Cavendish Update 2/24/17 Murdocks/Annual Mtg/New

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 2/24/17 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Murdock Returns to Proctorsville

3. CHS Annual Meeting-March 5

4. Jazz, Blues & Soul, Wanda Houston-Raise the Roof Concert Series

5. Events

1 CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Town Garage Update: As a result of the fire on Feb. 15, "Big Red" is dead. The other two trucks are undergoing assessment and refurbishing. The town was to take purchase on a replacement for “Big Red” by Friday, Feb. 24. Surrounding towns are loaning trucks, so in short, the Highway Department is in good shape to deal with the storms and mud that lay ahead. As far as the garage itself, they're still waiting on the final word from the insurance adjustor but it's clear that significant work will be needed. It's hard to see a silver lining in the middle of debris, smoke and soot, but the upcoming clean up and repair will make room for some much-needed improvements.

Pollard Family Assistance: For those wanting to know how to help the Pollards recover from their recent house fire, please check The Dish for Regular Updates.

Community Luncheon Date Change: Due to Town Meeting Day Elections (March 7), the Community Luncheon at Gethsemane Church has been rescheduled for March 14 at noon.

Free Community Meal:  Black River Good Neighbor (BRGN) and the United Church of Ludlow are offering a Free Community Meal at the United Church of Ludlow, 46 Pleasant Street on Sunday, March 5 at 5 PM. Everyone is invited to this delicious home cooked meal.  The event is an outreach program of the BRGN services “Our Community Cares,” established for individuals and families to receive a nutritious meal within a warm welcoming community setting.

LPCTV Survey: The Board of Directors is evaluating the LPCTV brand and seeking community input. Your feedback is important. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the brief survey on-line.  

2. MURDOCK RETURNS TO PROCTORSVILLE: In 1886, Herbert T Murdock bought into the firm of Hayward, Taft, and Burbank and took over the management, which owned the Proctorsville Mill. By 1890, Murdock had complete control over the Mill and added a large brick addition of four stories. By 1916, the Proctorsville’s Mill, locally known as Murdock’s was specializing in cassimere and doeskins. H.T., as he was known, was an influential member of the community. His wife Cora promoted culture and social advancements and even purchased what today is Crows Bakery and Cafe to be used as a library and social gathering spot for employees and community.

With his death, in 1916, the Mill underwent a series of owners and for different uses, until it burned in 1982, when it was being leased by Acousta Phase. With many of the buildings gone, a new age was ushered into Proctorsville under the leadership of the town manager at that time, Rich Svec, resulting in the green, gazebo and the revitalization of Proctorsville Village.

Murdock has returned to Cavendish in the form of a pub in one of the remaining mill buildings. Opened on February 17, 2017, to the cheers of many in Cavendish, it’s designed to be a local’s place where you can relax for a few hours, grab a quick bite and catch up with friends. In the summer, you’ll be able to sit on the porch and enjoy the concerts. Currently open from 4-10 pm, Murdock’s on the Green is offering craft beers, fine wines and the all-important comfort food (burgers, bangers and mash, pasta and fish of the day etc.).

The owner is Etienne Ting, who with his wife Pang, owns Moonlite Meadows Farms in Cavendish. So yes, this is a farm to table pub. For the full story, go to the CHS article Murdock Returns to Proctorsville.

3. CHS ANNUAL MEETING-March 5: The Annual Meeting of the Cavendish Historical Society will be March 5 (Sunday) from 3-5 pm at the Cavendish Baptist Church Parish Hall, 2258 Main St., Cavendish.

In addition to the business agenda, there will be a special program “Cavendish Believe It or Not!” There are many Cavendish stories that people don’t know about. Yes, Phineas Gage’s and his famous accident ushered in the age of brain research. However, another medical curiosity lived here for at least 10 years. Alexis St. Martin revolutionized the understanding of gastroenterology with his permanent hole in his gut. A bit gory, and definitely strange, but oh so fascinating.

With the snows of February, its fun to remember that at one time Cavendish had both a topnotch bobsled run and its very own ski hill. As part of February’s Black History Month, we have once again revisited the amazing story how an African slave, Peter Tumber (Tumbo) became free, moved to Cavendish and died here in 1832 at the age of 106. Then there is Clarence Adams. Just who is buried in his grave? Turns out he visited with a friend in Montreal after his supposed death and burial. He was also spotted in Nova Scotia and still later in Florida. We’ve recently learned that a “zombie” movie was filmed in Proctorsville. Called Incantation, and lasting less than 10 minutes, it featured some of our local residents. If you have other tales you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them.

