Cavendish Update 5/15/15 SB Mtg/Composting/Memoirs
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5/15/15 EDITION OF THE CAVENDISH UPDATE
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting/Hearing
2. Tiemann’s Cavendish Memoirs Chapter 11/Christmas
3. Cavendish Composting Workshop
4. Events
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING/HEARING
Select board (SB) meetings are recorded by LPC-TV and are available at their website and on Comcast Television. Written minutes are available at the town’s website. Monday night’s meeting included the following:
• VTrans Accelerated Bridge Program was in attendance to explain the various alternatives explored for the Depot Street Bridge in Proctorsville. The recommendation is that the entire bridge be replaced with a single span using Accelerated Bridge Construction with an offsite detour. Payment for the replacement would be 80% federal, 15% state and 5 % town funds.
• The Davis Bridge should be finished by mid summer, if not sooner
• The Fletcher Foundation and the Black River Health Center, both exempted from property taxes by the voters in 2014, provided information to the board about how their respective organizations function.
• From changes in tipping fees to improved signage, the Cavendish Transfer Station is undergoing upgrades to be in accordance with state standards and to continue to meet Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law.
A full report on the Select Board is available at The Dish
2. TIEMANN’S CAVENDISH MEMOIRS CHAPTER 11/CHRISTMAS
Winter is in full swing as the Tiemann family celebrates their first Christmas in Vermont. As many people still do, cutting down a tree and making wreaths and swags was part of their tradition. Following Chapter 11, is a childhood memory of a Cavendish Christmas in the 1940s, approximately a decade after Tiemanns took place.
To read the prelude and other chapters of Tiemann’s Memoirs go to Coming to Vermont (Cavendish): Memoirs of Philip Tiemann
3. CAVENDISH COMPOSTING WORKSHOP
In continuing preparation for implementation of Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law, the Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) hosted a composting workshop on Thursday evening. Approximately 25 people attended.
Cavendish has free zero sort recycling. Since, by July 1 of this year all recyclables are banned from the landfill, placing items in the Zero Sort bin will be strongly encouraged. Note that if a waste hauler brings a load to the Vermont landfill, located near the Canadian boarder, containing recyclables, they can be turned away. By July 1, 2017, transfer stations must provide composting of food scraps and by July 1, 2020 all food scraps are banned from the landfill.
Recycling, combined with home composting, significantly reduces what needs to go into the landfill, and since Vermont only has one left, this has become a critical need. In addition, the more you practice appropriate reuse methods, the cheaper your tipping fees will be at the transfer station.
One of the handouts distributed listed over 80 items that can be composted, many of which you may not be aware of : crepe paper streamers, balloons (latex only) human hair, pizza boxes and cereal boxes (shredded first), paper towels, paper muffins/cupcake cups, Kleenex (including used). Download 163 Things You can Compost and post it to your refrigerator as a reminder of what can go into the compost pile.
In addition to saving money, there are some major benefits to composting-reduce pesticide use, improve soil quality, as well as creating mulch, which can reduce watering as well as weeds.
There are many different ways you can do home composting, so check out the following links to see what may be the best option for you to consider:
• Backyard Composting It’s Only Natural
• Compost Uses Every Homeowner Should Know
• How to Build a Compost Bin
There are various types of composters that you can purchase, and each spring the Southern Windsor/Windham Counties Sold Waste Management District provides significantly reduced composters for purchase.
Because of the upcoming state requirement for composting, be on the look out for more workshops.
4. EVENTS
Today starts the Black River Good Neighbor weekend Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farm. To learn more about this and other events go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For regional events, check out the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce Calendar.