Cavendish Update 1/3/25: Election/Recycled/News/Events

CAVENDISH CONNECTS LINKS:  CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE  cavendishconnects.bsky.social or www.cavendishconnects.com

WISHING YOU A HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

The Transfer Station is back to normal hours for the weekend Saturdays 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sundays 10:00 am - 5:00 pm.

  

1/3/25

1.    Recycling Cavendish Holidays

2.    Cavendish Open Elected Positions

3.    Cavendish Related News

4.    Events Calendar

 

1. RECYCLING CAVENDISH HOLIDAYS: The following items can be recycled at the Cavendish Transfer Station during normal business hours:

• Real trees, wreaths and greenery free of decorations

• Non metallic cards, gift wrap and paper can be recycled along with cardboard boxes. Note that pizza boxes are not recyclable .

• Burnt out lights, batteries and other “dead” electronics at the Cavendish Transfer Station’s E-waste building. 

The following cannot be recycled: Ribbons, bows, twine and anything that’s long and string; shiny Christmas cards printed on photo paper; those with metallic embossing, glitter; or metallic, glitter, velvety flocking wrapping paper.

Other recycling options:

• The following plastic bag items can be recycled at various local stores- grocery bags, bread bags, case overwrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, wood pellet bags, Ziploc & other re-sealable bags, produce bags, bubble wrap, salt bags, and cereal bags. All materials must be clean, dry and free of food residue. The following local stores participate in the Trex recycling program: Market Basket, Hannaford, Price Chopper, Shaw’s, Target, and Whole Foods.

• Gently used items can be donated to Black River Good Neighbor Services (BRGNS)

The Cavendish Transfer Station is open Wednesday and Saturday from 8-5 and on Sunday from 10-5

 

2. CAVENDISH OPEN ELECTED POSITIONS: The following positions are open for election this March. Please contact the Town Office if you have any questions about the duties of each position and to pick up a petition to run for office. Petitions are due back to the Town Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2025. Town moderator (1 year); Town Agent (1 year); Auditor (1, 2 and 3 year positions); Select Board (two 1 year positions, 3 year position); Town Grand Juror (1 year); Library Trustee (5 years); Trustee of public funds (5 years); and GMUSD Director (3 year)

 

3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

• GM board discusses budgets, bonds and mascots: Chester Telegraph 

CHS Briefs for January: The Cavendish Historical Society’s Briefs for January 2025 are now online and include upcoming events for February and beyond.

• Wildlife talk at the Cavendish Library: On January 18 at the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library, wildlife rehabilitator John Aberth will share his incredible story of saving two orphaned baby beavers (known as kits). Over two years, Aberth rehabilitated the kits until they could be released back into the wild. The event starts at 3 p.m. and is part of the Cavendish Community & Conservation Association’s Walk and Talk series. Aberth is a volunteer licensed wildlife rehabilitator who specializes in raptors (hawks, owls and falcons), and some mammals such as beaver, mink and weasels. A retired college professor (medieval history), Aberth combines his wildlife expertise with engaging storytelling. He currently volunteers at Protect Our Wildlife, a Vermont wildlife advocacy group. No registration is necessary but seating is limited. FMl cavendishccca@gmail.org.

• New Vermont laws for Jan. 1: Minimum wage, town ethics, electric vehicle fee and more: Minimum wage increases from to $13.91 an hour. The Primary care paperwork reduction law says that Vermont private health insurance plans that are regulated by the state cannot require primary care providers to get “prior authorization” before ordering admissions, treatments, tests and procedures for their patients. Starting on Jan. 1, all state decision-making bodies will be required to hold all regular and special meetings in both a physical location, and on an electronic platform. People who lead state and local boards, municipal managers, and mayors are now also required to participate in annual training on Vermont’s open meeting law. Registered EV owners will begin paying an annual fee of $89. The money will be used to subsidize the installation of EV charging ports at workplaces and multi-unit residential complexes. All select boards, planning commissions and other local public bodies will be subject to a "municipal code of ethics.”  health insurance plans will have to fully cover the cost of colorectal screenings for all Vermonters age 45 and older. That means no co-pay, no deductible and no cost-sharing of any kind for the patient. For doctor’s appointments done by video or phone, Vermont health insurance companies have to pay providers the same amount as for an in-person visit.  VT Public

 

4. EVENTS

JANUARY 11 (SATURDAY): Tech Time 10:30-12:30 at Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow. Bring your computer, phone or other device to get the help you need. Call to sign up 802-228-8921.

