CALENDAR

Friday, Dec. 29

HOLIDAY TOURS: Christmas display in the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, Torrington. Guided tours through Dec. 30, Thursdays through Sundays, noon-4 p.m, last tour at 3:30 p.m. $10 adults, free to members, $5 for children. For more information, call 860- 482-8260 or visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org. TAC TEEN PARTY: TAC 6th Annual Holiday Party at the Burlington Public Library will be held Dec. 29, 2-4:30 p.m. for grades 6 and up. Current, past, and new members welcome. Join in another year of holiday food, the Muppet Christmas Carol movie, silly gifts, and the Ghosts of Christmas TAC Past as our special guests. Includes a super- brief meeting. Registration required; go to www.burlingtonctlibrary.info.

Saturday, Dec. 30

PUBLIC FORUM: Residents are invited to join U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Conn., for a public forum on the GOP tax plan approved by Congress last week. Larson has heard from many constituents who have expressed their concerns about this plan and how this overhaul will affect them and their families. Larson will talk about the plan’s potential effects in Connecticut and take questions from audience members. The forum will be held Dec. 30, 10 a.m.-noon at the Barkhamsted Highway Garage’s Community Room, 33 New Hartford Road in Pleasant Valley.

BINGO: Sons of Italy, Center Street, Torrington, hosts bingo games Saturday, 4-9:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m., games begin at 6 p.m. For information, call the lodge at 860-489-1226.

HOLIDAY TOURS: Christmas display in the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, Torrington. Guided tours through Dec. 30, Thursdays through Sundays, noon-4 p.m, last tour at 3:30 p.m. $10 adults, free to members, $5 for children. For information, call 860-482-8260 or visit www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org.

STOMPING IN THE SNOW: Stomping in the Snow at the Burlington Public Library, will be held Dec. 30, 11 a.m. All ages welcome — warm attire a must. Get outside and build a snow creature; if there’s no snow, create winter-themed art. Hot cocoa and snow stories will follow the outdoor fun as we welcome in the New Year, a little bit early. Registration required, go to www.burlingtonctlibrary.info.

5TH ANNUAL WINTER WALK: with Marlow Shami. Tag along with Marlow as she leads you to the observation platform overlooking Bantam Lake and the Ice House Ruins. Pass by Butternut Brook and indulge yourself in the sights, scents, and sounds of winter. 10 a.m., Meet in front of the A.B. Ceder Room. Free. Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center’s programming expenses.

Sunday, Dec. 31

KIDS PARTY: A New Year’s Party for Kids will be held Dec. 31, 11 a.m. at the Scoville Memorial Library, Salisbury. Count down to the new year exactly 12 hours before 2018 begins. Food and drink, arts and crafts, bells and whistles. To register go to scovillelibrary.org.

SOBER NEW YEAR: The United Methodist Church of Litchfield will hold a Sober New Year celebration on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. It will be a chance to gather, mingle, chat, and welcome the new year in good spirit rather than with spirits. The church will provide hors d’oeuvres, scrumptious sweets, plenty of coffee, tea, water, and soft drinks as well as music; all are welcome to bring music to share. At 11:30 p.m. a Watch Night Service of Reflection and Spiritual Renewal will be held upstairs in the sanctuary; an interfaith service to start the new year. Attendance to the service is optional; the party will continue downstairs. The church is at 69 West Street in Litchfield, at the western end of the green. For information, go to litchfieldumc.org or call the church at 860-567-5022.

Monday, Jan. 1

POSSUM QUEEN CONTEST: The annual Possum Queen Contest, festival and auction will be held on New Year’s Day at the Litchfield Inn, 432 Bantam Road, Litchfield. Doors open at noon. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. and food will be available for purchsae. All money raised benefits families with extended medical hardships. For details, go to https://www.facebook.com/possumqueenfoundation. WRITING COURSE: Instructor Chez Liley will be conducting a six-week creative writing course at The Litchfield Community Center on Tuesdays, Jan. 16-Feb. 20, 6-8:30 p.m. This course offers a supportive forum in which to develop writing skills and generate new work. Each week will focus on a different aspect, commitment to the 6 week series is required. This course is free; donations to The Litchfield Community Center are appreciated. Advance registration is encouraged, space is limited. Call The Litchfield Community Center at 860-567-8302 or visit www.thecommunitycenter.org OVERNIGHT PARKING: From now through March 31, all parking on city streets in Torrington is banned. Any vehicle parked for more than an hour during this time period will be fined $20 for each time they are in violation. During a storm, vehicles may be towed at owner expense if the owner is not available to move it. This ban is a safety measure for motorists and emergency vehicles, improving the efficiency of plowing and clearing over 40 square miles of city streets.

Tuesday, Jan. 2

HATHA YOGA: Hatha Yoga with Barbara Putnam, Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 5:30-6:45 p.m. will be held at Wisdom House, Litchfield. All levels welcome. For information or to register, email bdputnam@alum.mit.edu or call 860-567-4465 to register.