In addition to the review of CHS’s finances, the business agenda will include:

• How to honor Carmine Guica-Suggestions to date have included: restoration project; renaming Young Historians to the Carmine Guica Young Historians Program; scholarship fund; fund to help local kids research aspects of Cavendish history

• The 100th Birthday of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and how we would like to recognize that

• The renovation of the Stone Church

The meeting and program are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com or 802-226-7807

4. JAZZ, BLUES & SOUL WANDA HOUSTON-RAISE THE ROOF CONCERT: On Sunday March 5, Proctorsville’s Raise the Roof winter concert series will resume with a stellar performance by the beautiful Wanda Houston, known for her soulful singing of blues, funk, jazz and dusky romantic standards. Houston will be joined on stage by the renowned Eugene Uman on keyboard and Dave Picchi on acoustic bass. 

The concert is at 4:00 at Gethsemane Church on Depot St.  Admission is $10 at the door.

5. EVENTS

FEBRUARY 28 (Wednesday): The legal voters of Cavendish are warned that there will be an informational meeting on Article 2 of the Annual Town Meeting Warning, which reads, Shall the legal voters of the Town of Cavendish approve the issuance of a municipal bond in the amount not to exceed $790,000 for the purpose of complete replacement of the Town Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration System. The meeting will take place at the Cavendish Town Office, 6 pm on Tuesday Feb. 28th. Voting on this article will be by Australian Ballot on March 7 between the hours of 10-7 at the Cavendish Town Elementary School.

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

Cavendish Update 2/17/17: Fires/News/Updates

IF YOU COUNT ON CAVENDISH CONNECTS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON YOU.

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2/10717 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Fires

2. Cavendish Related News

3. Jazz, Blues & Soul Raise the Roof Concert

4. Events

1. CAVENDISH FIRES: On February 15, two fires struck Cavendish. Please note there isn’t an arsonist at work, rather both fires were electrical in nature and were not deemed suspicious.

At 2 am on Feb. 15, fire broke out at the Pollard’s home on Main Street in Proctorsville, next to Singleton’s. Thanks to the incredible response from Proctorsville and Cavendish Fire Departments, assisted by 8 other towns, their home, that’s been in the family since the 1800s, was saved along with pets and family.  Unfortunately, the barn was lost and there is significant damage to the house. The fire started in the attic of a breezeway that connected the house to the barn. Because the family does not have insurance, the community is mounting a response to help them as follows:

• Join the Lotsa Helping Hands website that has been set up to help address various needs, such as participating on a work crew, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, providing meal etc.

• Contribute to a Go Fund Me site that has been set up in their name.

• Donate money directly to Pollard LaValley’s account set up in their name. You can do this by credit card and phone (802-228-4665). Ask for Becky.

The second fire occurred just as the fire fighters were sitting down to dinner, around 6:15 pm. This time it was the Town Garage. The town’s oldest truck had an electrical fire in the cab, which spread to the building. While this truck is no longer operational, the other trucks are being used. There is considerable fire, smoke and water damage to the building and a full assessment will not be available until after the insurance adjustors have completed their inspection. Please note that all valuables from the Town Garage have been removed to a secure location.

Our fire fighters have been working incredibly hard this week as not only did they respond to these two fires, there have been medical emergencies as well as alarms going off as well. Keep our fire fighters home or out on the slopes enjoying the fresh powder by doing the following:

• Keep doors closed, particular bedrooms doors as it can keep the fire out. Check out the door in the Pollard House that played an important role in keeping the fire contained until the fire fighters could get things under control.

• If you live near a fire hydrant, please keep it clear by removing any snow and ice; clear a 3-foot perimeter around the hydrant for easy access and clear a path from hydrant to street.

• Check all outside vents and make sure they are clear of snow. Keeping the vents clear so they can function properly is important at any time, but easily over looked when we have mounds of snow as we do this winter.

As difficult as this situation has been, the response from so many has made all the difference. Our fire fighters have done an incredible job under very difficult conditions. Jill Flinn and the staff at Jill’s Place have made their jobs a little easier by providing food-they started cooking at 5 am for the first fire and just as they were about to close up shop, they turned around and stayed open, providing more food and drinks for the “night shift.” Jill was even on traffic detail. When it was suggested she might want to head home, her reply was, “after I make sure my town is okay.” Special thanks to the Golden Stage Inn for housing the Pollard family and to so many who have contributed in helping this family recover from such a devastating loss. What an incredible community we are part of.

