Cavendish Update 12/16/16 SB Resignation/News/Events
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12/16/16 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting
2. Cavendish Related News
3. Events
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETINGS 12/12/16
Select board 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. Below is information about items discussed and acted on at Monday’s meeting:
A. SB Member Regier Resigns: Prior to the SB meeting, the board met in executive session, after which Selectmen Wendy Regier sat in the audience and did not participate in the meeting. The public learned with the release of the Agenda for the Dec. 15 SB meeting, that Regier had resigned from the Select Board in the executive session.
B. New Town Manager: Four selectmen approved and signed a contract with Brendan McNamara to replace Richard Svec as Town Manager, who is retiring. McNamara’s first day of work, and Svec’s last day will be Tuesday, January 3. Svec will continue to serve in an advisory capacity as needed.
C. Resignation of Planning Commissioner: Accepted resignation of Cavendish Planning Commissioner Joe Marini
D. Snowmobile Maps Approved: Snowmobile trails have been approved for the season. VAST and Windsor County maps are $5 each and are available by contacting Cavendish Green Mountain Snowfleas gmsnowfleas@comcast.net or they can be purchased at the Cavendish Cook Shack during snowmobile season. GM Snowfleas is opening trails starting Dec. 16. Check their Facebook page and website for trail information before heading out.
E. Bont’s Hill: Guardrails have been installed on Town Highway #43 (Bont’s Hill). Paving will take place in the spring.
F. Heat Pump: New heat pump equipment will be installed at the Cavendish Town Office before January 1. The electrical costs for running the high efficiency units will be off set by the surplus of solar credits from the town’s solar array.
G. Road Reclassification: The state has approved the reclassification of Quent Phelan Road from a class 3 to a class 2 road. This gives the town better funding opportunities for paving as well as higher reimbursement for State Aid to Town Roads
H. Light for 131 and 103 Intersection: In view of the recent accident at the intersection of Route 131 and Route 103, there was a discussion about a need for a traffic light. In the last year alone, the Proctorsville Fire Department has responded five times to accidents at this location. With the closer of the Depot Street Bridge more traffic is forced to use this intersection.
I. Noise Ordinance: The Noise Ordinance continues to be discussed
J. Telecommunications: The Cavendish Telecommunications Committee recently met with Comcast, who will be deciding whether to apply for state funds to connect the Tarbell/Knapp Pond area. It does not appear that TDS has upgraded service to the Twenty Mile Stream area. A copy of the Committee’s report to the SB is available in PDF.
2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Thank you PFD Chief Glidden: At 3:38 am on Dec. 16, the Proctorsville Fire Department was toned for automatic aid to Cavendish for a missing autistic 10year old girl from Main Street. With temps at -5, PFD E1 responded in less than 4 minutes. As they were being given instructions on where to search, Chief Glidden radioed that he located the missing child on High Street near the old Duttonsville School, and was bringing her back home. The child was found to be very cold but with no visible injury. Thank you Chief Glidden for a save that on such a cold night could have had a very different ending.
Cavendish town plow truck strikes utility pole: A town of Cavendish plow truck struck a utility pole Monday morning Dec. 12 and caused a brief power outage. At 7:50 a.m., Vermont State Police reported to High Street in Cavendish, near the intersection of Route 131 for a traffic accident. The road conditions were icy and snowy. VSP Report
PVFD Ice Water Rescue: The Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Department is proud to announce that their emergency services will soon be expanding to include Ice Water Rescue. They currently have three trained Ice Water Technicians and will be training more firefighters over the winter to the technician level. For the last two years Techs have had to do training with the Chester Fire Dept. to maintain their certifications due to lack of departmental ice gear. The PVFD prudential board came through this year with the money to make this important purchase. Most of the gear has arrived and more is on the way. Training begins immediately and will be on line in January. Thank you everyone for your continued support. "Our family helping your family since 1833"
TRSU Act 46 Panel Leans Toward Merger Options: After more than a year of looking at the options for school consolidation, the Two Rivers Supervisory Union Act 46 Study Committee seemed to surprise itself by backing into a merger option to put before the state Board of Education and the voters of the towns in the union. The option selected would dissolve the Black River Union (Black River High and Ludlow and Mt. Holly Elementary) and Mt. Holly would connect with Mill River. Three elementary schools (Chester-Andover, Cavendish and Ludlow) would remain, but middle and high schools would unify in Chester at Green Mountain Union High. Chester Telegraph
Something to Write Home About: Sen. Dick McCormack is now writing a new series called “Something to Write Home About.” This week he talks about some of the important issues facing Vermonters as he looks forward to his 13th term serving the Windsor County Senate District. You can find the full update at his Facebook Page: VT State Senator Dick McCormack
Volunteers Needed for Audubon Christmas Bird Count: This holiday season marks the 117th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, a favorite tradition among Vermont’s birding community. Birders in Vermont are encouraged to participate in the count, which is happening in Vermont from December 15 to January 2. Even novice birdwatchers can participate because an experienced birder leads every event. Organizers and participants include birders and biologists from Audubon Vermont, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, and many other groups. More than a dozen count areas and dates are available where birders gather together to conduct the Christmas Bird Count. The dates and contact information for each event are listed at vt.audubon.org/audubon-christmas-bird-count-0.
Mega International Power Transmission Line Wins Federal Approval: The US Dept. of Energy gave its approval this week to a 1,000 megawatt international power line that will carry mainly Canadian hydroelectric energy to southern New England. VT will have dibs on 200 megawatts. The cable will carry 1,000 megawatts of direct-current electricity 154 miles from the Canadian border to Ludlow, where a converter station would transform the electricity to alternating current. From the Coolidge Substation in Ludlow and Cavendish, the power will flow into the ISO-New England grid, VELCO spokesman Kerrick Johnson said. Most of the cable’s length from the Canadian border will be buried beneath Lake Champlain. VT Digger
3. EVENTS
DECEMBER 16 (Friday): GM Snowfleas are opening trails today. For more information check their website and Facebook page.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES (Dec. 24, Saturday)
• Candlelight Service at Okemo: 8:00pm. Located in the Jackson Gore Round House, Jackson Gore Road in Ludlow, VT. Celebrate Christmas with Okemo with a candlelight service led by Cavendish Baptist Church Pastor Abraham Gross. All are welcome to this sharing of the Christmas story and traditional Christmas caroling.
• Cavendish Baptist Church: 6 pm: Short Bible readings of the Christmas story along with traditional Christmas carols. Candlelighting
• St. James United Methodist Church: 6 pm
• Gethsemane Episcopal Church: 4 pm Carol, lessons and holy Eucharist
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE: Cavendish Baptist Church: 10:00am. 2258 Main Street in Cavendish. A traditional Sunday worship service celebrating Jesus as the center of this season and all seasons of our lives. FMI: (802) 226-7131 or visit CavendishBaptist.com
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.