Wednesday, Jan. 3

BINGO: Sons of Italy, Center Street, Torrington, hosts bingo games on Wednesdays, 4-9:30 p.m. with dinner at 5 and calling at 6. For information, call the lodge at 860-489-1226.

BINGO: St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church holds weekly bingo games at St. Anthony School, Oak Street, Winsted, on Wednesdays. Doors open at 5 p.m. with refreshments and snacks for sale. Games begin at 6:35 p.m. Progressive jackpots. For information call the church at 860379-3369.

Thursday, Jan. 4

ROTARY CLUB EVENT: Share lunch with Litchfield-Morris Rotarians and hear a unique and exciting guest speaker — Louis “The Coin” Colavecchio, without question the world’s greatest counterfeiter. The event is being held at the Forman School dining facility, 12 Norfolk Road, Litchfield on Thursday, Jan. 4 from noon-1:30 p.m.There is no charge, but reservations are requested since space is limited. To make a reservation, for directions and information, call Andy Thibault at 860690-0211 or tntcomm82@cs.com or Chuck Conn at 860-806-1550 or cbcthree@aol.com.

MEET AND GREET: Meet & Greet Officer Daniel Pietrafesa and Sgt. Robert Varisconi at the Winsted Senior Center, Jan. 4, 1-2 p.m. They will talk about safety for older adults, preparing for emergency situations, dealing with phone solicitors and getting rid of unused medications.The event is free; register by calling 860-3794252.

WYKEHAM CONSORT: The acclaimed Wykeham Consort will offer an evening of music for this peaceful season, Buenas Nuevas De Algeria, Thursday, Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Memorial Library in Washington. Snow date Jan. 11. Free. Registration is requested, call 860-868-7586 for information or visit www.gunnlibrary.org The Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at Route 47 on the Green, in Washington.

SQUADRON MEETING: A meeting of the Northwest Hills Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol Auxiliary of the United States Air Force will be held Thursday, 7-9 p.m. at the Torrington Armory South Main Street. For information, call Commander Tim Ceritello at 860-620-3670 or email timceritello@gmail.com.

NEW CHESS CLUB: A new group, the Litchfield County Chess Club, meets Thursdays at the Torrington Library, 12 Daycoeton Place, Torrington, from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. on Thursdays. The informal club has held several meetings. Membership is free — just show up and play. Adults, teens and older children with an adult are welcome. There are plenty of boards and pieces, or bring your own. For information, call Alan at 850-430-9317.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE: Duplicate Bridge at the Sullivan Senior Center, East Albert Street, Torrington, Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. For information, call John Townsend at 860-567-0671. Leave a message, he will return your call. Bringing a partner is encouraged but not required. Games are now free of charge.

Friday, Jan. 5

BINGO: Have lunch and play bingo at the Winsted Senior Center, Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26, noon. Bingo starts at 1 p.m. Make a reservation for lunch before 11:30 a.m. the day before and stay for afternoon of fun. Walk-ins are always welcome. Cost: $4 for lunch, 50 cents per card. For information, call 860-379-4252.

Saturday, Jan. 6

WILDLIFE TRACKING: Winter Wildlife Tracking with Andy Dobos: The Forest Wolf, Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. at White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield. Children should be accompanied by an adult and all should dress extra warm and wear good boots. Meet in the museum. Members: $5, non-members: $15, Advance registration and advance payment are required. Call 860-567-0857 or register online: www.whitememorialcc.org

KIDS BIRD COUNT: Christmas Bird Count for Kids age 7-16 at White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield, Jan. 6, 10 a.m.-noon. Meet in the A.B. Ceder Room (lower level of museum). There will be pizza and hot cocoa afterwards for all the participants. Bring your own binoculars if you have them, but if not, pairs will be provided, and dress for the weather. This event will be run by LHAS Junior Audubon Leader Donna Rose Smith and White Memorial Education Director Carrie Szwed; additional adult mentors are needed to help the teams of young people out in the field, so parents, please plan on staying. There is no program fee, but donations are welcome to help defray program costs.

NEW YEAR’S TEA PARTY: Gunn Historical Museum’s 10th Annual New Year’s Tea Party will be held Jan. 6, 11 a.m-1 p.m., snow date Jan. 9, 4-6 p.m. The tea is free and open to the public. Registration is requested. To register, email your name(s) to: info@gunnhistoricalmuseum.org or call 860-868-7756.

ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: Scoville Memorial Library, Salisbury, Saturday Jan. 6 at 4 p.m., Armchair Traveller Series: Ghana and Me presented by Juliet Moore on Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. Hear about her visits to a small fishing village on the coast of West Africa and how the courage and the beauty of the people changed her forever. To register, go to www.scovillelibrary.org

CONTRA DANCE: Start the new year on the right foot at the Community Contra Dance, Saturday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Cornwall Town Hall 28 Pine St. in Cornwall. Lively music by Still, the Homegrown Band with a special guest caller to teach each dance. All ages welcome, no partner necessary. Donation requested to pay the caller. For more information call Jane AT 860-672-6101 or go to motherhouse.us.