Category Archives: Things to do

Memorial Day parades, ceremonies, and celebrations

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Memorial Day services in Barton in 2012. Photo by Bethany M. Dunbar

Memorial Day services in Barton in 2012. Photo by Bethany M. Dunbar

Roaring Brook Park

There will be several events on Sunday, May 26.  The gates open at 8 a.m., and events begin at 9 a.m.  There will be an opening ceremony by American Legion Barton Post #76, farm stock tractor pulling, horse and pony pulling, a jackpot gymkhana series, old-fashioned games, cow flop Bingo, face painting, food booths, and more.  Admission is $5; children under ten are free.

There will be a 30-team horseshoe tournament at 10 a.m., with registration at 9 a.m.  To pre-register, contact Ray Lamarche at 754-8734.

 Newport

Memorial Day observances will be on Monday, May 27, with a parade starting at 10 a.m. at the corner of Main and School streets.  People and organizations who wish to participate in the parade should contact Harvey Robitaille at 334-2591; parade participants should gather on Main Street at 9 a.m. on May 27.  City dignitaries and legislators have been invited to attend, and the North Country Union Junior High School band will play.  The parade will go from there to Gardner Park, where there will be a ceremony.  New this year, Beverly Davis of Brownington will play the bagpipes at the ceremony.

 North Troy

The parade will be on Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m., kicking off at the old mill.  The parade goes to the bridge, where a wreath will be thrown into the river.  The parade will then go through the center of town, and there will be another ceremony at the Town Green, where a wreath will be laid at the grave marker.  There will be a raising of the flag at the Town Green as well.  The parade then marches down to the Legion home, where there will be another wreath laying ceremony at the grave of a North Troy soldier, and another raising of the flag.  The North Country Union High School band will play in the parade.  There will be a flea market starting at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post #28.  Participants should bring their own table and register with the Legion by calling 988-2861 after 4 p.m.; registration is $10.  After the parade, there will be a chicken barbecue at the Legion.  It will include hot dogs and hamburgers.

 Glover

There will be a parade on Monday, May 27, starting at 11 a.m. at the Town Green, with music by the Lake Region Union High School Band.  There will be a gun salute, and a wreath at the bridge.  There will be a ceremony at the Town Hall.

 Brighton

There will be a parade on Monday, May 27, starting at the cemetery at 11 a.m., and going down to the Town Memorial.

 Orleans

The parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 27, at the common.  It will go down Water, Liberty and Church streets, and will turn around in the Ethan Allen parking lot.  The parade will stop at the Main Street Bridge, where honors to the sea service will be rendered, followed by a gunfire salute and the playing of “Taps.”   The parade will then return to the village monument for the salute for all deceased veterans.  The parade will include floats, fire trucks from Westmore and Orleans, cars from the Cars of Yesteryear Club and the Northeast Kingdom Fire Brigade, members of the Legion, Boy Scouts, and more.  The Lake Region Union High School and Orleans Central Supervisory Union bands will play, and Roberta Jaworski will sing the national anthem.  The guest speaker will be retired Vermont Air National Guard Chief Master Sergeant Gordon L’esperance.  The master of ceremonies will be U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran Roger Sanville.

Albany

There will be a parade at 11 a.m., on Monday, May 27.  Parade participants will line up on Water Street.  The Orleans Central Supervisory Union band will provide parade music, and the Cars of Yesteryear Club and the Northeast Kingdom Fire Brigade will be in the parade, along with fire trucks.  The parade will come back up Main Street and will go down as far as the ballpark, then will come back around to the memorial for the services.  As part of the ceremony, a new grave marker for World War II veterans will be installed.  Two World War II veterans will be in attendance.  Representative Sam Young will be the speaker.  There will be a luncheon at the Albany Methodist Church at noon.

 Craftsbury

Observations will be on Thursday, May 30.  The program will begin at 10 a.m., in the Craftsbury Academy gymnasium.  It will be a traditional program and include a mixture of student speakers.  Then there will be a parade, from the school to the cemetery on the common.  The Civil War Hemlocks will be the color guard.  The school band will provide the parade music.  The parade will return to the war memorial for more readings.  After, there will be a picnic, hosted by the school, on the common.  The picnic will be in the gymnasium in the event of rain.