JANUARY 18 (SATURDAY): Wildlife talk at the Cavendish Library in Proctorsville 3 pm. Speaker is John Aberth  who will share his incredible story of saving two orphaned baby beavers (known as kits).

JANUARY 20 (MONDAY): Martin Luther King Day. Town Office closed

FEBRUARY 5 (WEDNESDAY): Cavendish Historical Society’s talk/workshop on Cavendish abolitionist Peter Tumbo and the role beads played in the African slave trade. Participants will have an opportunity to make a beaded bracelet following the talk. 6-7:30 pm at the Cavendish Library in Proctorsville. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com or 802-226-7807

FEBRUARY 14 (FRIDAY): HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

FEBRUARY 15 (SATURDAY): Cavendish Historical Society’s program on the History of Chocolate with Cavendish chocolatier Maren Mutter. 10-12 at the Cavendish Library. This talk is for those 12 and up. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com or 802-226-7807

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Cavendish Update 12/20/24: Services/Survey/News/Events

CAVENDISH CONNECTS LINKS:  CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE  cavendishconnects.bsky.social or www.cavendishconnects.com

The Transfer Station will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, for the Christmas holiday. It will be open from noon to 5:00 on Wednesday, January 1st, New Year’s Day, and open regular hours on the weekends Saturdays 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sundays 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Cavendish Fire Dept. still has trees and wreaths and will be selling over the weekend. 

And for those wanting to track Santa’s progress, it begins on Dec. 24 at the NORAD website.

12/20/24

1.    Area Christmas Services

2.    MARC Comprehensive Safety Action Plan Survey

3.    Cavendish Related News

4.    Events Calendar

 

1. AREA CHRISTMAS SERVICES

Dec. 24 (Tuesday)

• St. James Methodist Church Proctorsville, 3 pm, downstairs

•  Annunciation Catholic Church Ludlow  4:30 pm

• United Church of Christ, Ludlow 6 pm

• Ludlow Baptist Church, Ludlow Green 6:30 pm

• Cavendish Baptist Church 7 pm

Dec. 25 (Wednesday): Annunciation Catholic Church Ludlow 9 am

 

2. MARC COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY ACTION PLAN SURVEY: Last year our Regional Planning Commission, the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC), was awarded a Federal grant from US DOT to develop a comprehensive safety action plan with a goal and strategies to get to zero deaths on all MARC roadways for all road users. As part of this effort, MARC collected data on serious and fatal injuries on roadways in our region which you can see here: StoryMap.

They want to hear from you! MARC would like to know what the data doesn’t show, which is when and where you feel unsafe on MARC roadways. Please fill out the following Survey: MARC SS4A Input Tool

 3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

• Fletcher Farm School Becomes Create Together: Responding to the creative and educational needs of area residents, the Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts announces its transformation into Create Together. The nonprofit organization will offer year-round creative experiences in professionally equipped studios. The official open date is pending final permit approvals. For more information about Create Together’s programming and community initiatives, visit their website. Like their Facebook page to learn more about classes as they become available. VT Journal

• Vermont commission on public education shies away from offering cost-saving ideas: The Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont approved its preliminary findings on Monday without making any recommendations about how to contain costs in the short term.  Despite being tasked with producing “preliminary findings and recommendations, including short-term cost containment considerations” by Dec. 15, the commission decided not to include a slate of money-saving proposals directly in its report. The commission ultimately voted 8-3 to adopt the preliminary report, deciding to link to — but not include — the list of cost-containment proposals. The preliminary report provides an interesting overview of education in VT including: Since FY20, statewide expenditures increased from 1.88 billion to 2.23 billion or an 18.5% increase; between 2003-2004, overall enrollment in K-12 decreased by 21.5%; nationally, VT has the highest per pupil cost and while students rank highly for reading, and about average for math, performances have been trending down over time.   VT Digger

• Singletons open charming new children’s boutique in Ludlow VT Journal

 

4. EVENTS

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY)-JANUARY 2 (THURSDAY) : HAPPY HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 26 (THURSDAY)-JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY KWANZAA

DECEMBER 31 (TUESDAY): New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY 2025

JANUARY 20 (MONDAY): Martin Luther King Day. Town Office closed

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS  

Cavendish Update 12/13/24: SB Mtging/News/Events

CAVENDISH CONNECTS LINKS:  CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE  cavendishconnects.bsky.social or www.cavendishconnects.com

Saturday (Dec. 14): Holiday Fiesta at the Cavendish Library 10-Noon. Celebrate the holidays by making different type of ornaments. Lots of treats as well. Suitable for all ages, free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Cavendish Historical Society thanks in part to a grant from the Cavendish Community Fund.

