screenings; and many other important services.