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Museum of Everyday Life opens new exhibit June 2

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The Museum of Everyday Life announces the opening of its new exhibition, “Draw the Line and Make Your Point: The Pencil and the 21st Century” on Sunday, June 2nd, 2013, from 3-6pm. The Museum explores, analyzes and celebrates everyday life objects. Its aim is the slow-motion cataloging of life via objects of no monetary value and immense consequence. The exhibition offers unique ways of looking at the Pencil, including unlikely objects made from pencils, a participatory pencil launcher interactive exhibit, and a display of a smattering of pencils from around the world. A lively visual history recounts the invention and evolution of the pencil, and a display about a unique pencil artist will also be on view, along side many other pencil-related ephemera and oddities. At the opening day celebration June 2nd from 3-6pm, itinerant performer Adam Cook and local vaudville revivalists Rose Friedman and Justin Lander will play live music, and local animator/filmmaker Meredith Holch will present a new paper movie. Pencil themed snacks and beverages will be served. The Museum of Everyday Life is a self-service museum, open every day from 8am-8pm, and is located at 3482 Dry Pond Rd. (Rt. 16) in Glover, a short distance South of the Shadow Lake Rd. See www.museumofeverydaylife.org for more details or for more information contact Clare Dolan at 802-626-4409.)

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Dandelion Run May 18

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Photo courtesy of Phil White

Photo courtesy of Phil White

The Dandelion Run is a competitive and recreational half marathon (with relay options) on back roads deep in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.  Don’t let the name fool you. The “Dandy” is a hilly, thigh-burning challenge. Your reward: a run that takes you through farms and forests, on dirt roads through uncut green fields blanketed with thousands and thousands of dandelions. The “Kingdom” is one of the first geotourism areas in the world, specially designated by National Geographic.  And there is no more beautiful time of year than the height of dandelion season. It’s Spring! It’s time to run!! Just for the fun of it!!!

The consensus of our participants: “The Dandelion Run is one of the most challenging and most beautiful half marathons in the northeast.”  And it is run in conjunction with our Dandelion Festival of Bluegrass, Old Country and Fiddle Music – pickers and fiddlers at every relay station.

We also offer a less hilly, 10K course for running and walking (adult and youth).  We’ve run this in previous years as a 5 mile run, but have added a spur to make it a full 10K.  Our youngest runners take part in the joy of the Dandelion Run on our special 1 mile youth Fun Run.
This is a charity run and walk to support IROC’s Healthy Changes Initiative, a groundbreaking exercise program for people suffering from diabetes, obesity, or heart disease.

Pricing varies depending on the course.  Registration is now open.  The Adult Fee for the Half Marathon is $50 for an individual if you register before the end of the year.  Adult Fee for the 10K course is $25.  For the full rate schedule including special prices for youth and young adults check out our 2013 Rate Schedule and Register for the event on line here.

The event is hosted by IROC (Indoor Recreation of Orleans County) out of the Derby Beach House on the 4-H Road at Lake Salem, in Derby, Vermont. The half marathon starts at 9:00 am.  Relay stations are available at the 3, 6, and 9 mile points, with the final leg being 4.1 miles to the finish. Run the whole event, or enter as a team of 2 or 4 runners.

The 10K run and walk begins at 9:10 am.  The Fun Run (1 Mile – $5) takes place at 9:20 am.

In 2013, the total number runners will be limited to 400 individual runners, first come, first served.  Total number of relay runners will be limited to 200.  Registration is now open.

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Northeast Kingdom Farm to Yarn Tour May 18 and 19

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Photo courtesy of NEKTTA

Photo from Log Cabin alpaca farm.