 

12/13/24

1.    Cavendish Select Board Meeting

2.    Cavendish Related News

3.    Events Calendar

 

1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 12/9/24: The video of Monday’s select board (SB) meeting is posted at the Okemo Valley website. Unapproved Minutes will be available at the Town Website.

Approved

• New Planning Commission Member: Ed Dottavio appointed to the Cavendish Planning Commission

• State of Vermont Land Acquisition (Lord State Forest): Support 137 acres off of East Rd, Susannah Johnson Lane, owned by Peiter van Schaik, to be gifted by the property owner Pieter van Schaik to the state’s Land Acquisition program, part of the Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation. With significant ecological value, it will be available for public use. The town will be reimbursed for lost property taxes.

• Vision Zero Resolution Adopted: Mount Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC), was awarded a Federal grant from US DOT to develop a comprehensive safety action plan with a goal and strategies to get to zero deaths on all MARC roadways for all road users by 2040. As part of this effort, MARC collected data on serious and fatal injuries on roadways in our region Mount Ascutney Safety Action Plan

• ARPA Allocations: Adopted the resolution for the remaining funds of approximately $175,000 to be moved into general funds in accordance with ARP regs.

• Budget Meeting: Set a date for Dec. 30 (Monday): 6-8 pm

Discussed

• Welcome to Cavendish Sign: Replacing the sign on the border of Cavendish/Ludlow is being explored but nothing can be done until spring.

• Changing Town Clerk & Town Treasurer from Elected Position: With more demands being placed on these positions, a discussion is needed so voters can decide on town meeting day whether these should remain elected positions or if they should be appointed. The latter would allow someone outside of town, and with qualifications, to fill positions. This will be further discussed at upcoming SB meetings.

•  Flood Resilience Study Funding:  The final figure for the study is $75,000. There is no grant for this. If Cavendish and Ludlow each come up with $10,000, MARC will make up the difference. The $10,000 could be split between two budget years and there is some funds to cover this cost.

• Thanks to town crew: After the first snow fall, the town was down two trucks but they were able to manage. They are now back up to four trucks.

• Water Meters: Have signed a contract is with EJ Prescott $154,000 (ARPA funds were used) for new meters to be installed for municipal water users. These meters are very accurate and will record every drop of water. Installation will begin in January and should be completed within the year. Some people may see a change in their bill based on accurate usage.

• Letter regarding Fire Dept. Mergers: Mike Ripley requested that the letter Stu Lindberg sent to the SB members be included in the minutes of the meeting. Fire Depts are not under the SB’s jurisdiction, so the SB can’t take any action. Lindberg’s letter, a version of which appeared in the local papers, recommends the mergers of the Cavendish and Proctorsville Fire Departments into a municipal fire district.  

• Town Informational Meeting: Mike Ripley started the discussion about moving town meeting day to a Saturday to get better participation. This will now be an informational meeting as all voting takes place by Australian Ballot.

 

2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

• Benson’s Hosting Toys for Tots: Benson’s Chevrolet at 25 Pond Street in Ludlow is the collection site for Toys for Tots. Drop off unwrapped toys until December 23.

• Green Mountain’s Soccer Coach Jake Walker named 2024 Coach of the Year

• Golden Stage Inn OVRCC Member of the Month

• Mountain Munchkins Opening in Ludlow: The grand opening of Mountain Munchkins a children’s boutique will offer clothing sizes newborn- 7 years, Jellycat stuffed animals, and of course toys too. Come see us this Saturday 10-7. 116 Main Street, Ludlow VT

 

3. EVENTS

DECEMBER 14 (SATURDAY): The Cavendish Historical Society will be hosting a Holiday Fiesta at the Cavendish Library, made possible by a grant from the Cavendish Community Fund. From 10-noon come and make a variety of decorations using paper from old hymnals, magnets and more. FMI: 802-226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com

-       Ludlow Farmer’s Market 10-4 at the Ludlow Community Center

DECEMBER 15 (SUNDAY): Christmas Party at Fox Run, 12-4. Free Buffet, gifts for kids sponsored by Four Square Hospitality. FMI: ray@foursquarehospitalityvt.com

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY)-JANUARY 2 (THURSDAY) : HAPPY HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 26 (THURSDAY)-JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY KWANZAA

DECEMBER 31 (TUESDAY): New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY 2025

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Cavendish Update 12/6/24: Scam/News/Events

CAVENDISH CONNECTS LINKS:  CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE  cavendishconnects.bsky.social or WEBSITE

Tree lighting and Carol Sing tonight, Friday, 5:30 pm at CTES. Hot chocolate and refreshments. This will be followed by a walk to Svec Park for the lighting of the Proctorsville Green Tree. 

