In Brief .... Tax Help, a Barn Tour and Upcoming Career Fairs

Need help with your taxes?

Tax help, coordinated by the and hosted by the , will take place on Thursdays and Fridays through April 15, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at library, 725 Hopmeadow Street.

Trained and certified volunteers will prepare and electronically file federal and state tax returns, free of charge. Bring last year’s tax return, W-2, Form 1099, Social Security forms, and any other 2010 income records.

Appointments are necessary. Call the senior center, 860-658-3273. This service is free and open to anyone who needs assistance regardless of age or town residence.

Like poetry and art?

The Hill-Stead Museum and Antrim House announced a special writing workshop at the museum this spring.

On March 23, 5:30 to 9 p.m. is artful poetry with Simsbury’s Rennie McQuilkin. Explore Hill-Stead’s rich collection and examine the possibilities of poetry based on art. The evening includes a guided tour of the museum, a slide show presentation, discussion, readings, and a writing assignment with feedback.

The workshop is $25 per person. Space is limited. Register by emailing: poetry@hillstead.org.

Visit historic barns in Simsbury

Visit four historic barns dotted throughout the scenic Farmington Valley, journeying back in time to the farming communities of the area. Hear a talk from each farmer and anecdotes on the way to each location. At noon, relax and enjoy a stroll in the gardens and an al fresco lunch on the grounds of the Simsbury Historical Society.

The adventure begins on Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. at the Canton Community Center, 40 Dyer Ave., Canton, with a lecture on the area’s historic barns, including information on the tobacco industry and sheds, by Todd Levine of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. The lecture is open to the public; admission is $5 per person (without the bus tour).

On Saturday, April 30, board a bus departing from the commuter lot at Iron Horse Boulevard (behind ), Simsbury, promptly at 9:30 a.m. The first stop will be Tulmeadow Farm in West Simsbury, farmed by the Tuller family since 1768. In addition to their famous ice cream, Tulmeadow Farm has perennials, grass-fed beef and a gift shop full of goodies that will delight tour participants.

A short ride from Tulmeadow is Flamig Farm, also in West Simsbury, an educational resource serving the Farmington Valley area since 1907. Here tour-goers will learn about farming with renewable energy, biodiesel and solar alternatives, and experience Flamig’s animal petting area.

Simsbury Historical Society is next on the itinerary, where participants can enjoy a picnic lunch and a stroll in the gardens before exploring the 19th century Phelps Barn, built to keep the carriages and horses owned by the Phelps family. With stories of the Phelps family and other local history under their belts, tour-goers are on their way to the Holcomb Farm in West Granby, a vibrant, historic, educational New England farm. Finally, en route back to Iron Horse Boulevard, the tour will swing by Simsbury’s Tobacco Barns, hearing about the rich history of tobacco growing in the region.

The tour is recommended for adults and children 13 and older. Admission is $35 per person and includes the April 26 lecture, bus tour and lunch. Reservations are required. Call the Farmington Valley Visitors Association at 860-676-8878 by April 18 to reserve your seat.

Local woman is part of the first Connecticut Women's Conference

The first annual Connecticut Women’s Conference is fast-approaching — March 24 — and will feature Simsbury resident Carol Harnett. Harnett will serve on the panel "Courage and Conviction: Taking the Leap," which will feature the life experiences of women who are leading their lives with conviction.

Connecticut Women’s Alliance is hosting the event, which encourages women to courageously pursue their true purpose, at the Farmington Marriott from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register visit www.ctwomensalliance.com.

Looking for work?

The Connecticut Department of Labor’s 2011 CT Career Fair series begins March 15 with the first event offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury. The event traditionally attracts more than 40 exhibitors.

Recognized by Connecticut companies as an effective and professional way to recruit qualified job candidates, the agency’s job fair series attracted more than 450 employers and 10,000 job seekers in 2010.

 The spring schedule also includes:

• Manchester Career Fair, to be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 9 in Manchester Community College’s Great Path Academy Gymnasium
• Heroes 4 Hire Fair taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford
• Middlesex Career Fair, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 21 at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell

A $395 registration fee for companies wishing to participate in the Danbury Career fair includes a skirted display table, company signage, program guide listings and extensive radio, newspaper and online advertising. Employers can register online at www.ctjobfairs.com.

Stop & Shop makes a donation to the needy in town ... and you helped

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company announced that customers who shop its store in Simsbury, Conn., helped raise more than $7,300 through its annual Food for Friends program. The money was donated to the Simsbury Social Services Department to help provide hunger relief to area residents.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity and support from our customers and associates for Food for Friends,” said Suzi Robinson, a spokesperson for Stop & Shop. “We exceeded the amount raised in 2009 by 40 percent. Even a tough economy could not dampen the spirit of giving that exists with the associates and customers in our communities.”

Book sale at FVJC

FVJC-Emek Shalom's, 55 Bushy Hill Road, used book sale will take place on Friday, April 8, and Sunday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday, April 13, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Temple. Book donations are being accepted during office hours 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for adult, teen, children's books. No textbooks or books in poor condition. Prices from 25 cents to $2.