The Northeast Kingdom Farm to Yarn Tour has, for many, become a welcome sign of spring and an annual tradition.  The Farm to Yarn Tour event began several years ago in Montgomery, Vermont, which is located just south of the Canadian border not far from Jay Peak.   The knitters, spinners and farmers of the Mountain Fiber Folk Co-op started the Farm to Yarn tour with five farms in the Montgomery area participating in a one day, open house style event.  Folks from near and far enjoyed the tours whether they were active knitters, farmers or just looking for a fun, family-friendly event.   The event became an annual tradition, but there was room to grow.   “Collaboration emerged between the Mountain Fiber Folk Co-op and the Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association (NEKTTA) and the event grew into a two day weekend event that now includes many farms from all parts of the Northeast Kingdom” stated Laura Malieswski, NEKTTAs executive administer. “It’s an event that truly celebrates Vermont’s agricultural heritage and it’s a great chance for budding fiber producers to learn how to work with fiber as well as what’s involved in the raising of fiber producing animals.”

Activities, experiences, and animal interactions vary from farm to farm.  However, collectively, activities include farm tours, spinning demos, fiber arts workshops, a llama obstacle course, and the chance to meet alpacas, goats, sheep, angora rabbits, and other farm and family animals.  Visitors will also be able to purchase fiber products including roving, yarn, and hand-crafted items.

As in previous years the event has grown and now includes farms throughout the region.  Participating farms include:  Agape Hill Farm in Hardwick, Walden Mountain Alpaca Farm in East Hardwick, Valley View Alpacas in Lyndonville, Tannery Farm & Boreas Farm Cashmeres in Danville, Maple View Icelandics in Westfield, Willowbend Farm in Island Pond, Cedar Brook Alpacas & Aramaar Alpacas in Irasburg,  Log Cabin Farm Alpacas in East Albany,  Buzz & Honey’s Fleecy Flock in Montgomery, Dillner Hillside Farm in Montgomery and Mountain Fiber Folk Coop in Montgomery Center.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to connect with some of our regional farms” said Malieswski “and to ensure everyone has a great experience we offer people a few things to consider to include wearing appropriate footwear and clothing, being aware of posted signs and working equipment, being considerate of the needs and comfort of the animals and leaving your dogs at home.”

The Northeast Kingdom Farm to Yarn tour will be hosted on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, at locations across the region.   The event is free.  For a full listing of activities at each farm and to download a map of the participating farms visit www.TraveltheKingdom.com or contact the Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association at 802-626-8511 or toll free at 1-800-884-8001.   E-mails are invited to assist@TraveltheKingdom.com.

The Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association (NEKTTA) has administered the regional marketing program for the Northeast Kingdom, since the organization’s inception in 1991. The organization provides marketing education, service, support and representation for nine area chambers of commerce and over 180 area businesses. NEKTTA strives to showcase Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom as a destination of choice for travelers. In doing so it is our mission to employ tourism to the benefit of our region by assisting in the development, marketing, and execution of experiential tourism products which will both honor and sustain that which we, as residents of the NEK, value most about our home. To aid us in our mission we employ the values and principles of agritourism, ecotourism and geotourism. For more information, please visit www.travelthekingdom.com.

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It’s time to take down bird feeders

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The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department urges people to take down their bird feeders to avoid attracting bears that are emerging from their winter dens and looking for food.

“It is best to remove food sources before hungry bears locate them,” said Fish and Wildlife’s Colonel David LeCours.  “We highly recommend taking down bird feeders and not feeding birds until December 1.”

“Also, don’t leave pet food outside, wash down your barbecues after using them, and secure your garbage containers,” he added.  “And above all, never purposely leave food out for bears.  Feeding bears may seem kind, but it is almost a sure death sentence for them.”

Photo courtesy of Vermont Fish and Wildlife

Photo courtesy of Vermont Fish and Wildlife

Vermont law prohibits a person from killing a bear that has been attracted to any artificial bait or food such as birdseed.  The fine for doing so can be as high as $1,000.

Bears often eat seeds in the wild, so a bird feeder chock full of high-energy seed is a concentrated source of what a bear considers natural food.  And they are smart.  Once bears learn to obtain food around people’s homes, they will be back for more.

To learn about black bears, visit the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website at www.vtfishandwildlife.com and look in the Library section for the Black Bear Factsheet.  — from Fish and Wildlife.