Tomorrow, Saturday Dec. 7, is the Stuff a Fire Truck in front of Singleton’s to benefit the food shelf @ BRGNS. 

Saturday & Sunday is the INNdulgence Tour. See the Events section for more information on Stuff a Truck and INNdulgence Tour.

 

12/6/24

1.    Scam Alert from the AG’s Office

2.    Cavendish Related News

3.    Events Calendar

 

1. SCAM ALERT FROM THE AG’S OFFICE: Scammers are posing as local law enforcement, calling to say you supposedly missed jury duty. They demand payment of a fine and ask for your sensitive personal information. Hang up to protect yourself and your money from scammers! Always take steps to verify the legitimacy of unknown callers by using publicly available contact information, not information provided by scammers.  Report scams to the VT Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program at ago.vermont.gov/cap or 1-800-649-2424. For more information about this scam and scam prevention resources go to the CAP Connection blog.

 

2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

 Interim Future of Education report set to raise many options, but not recommendations: Instead the commission will give its “preliminary findings” to the General Assembly on the Dec. 20 and that report will feature a chart containing more than two dozen potential policy actions. Those actions could possibly have the effect of solving or ameliorating problems with the education system and the way it’s funded. But the commission is saying that it has not had the time nor the necessary data to look deeply enough into them to make recommendations that would have near-term effects in containing costs. Chester Telegraph

 Vermont’s tax department projects 5.9% property tax increase next year: Vermonters can expect a 5.9% average increase in education property taxes next year absent major changes, according to a forecast from the Vermont Department of Taxes. The news arrived Monday in the form of the “Dec. 1 letter,” an annual projection required by law that represents the first public-facing estimate of expected education property taxes for the fiscal year starting July 2025. It relies on data from the state Agency of Education and local school districts, which are already engaged in their budget-making processes, and is produced in collaboration with the Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office. VT Digger

• Gov. Scott says he's working on a plan for flat property taxes to 'hold taxpayers harmless' in 2025 VT Public

 How Has Vail’s acquisition of Vermont Ski areas impacted locals? Brave Little State VP

 

3. EVENTS

DECEMBER 7 (SATURDAY): Stuff a Fire Truck. The food drive will take place in two locations; PFD will be at Singleton’s and Ludlow will be at Shaw’s. Donations will be accepted from 9-5, with all proceeds benefitting the Black River Good Neighbors Service’s Food Shelf. BRGNS needs the following: Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, soup, coffee, sugar, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, shampoo (regular bottles over sample size), soap (bars), dish detergent, and toothpaste.

DECEMBER 7-8 (SATURDAY-SUNDAY): A self-guided tour of up to 10 historic inns located across the Okemo Valley, including Proctorsville’s Golden Stage Inn. Each will be uniquely decorated for the holidays and treats will be on offer to make the experience truly INNdulgent. The cost is a $20 per person donation ($15 early-bird) with all proceeds donated to a local charity. The open-house will run from 12pm to 5pm each day. FMI: INNdulgence Facebook page ; Golden Stage Inn (802)-226-7744 / innkeeper@goldenstageinn.com

DECEMBER 8 (SUNDAY): Children’s Christmas Party at the American Legion  Post 36, 133 Main St., Ludlow from 10:30-Noon. Please call/text Tammi to sign up by December 1st 802-376-9165.

DECEMBER 9 (MONDAY): Cavendish Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm at the Cavendish Town Office.

DECEMBER 14 (SATURDAY): The Cavendish Historical Society will be hosting a Holiday Fiesta at the Cavendish Library, made possible by a grant from the Cavendish Community Fund. From 10-noon come and make a variety of decorations using paper from old hymnals, magnets and more. Maren Muter will be on hand with her amazing chocolate. FMI: 802-226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com

-       Ludlow Farmer’s Market 10-4 at the Ludlow Community Center

DECEMBER 15 (SUNDAY): Christmas Party at Fox Run, 12-4. Free Buffet, gifts for kids sponsored by Four Square Hospitality. FMI: ray@foursquarehospitalityvt.com

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY)-JANUARY 2 (THURSDAY) : HAPPY HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 26 (THURSDAY)-JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY KWANZAA

DECEMBER 31 (TUESDAY): New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY 2025

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS