I think we are all chomping at the bit for the warmth of the sun and the long brilliant days of golden light. Even though spring is slow to come to The Green Mountains, it is coming, I promise.

There will be 8 three hour life drawing sessions at the VTica Gallery in Chester, VT. The drawing workshop is for serious artists and art students and will begin in May. It will continue consecutively every Wednesday beginning May 1st, except May 15th and will end on the 26th of June. Each session will run from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM as before.

VTica will be closed for the month of April for mud season. In May, we will host The Mysterious Mind, a Private Screening of Film "And After All," Vermont Young Playwrights Aloud! and Projections: Reel To Real Conversation.

Here is the schedule of Holy Week Services at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Chester.

The American Red Cross will be holding a community blood drive at Newsbank Conference Center on Main Street in Chester, VT, on Monday, March 25. Lunch will be provided and walk-ins are welcome.

Secretary of State Jim Condos is pleased to announce the appointment of Will Senning as the new Director of Elections and Campaign Finance for the office of the Secretary of State. Will replaces Kathy Scheele, who is retiring at the end of this month, after more than 13 years of dedicated service to this agency and to the state of Vermont.

Over 150 adults and young people were fascinated by the original creations displayed at the 2013 LEGO Contest organized by St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Chester on Saturday March 2. Participating LEGO enthusiasts came from 12 towns in Vermont and six in New Hampshire. The 44 entries by children PreKindergarten through Seventh Grade provided imaginative constructions that intrigued and inspired both younger and older onlookers.

Does money make you happy? Kids and family? Your work? Do you live in a world that values and promotes happiness and well-being? Are we in the midst of a happiness revolution? Roko Belic directs a documentary that sets out to answer these questions and more. Taking us from the bayous of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the villages of Okinawa, Happy explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.

Rotary Club of Chester, Vermont announces the annual Easter Egg Hunt to be held on March 23, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. sharp at Chester-Andover Elementary School. This event is open to all Chester and Andover children from preschool to sixth grade.

RAMP has been hosting Artist's Town Meetings where artists, artisans and local food growers have an excellent opportunity to share their work and to gain access to potential customers. The focus of these quarterly meetings is to bring creative people together in order to share ideas and a meal. All are welcome to attend.

Events at VTica in March include "The Mysterious Mind," "Life Drawing for Artists," an Artist's Town Meeting Potluck, an Art Workshop featuring Emily Traynor and Projections: Reel to Real Conversation with John Bliss.

St. Luke's Church at 313 Main Street in Chester will celebrate a traditional Jewish Passover Seder on Palm Sunday evening, March 24 at 5:30 p.m. in Willard Hall. The text for the evening, the "Haggadah," includes songs, readings, and responses, along with explanations of the various symbolic foods that will be used to tell the Exodus story. Following the symbolic meal, a delicious dinner of roast lamb, chicken, vegetables, tossed salad and dessert will be served.

The 5th Annual Maple Fest Dinner will be held on Saturday, March 16th at 6 p.m. in Willard Hall at St. Luke's. Everything you eat will be made with a bit of maple syrup.