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Border Board games is calling all gamers

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border board gamesMy husband, Richard Creaser, and I are geeks. We love sci fi and fantasy. We love the original Star Wars trilogy, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. We know what the TARDIS and a cylon are. We know what RPG, d20 and D&D mean. We know who the knights who say ni are. We love vampires, werewolves and zombies. And we love tabletop gaming, which is why we formed the tabletop gaming group, Border Board Games.

Border Board Games is a place where we can socialize with our fellow geeks and play some games that are more intellectually challenging than rolling some dice and moving a game piece. It is a place where we can talk to our friends about the latest anime they are watching, Monty Python or George R.R. Martin. If you are reading this and are thinking that this sounds familiar, then Border Board Games is perfect for you.

This group isn’t just for geeks. It is for anyone who enjoys social, tabletop gaming.

Border Board Games meets every 3rd Saturday of each month at the Derby Line Village Hall. We bring along a wide variety of strategy based board games that we will teach and play. Gaming begins at 6PM and everyone is welcome to stop by and play. Our next game night will be on January 19th.

We also meet once a month to play a role-playing game. If either types of games are of interest to you and you’d like more info, visit http://sites.google.com/site/borderboardgames.

We hope you consider stopping by.

This Saturday, March 16, at 6 p.m., come learn a new type of board game. Fans of Clue, Risk, Scrabble, and card games will love these games. All welcome. For more information, visit sites.google.com/site/borderboardgames or contact Bethany at 873-3028 or myersbethany@hotmail.com.

Bethany Creaser, Derby Line, VT

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Memphremagog Ski Touring Foundation trails

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The Memphremagog Ski Touring Foundation is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to create and promote a system of high quality ski and snowshoe trails in the Derby-Newport area.

MSTF trails vary from railroad flat to precipitous, with skate and classic machine grooming on the core network.

MSTF is made possible by volunteer efforts, many generous landowners, and contributions from users. We hope to see you out on the snow and hope you will support MSTF with your membership!

Tickets and maps are available at IROC, at the MSTF Barn, and at the Southern Trail entrance off the Derby Recreation Path.  Trailhead parking includes MSTF lot near the Barn, IROC, the North Country Union High School land lab on the Quarry Rd, North Country Hospital and along Lakemont Rd adjacent to the bike path. After school hours, Derby Elementary also has a trailhead.

The cost is not expensive. An individual daypass is just $5 and a family season pass is just $35.  For more information, see www.mstf.net/ find the group on facebook,or e-mail Peter Harris at: PLHarris969@comcast.net.

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A birdwatcher’s challenge: find 100 species of birds in one day in the Northeast Kingdom

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A Blackburnian Warbler. Photo by Bob Stymeist

by Martha Steele

copyright the Chronicle July 18, 2012

Ruth Gjessing, my mother, has lived in Westmore for over 30 years.  Although she and I both grew up in Burlington, neither of us knew much about the Northeast Kingdom before she married Erland Gjessing in 1969.  I vividly recall my first trip to his property in Westmore.  We were driving from the north on Route 5A, when Lake Willoughby, framed by the cliffs of Pisgah and Hor, came into view.  It literally took my breath away; I had never realized Vermont had such a stunning and majestic lake.

These days, my husband, Bob Stymeist, and I spend a lot of time year-round peregrinating throughout the Northeast Kingdom, particularly Orleans County, in search of birds.  By far, the best time for birding in the Kingdom is May and June, the time when migratory birds return to breed and are in full song, establishing their territories and finding their mates.

Arguably, the Northeast Kingdom is one of the better areas to bird in the lower 48 states during those two months.  Its combination of a northern latitude, boreal forest habitat, mountain peaks, and numerous small ponds, marshes, and lakes gives plenty of habitat for many breeding songbirds.  On our property alone in Westmore, over the past several years, we have recorded a total of 84 species of birds.

During our vacation this past June, we decided to do a Big Day for Orleans County to see if we could tally at least 100 species of birds in the county in one 24-hour period.  A birding “Big Day” requires some prior scouting to find birds that are relatively uncommon or restricted to certain habitats or areas.  They also require planning a route to maximize the chances of seeing as many bird species as possible.  We listened to weather reports and decided that our Big Day would be June 14.

A Hairy Woodpecker, spotted at Barr Hill Nature Preserve in Greensboro.

At 2:15 a.m. on that Thursday morning, we got up to get the coffee going and get ready to leave.  The first birds we heard in the darkness were an Ovenbird along our forest edge and a distant common loon from Lake Willoughby.  We left the house at about 3 a.m., headed for East Charleston near the NorthWoods Stewardship Center, where we heard Eastern Whip-poor-wills calling.  As the sky began to brighten, the dawn chorus along the fog-enshrouded Clyde River was nearly deafening:  Wilson’s Snipe, Alder Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Winter Wren, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Veery, Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Black-throated Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Parula, American Redstart, White-throated Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, and more.  An Osprey was on its platform nest, and by 5:30 a.m., we had tallied 40 species.

We went on to the Newport area, headed for the Barton River and Coventry marshes.  These locations added such birds as Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Virginia Rail, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Marsh Wren, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Meadowlark, and Bobolink.  We then opted for a quick detour to the Coventry quarries where we picked up bank swallow and then headed back to Barton by way of Burton Hill Road, where we added cliff swallow and barn swallow in Irasburg.  In Barton, we stopped at the Randalls’ feeders on Breezy Hill Road to get what would be our only White-breasted Nuthatch of the day.  Earle Randall came out to greet us, but we were already heading out to the next stop (“Got our nuthatch, gotta go, see you later!”)

It was now time to return to the feeders and woods of our property in Westmore for a quick lunch and a few more species:  Ruffed Grouse, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, and Purple Finch.  Our next stop was the Westmore Town Forest, where we added Canada Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Nashville Warbler.  It was now almost 2 p.m., and we were up to 92 species.

The problem, of course, is that as you get more species, there are fewer new ones to get.  We headed to the Barr Hill Nature Preserve in Greensboro, where we saw a few species that we still needed during our pre-Big Day scouting.  This small boreal jewel produced what we hoped for:  Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mourning Warbler, and Dark-eyed Junco.  An added bonus was finding a Northern Rough-winged Swallow cruising over Caspian Lake.

It was now about 6 p.m. and we had 96 species, just four short of our goal to reach 100.  We were missing some we thought surely we would get:  Wild Turkey, American Bittern, Broad-winged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Scarlet Tanager.  We headed back to our property in Westmore, but had no luck along the way or back at the house.  As nightfall descended, we hoped our barred owl would call — not this night — or that there might still be calling American Woodcock in the field below us.  But after calling and displaying nightly since sometime in March, they too had quieted down.  So, the curtain came down at 96 species, and an exhausted pair hit the sack.

It was our first Big Day for Orleans County, and the experience has us already planning for next year.  In the 48 hours before and after our Big Day, we saw several species in Orleans County that we had not recorded on the Big Day, including Peregrine Falcon, at Jobs Pond and our property; Bicknell’s Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, at Bald Mountain in Westmore; Broad-winged Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, and Scarlet Tanager, on our property; Wild Turkey in Brownington; Swainson’s Thrush at Long Pond Road and Bald Mountain; and Hairy Woodpecker at Barr Hill Nature Preserve in Greensboro.  We also now know of other spots that we have yet to fully explore, such as the Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area in Holland or even the top of Jay Peak.

We may be crazy birders searching for any species we can find for no reason other than “it’s there to be done.”  But in the process, we are filled with joy in the pursuit and in the din of the familiar songs that greet us each spring for only some weeks before the songs are quieted as parents grow busy feeding their young.  The next time we go to Westmore this summer, we will hear far fewer birds, but we know they are there.  We know they will leave in the late summer and early fall, and we know they will return again next spring.  And this time, we’ll be ready.

A Chestnut-sided Warbler, spotted in East Charleston. Photo by Bob Stymeist

 

 

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Museum of Everyday Life opens with match stick exhibit

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by Tena Starr
copyright June 1, 2011
GLOVER — There’s a theory, at least, that the first matches were invented by women in China while their city was under siege.  Since they couldn’t gather tinder and start fires in the usual way, they used what was at hand, which happened to be white phosphorous.
Thus, the match, which they called a “light-bearing slave.”
There were problems, however, with white phosphorous matches.  For instance, the people who made them were prone to coming down with “phossy jaw,” an infection of the jaw caused by exposure to phosphorous.  The disease started with toothaches and swollen gums and progressed to abcessed jawbones that had to be removed.  The affected bones would glow greenish-white in the dark.  Brain damage was also a symptom.  Victims were either grossly disfigured, or died.
Eventually, matchmakers (the literal type) moved to using red phosphorous, which doesn’t cause the disease.
Matches are one of those everyday items that most of us don’t give much thought to.
Clare Dolan, however, has thought about matches quite a lot.  She also thinks about safety pins, zippers, paper clips, and all kinds of other objects that
most of us consider so innocuous that their existence, much less their history, barely enters our minds.
This coming weekend Ms. Dolan’s Museum of Everyday Life, will open.  Don’t expect spectacle, but do expect to learn something, and to be entertained.
The initial exhibit will be called Fire! and will include at least some of the following:  The history of the match, sulfer and its properties, the international collection of things made from matchsticks, an X-rated collection of pornographic matchboxes (well, not exactly pornographic), portraits of the Glover Volunteer Fire Department, and the arson evidence collection.
Ms. Dolan is a nurse by profession.   She also works with the Bread and Puppet Theater, and involves herself in other ways in the arts.  About seven years ago, she bought a big old house on Route 16 in Glover.  It includes a barn, and that space opened up new artistic possibilities.
“I’m not really a farmer lady,” she said.  “I didn’t think about getting a lot of cows.  I just maybe thought about getting a donkey.
In fact, she does have a donkey.  His job is to mow the lawn, and he appears to be reasonably efficient at it.  Nancy the goat also lives there, but her function in life is more social — she’s the greeter.
Ms. Dolan said in an interview Sunday that she’s always been interested in collections and displaying objects.
“This just springs out of that interest,” she said.  “I take a lot of pleasure in everyday life objects.  Like, how did they invent the paperclip?  And batteries and matches and thimbles and zippers?”
Everything in Ms. Dolan’s museum is an object with a cost of $5 or less.  Not that she’s selling her displays; it’s just that she wants to stick to a celebration of the small, unglamorous and everyday.
The subject of her initial exhibition was a choice between safety pins and matches, she said, but she had more material on matches.  “Matches, like most everyday objects, have a lot of interesting history.”
There was, for instance, the evolution of the matchbook from the match box.  The matches in a box contained enough white phosphorous to kill someone.
“By scraping off the matches, people could kill themselves, and they did,” Ms. Dolan said.
Matchboxes and books were used for all sorts of endeavors.  For instance, Ms. Dolan acquired a bizarre collection of small matchboxes that show on their covers photographs of the Soviet dogs that went into space.
Beer companies used matchboxes in their advertising campaigns.
Matches were called lucifers and still are in some places.
And then there’s phillumeny — the hobby of collecting match-related ephemera, of which Ms. Dolan herself might be considered guilty, though she
might prefer pointing to some unknown fellow who was in the military and collected matchbooks from all over the West Coast, including Alaska.
“This guy spent a lot of time in nightclubs and dance halls,” she said, pointing to the collection of rather artistic matchbooks.  She noted that it’s possible to tell a lot about a person by what they choose to collect.
But the crown jewel of her match collection is likely an assortment of instruments — violins, a banjo, and a mandolin — built entirely of match sticks.  They were made by a man named Dale Brown who was in prison at the start of his unlikely and time-consuming project.
“He only had access to matches and white glue,” Ms. Dolan said.  “He stained them with coffee.”
The museum also includes the “Beastiary,” a whimsical zoo of creatures whose appearance is enhanced by the addition of matchsticks.
The museum will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. throughout the summer.  It’s self-service, meaning show up, turn the lights on, and turn them off when you leave.  Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
The museum’s official opening will be on Saturday, June 4.  It’s located on Route 16 south of Glover Village in the barn adjacent to a big yellow house.

contact Tena Starr at tena@bartonchronicle.com

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