Please support the Proctorsville Fire Department firefighters as they take on the Chester Fire Department in two hockey games on Sunday, Feb. 19th. Game 1 is at 10 am at the Chester Ice Rink on Lovers Lane in Chester. Game #2 is at Geven Field Ice Rink in Proctorsville on RTE 103 projected to start around 4 pm. There will be burgers and hotdogs, drinks and baked goods for sale at both rinks. There is no charge to come and enjoy the game and the great community atmosphere. All proceeds from each game will be split between the two fire depts. The hockey tournament is being hosted by the Cavendish and Chester Rec Departments as a way to promote the rinks and to thank the departments for their efforts in supplying water for the ice. Come out and support the home team.

Finally, please note that in times of emergency, the Cavendish VT Facebook page will be providing updates. This site can be viewed by anyone, but you cannot post comments unless you are a Facebook subscriber and “like” the site.

2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Cavendish Fire Dept. Annual Meeting: At Fire District 2’s Annual meeting on Tuesday Feb. 14, a budget of $67,985 (CDL Licensing was eliminated since it is not a state requirement at this time) was approved along with a one time expense of $4,000 for a carport for the utility vehicle. Officers were elected as follows Abe Gross (Moderator); Dave Burgess (Clerk); Stu Lindberg (Prudential Committee Member); Town Manager (Tax Collector); Bob Evens (Treasurer). The position of auditor continues to remain vacant.

Cavendish Warning of Public Informational Meeting: The legal voters of Cavendish are warned that there will be an informational meeting on Article 2 of the Annual Town Meeting Warning, which reads, Shall the legal voters of the Town of Cavendish approve the issuance of a municipal bond in the amount not to exceed $790,000 for the purpose of complete replacement of the Town Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration System. The meeting will take place at the Cavendish Town Office, 6 pm on Tuesday Feb. 28th. Voting on this article will be by Australian Ballot on March 7 between the hours of 10-7 at the Cavendish Town Elementary School. Legal Notices

 Five Bridges in Ludlow to be Repaired in 2017: Scheduled projects will begin in February and some will continue through July.

• Gate House and Red Bridge Dam on Red Bridge Road will begin in February.

• Pleasant Street Ext. bridge April 3 to May 5. The bridge will be completely closed for approximately 30 days. Suggested alternate route is Pleasant Street.

• Branch Brook bridge at the Junction of routes 103 and 100 North  May 15 to May 25. Alternate route includes Buttermilk Falls Road and Rod & Gun Club Road.

• Walker Bridge on Main Street in Ludlow will be closed for 30 days for complete replacement, starting June 9, and will reopen in July. The main detour for local traffic will be High, Depot, and Pleasant streets. Trucks will be diverted using routes 11, 100, 155, and 103.

• Culvert at the intersection of Hemingway Hill on Andover Street will be replaced in July. Andover St. Will remain open during construction.

Animal Hospital Fire Started in Crematorium: The fire that gutted the Springfield Animal Hospital in late January started in the vent of the facility’s crematorium, according to Springfield Fire Chief Russ Thompson. Eagle Times

New Security System at BRGNS: The Black River Good Neighbor Services thrift store and food shelf has installed new electronic surveillance equipment due to shoplifting and items being left outside after hours. VT Journal

ACT 46-Green Mountain RED Moves Forward; Ludlow Mt. Holly Reject Plan: On Monday night, school merger study committee representatives from Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester who are working to form a Regional Education District heard from Mount Holly and Ludlow reps that those towns will not participate in the RED – even as a fallback position in their Act 46 deliberations. The RED group then moved forward on articles of agreement on a tight schedule that would put the plan before the voters of the four towns in April. The main source of contention is around the Black River High School. The committee recommended its closure as to keep it operational would add a significant tax burden-as much as 20% increase-for the towns that do not use the high school. Cavendish representative Doug McBride noted that it would be “poisonous” for a committee to close another town’s school and hoped that Ludlow could “fix the problem” and continue to have a high school in its community. It was decided at the Jan. 31 meeting that the new entity would be called the Green Mountain Unified School District. There will be a full meeting of the TRSU Act 46 Study Committee at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at Chester-Andover Elementary School, 72 Main St. in Chester. It will be preceded by a RED sub-committee meeting at 6 p.m. Chester Telegraph

I-91 Bridge in Brattleboro Opening in March: According to a schedule submitted to state legislators, two northbound lanes on the new I-91 bridge in Brattleboro are expected to open March 13. One southbound lane will be available in late April, the state Agency of Transportation says. And all four lanes finally will be open in mid-June. VT Digger

3. JAZZ, BLUES & SOUL RAISE THE ROOF: On Sunday March 5, Proctorsville’s Raise the Roof winter concert series will resume with astellar performance by the beautiful Wanda Houston, known for her soulful singing of blues, funk, jazz and dusky romantic standards.   Performing since third grade and trained in opera,  Houston has sung and acted her way across theater stages, on film, in cabarets, recording studios and large concert halls.  She can belt out the blues, move your spirit with gospel and stir your soul with timeless romantic standards.  A critic for Time Out magazine in New York wrote, “The mega voiced Wanda Houston blows the roof off!” 

