FARMINGTON – Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold its monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the USDA Service Center Conference Room at 107 Park St. The meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in a copy of the agenda may pick it up at the district office. More information may be obtained by phoning Gail Dolan at 778-4279.

Potluck lunch

WILTON – Wilton Day Extension will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Fire Station. A potluck lunch will be held, and the guest speaker will be Wilton Town Manager Peter Nielsen. The meeting is open to the public. Those staying for the lunch are asked to bring a potluck dish.

Men’s club

PHILLIPS – The Phillips Men’s Club will meet for a cookout at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, at Small Falls. Team 1 will serve.

Office closed

JAY – The Jay Town Office will be closed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, for an employee appreciation picnic. Tax bills and sewer fees are now due. Interest will be charged on all payments received after Oct. 1. All unpaid 2003 tax and sewer liens will expire on Jan. 28, 2005. People may phone the Jay Town Office to make arrangements if their 2003 tax or sewer bills remain unpaid.

Hill performing

FARMINGTON – Singer and songwriter Ruth Hill will return to perform again at the G.I. Coffee House at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10, at Old South Congregational Church. She kicked off the season at the coffeehouse earlier this year. The coffeehouse offers entertainment and a welcome to those who are serving or have served the United States, their families and friends, as well as other members of the community. A collection of items to send to the troops is also being taken and may be left at the coffeehouse. Items such as socks, sunscreen and books are welcome.

Monday Club

FARMINGTON – The Monday Club of Franklin County will hold its first meeting of the season starting at noon Sept. 13 at the Granary Restaurant. After a luncheon, guest speaker Jim Logan will tell about particular books he has treasured and why. Logan operates Twice Sold Tales in Farmington. Members are invited to bring a treasured book to share, if they wish. These are not book reviews.

Society meeting

FARMINGTON – The Farmington Historical Society will meet Monday, Sept. 13, at Henderson Memorial Baptist Church. There will be a potluck supper at 6 p.m. followed by a business meeting and a program at 7 p.m. Richard Gould will speak about Farmington’s 150-year bank history. Guests and new members are welcome.

Garden club

FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue Area Garden Club will meet Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Farmington Municipal Building. The meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. with refreshments and a social half-hour, with business conducted at 1 p.m. The program will be titled “The Beauty of Maine’s Wildflowers,” presented by Marianne Heinrich-Perry. Perry was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1951 with her parents and brother, Bernd Heinrich, Maine naturalist and author. She lives in Kent’s Hill, taught at Windsor Elementary School for 25 years and is an amateur photographer and naturalist. Perry will present a slide show of her work and talk about the beauty and abundance of our native flora. All are welcome to attend. The garden club will have a display and table set up in the agricultural building at the Farmington Fair with free flower seeds available while they last. The public is welcome to stop by to view the exhibit.

Parenting workshop

FARMINGTON – Parenting through separation or divorce is the topic of a workshop series being offered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. The five-part series will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 22 and 29 and Oct. 6, 13 and 20, at Franklin Memorial Hospital. “Kids are typically hit the hardest when couples separate,” explained Wendy Legg Pollock, extension educator and leader of the workshop. “The people they probably love the most have decided that they don’t love each other anymore and can no longer live together. Regardless of the age, children struggle with a lot of feelings such as guilt, fear, anger and sadness and they typically feel caught in the middle,” Pollock said. The workshop will help parents to better understand the effects of separation or divorce on themselves and their children, and to support their children through the transition. There is no cost to participate, but participants must pre-register by phoning the Extension Office by Sept. 17 at 778-4650 or 1-800-287-1478.