Houston will be joined on stage by the renowned Eugene Uman on keyboard and Dave Picchi on acoustic bass.  Uman is the musical director of Brattleboro’s Vermont Jazz Center and Picchi teaches and performs his blend of pop, soul, jazz and rock in northern Massachusetts.  The convergence of talent that Houston, Uman and Picchi bring to the stage will create a remarkable afternoon of music in a tiny church with big acoustics.   Because of their huge success last year, this will be the trio's second performance in the series.

The concert is at 4:00 at Gethsemane Church on Depot St.  Admission is $10 at the door, a small price to pay for a memorable performance of terrific live music in an intimate venue.  Put it on your calendar!

4. EVENTS

FEBRUARY 17 (FRIDAY)-20 (MONDAY): Black River Good Neighbor’s furniture store (105 Main Street, Ludlow) will be a special President’s Day Sale with prices cut by as much as 60%. This is a “cash and carry” sale. Store hours are 10-4. FMI 802-228-3663.

 FEBRUARY 19 (SUNDAY): Fire Department "Friendly" Hockey Match between Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept. and Chester Fire Dept. Cavendish and Chester Rec departments are sponsoring a home and home away hockey match for bragging rights on the ice! The first game will be held at Chester's Lover's Lane Rink at 10:00 a.m., followed by the second game late afternoon (game time is a “soft” 4:00) at Greven Rink. Come on down to both venues to cheer on our hometown heroes and support your Firefighters! All proceeds from concessions, puck shooting contest, raffles and donations go directly to the two Departments. If you would like to sponsor your team, please contact Terry O'Brien at 802-738-3215, dthuskies@hotmail.com, or at Cavendish Rec Facebook page.

FEBRUARY 20 (MONDAY): President's Day, schools,Town Office closed. Schools closed for the week for winter break. 

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

Helping the Pollard Family

One of the children's bedrooms post fire. 

Updated 3/26/17

At 2 am on Feb. 15, fire broke out at the Pollard’s home on Main Street in Proctorsville, next to Singleton’s. Thanks to the incredible response from Proctorsville and Cavendish Fire Departments, assisted by 8 other towns, their home, that’s been in the family since the 1800s, was saved along with pets and family.  Unfortunately, the barn was lost and there is significant damage to the house. The fire started in the attic of a breezeway that connected the house to the barn.

Because the family does not have insurance, the community is mounting a response to help them as follows:

• Join the Lotsa Helping Hands website that has been set up to help address various needs, such as participating on a work crew, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, providing meal etc. 

• Donate money directly to Pollard LaValley’s account set up in their name. You can do this by credit card and phone (802-228-4665). Ask for Becky. 

• Donate to the collection jar at the Cavendish Library.

• Join the work crew or help with food:April 29-Saturday (cleaning the yard) 10-4.

There are many cleaning, painting and other tasks that need to be done. If you can spare an hour, it can make a difference in helping them get home sooner. 

FMI: 802-226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com

Cavendish SB Meeting Agenda 2/13/17

Select Board Meeting, Monday, February 13 in the Cavendish Town Office Meeting Room at 6:30 pm

................................................................ AGENDA ................................................................

1. Call the meeting to order

2. Act upon minutes of the meetings of January 3rd, 5th, 9th, 11th, 18th and February 1st, 2017

3. Sign Orders

4. Review Correspondence

5. Adjust agenda

6. Hear Citizens

7. Mary O’Brien from the Solid Waste Management District to speak on Act 148.( Universal Recycling)

8. Consider Lister’s request for approval of contractual agreement regarding Town Wide Reappraisal with New England Municipal Resource Center. (NEMRC)

9. Consider liquor licence applications for Singletons Store and Jill’s Place.

10. Town Manager to update Board on Wastewater Plant Aeration System Replacement.

11. Select Board to consider adoption of a Necessity Resolution for the replacement of the Wastewater Treatment Facility Aeration System.

12. Select Board to consider adoption of a Declaration of Official Intent so that the Town can use proceeds of its tax exempt bonds and notes to reimburse itself for project advances in the construction of the Wastewater Treatment Facility improvements.

13. Continued discussion regarding the tax sale of Apt. 4 of North Country Condos Phase 2. (Former Giglo Property)

14. Town Manager to update Board on Wastewater Plant Aeration System Replacement.

15. Asst. Town Manager to update Board on research regarding preservation of town rural roads.

16. Other business

17. Adjourn