Cavendish Update 5/5/23: Workshop/News/Events

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5/5/23

1.    Cavendish Info

2.    E-Tools Workshop

3.    COVID

4.    Events

Last Friday we experienced problems e-mailing the Update. Please be advised that the Update is archived at the Cavendish Connects website blog section and can also be logged to via the Cavendish VT Facebook page.

1.    CAVENDISH INFO

Green Up Day: Vermont’s Annual Green Up Day is Saturday, May 6. Green Up Bags are available in the foyer at the Cavendish Town Office 24/7. Please make a note on the clipboard where you will be picking up trash. Filled bags can be taken to the Cavendish Transfer Station free of charge. If you find large objects, and/or hazardous situations,  please notify the town office 802-226-7291.

Dog Licenses: Reminder that all Cavendish dog licenses expired on April 1st - please stop by the Town Office to renew your dog’s license, or call us to arrange for renewal by mail. All dogs residing in Vermont must be licensed and have a valid rabies certificate at time of licensing.  Please call the Town Office at 802.226.7292 if you have any questions.

GMUSD Building Committee Meeting: The Building Restructuring Committee of the Green Mountain Unified School District Board will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 8 at the Green Mountain High School Library, 716 VT-103 in Chester.  You can also access the meeting by Zoom: https://trsu.zoom.us/j/85789511807and Phone: 646-876-9923. The committee is made up of Dennis Reilly of Cavendish, Katie Murphy of Chester, Scott Kendall of Andover and Adrienne Williams of Baltimore.

Cavendish Historical Society Briefs: The latest news bulletin from CHS is available at their blog.

2. CAVENDISH WORKSHOP ON E-TOOLS: On June 5th at 6:00 p.m., the Cavendish Energy Committee will host a workshop at the Cavendish town office to demonstrate battery-operated tools for the yard and garden. Rick Vaughan from Bibens Ace Hardware in Springfield will discuss such brands as EGo, Stihl, and Makita, and will discuss the MowElectric! Campaign, a grassroots initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of electric lawn care equipment.

The Energy Committee in Cavendish has presented workshops on a variety of topics affecting the ecology of our town, state, country, and world. The committee believes that the switch from gasoline-powered to electric-powered tools – for the garden/yard, and for any other usage – represents a major step forward in battling the effects of climate change.

The workshop free and open is open to the public. No registration required. Light refreshments will be served. FMI: CavendishCommunityConservation@gmail.com.

3. COVID: The U.S. national emergency to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic has ended with President Joe Biden having signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to bring it to a close after three years. This will be the last post on Covid unless another state of emergency is needed.

Note that free masks, hand sanitizer and test kits will continue to be available at the Cavendish Fire Dept from 9-4 during the week. Testing and treatment for Covid will continue to be made available.

State information on Covid is available at the VDH website. The Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide provides information on Long Covid as well as testing and other information.

Vaccination for Covid-Doctor’s office or pharmacy.  VT now has new recommendations for vaccines.

Schools: No new cases this week

Vermont Covid Surveillance Report: The 4/23-4/29 report indicates low community levels state wide, with the exception of Rutland County, which is listed as medium. April had a total of 16 deaths, one higher than March. The state total number of deaths is 962.

4. EVENTS

MAY 6 (SATURDAY): Green Up Day. Bags are available 24/7 in the entry way of the town office, 24/7. When you pick up your bags, please mark where you plan to clean. All bags can be taken to the transfer station free of charge.  

MAY 8 (MONDAY): GMUSD Building Committee Meeting. See Item 1 for more information.

-       Cavendish Select Board Meeting. 6:30 pm at the Cavendish Town Office. Note that Town Water will be one of the topics on the agenda.

MAY 11 (THURSDAY): Partnering in Raising Our Youth in a Challenging World: from 6-8 pm, the Cavendish Town Elementary School (CtES) will host a Parent Information Night on such topics as Internet Safety, Vaping Prevention and Substance Abuse Prevention. Snacks and a movie will be provided for elementary school students. RSVP required by May 8. FMI: amy_bohren@trsu.org

MAY 12 (FRIDAY)-13 (SATURDAY): Black River Good Neighbor’s semi-annual rummage sale will take place at Fletcher Farm off of 103 from 10-4.

MAY 13 (SATURDAY): Clean-up of the Proctorsville Green from 9-noon. Bring rakes and other tools.

MAY 15 (MONDAY): 4th quarter property taxes due

MAY 16 (TUESDAY): The Annual Meeting of Cavendish Fire District 2 will be held at Cavendish Fire Station, 2154 Main Street, Cavendish, VT 05142, at 6pm. Copies of the board’s annual report will be available beforehand from the Town Office. The Warning notice is available online.

MAY 29 (MONDAY): Memorial Day. Town Office closed.

JUNE 5 (MONDAY): E Tools Workshop at the 6:00 p.m., at the Cavendish town office to demonstrate battery-operated tools for the yard and garden. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments. FMI: CavendishCommunityConservation@gmail.com.

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CHS Briefs May 2023

If you have questions, would like to volunteer with CHS, or have items for the CHS Cares Closet please e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.comor call 802-226-7807.

CHANGE IN OPENING DATE OF THE MUSEUM: On April 2, it was discovered that a major environmental hazard occurred when 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel from the town’s tank spilled behind the pole barn building, to the left of it and into the wetlands and the old canal used for the woolen mill.  The pole barn is behind the Museum.

Currently there is a large pile of contaminated soil between the Museum and the CHS storage facility. While the soil is covered, we have no idea when it will be removed. Further the smell in the area can be strong.

In abundance of caution, we are not opening the Museum Memorial Day weekend. Instead, we will examine the situation in June, with the hope that the Museum can be reopened in July. In the interim, as you’ll see in the Upcoming events section, we do have a number of events coming up in June. We will be using the Cavendish Stone Church for talks etc.

We will offer short individual visits to the Museum, which can be arranged by contacting us at the numbers above. Unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel school visits until the site has been cleaned up.

WHAT ABOUT THE PLANT SALE?: We are discussing that at the moment and should have an announcement in a week. That information will be in the spring newsletter.

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 4 (Sunday):  Dan Churchill’s Memorial, 2pm at his former home/business 66 Duttonsville School Dr, Cavendish. All are welcome.

June 11 (Sunday): Talk on Peter Tumbo, the Revolutionary War Veteran and former slave who lived in Cavendish and died at 106. 2 pm at the Cavendish Stone Church on Route 131.

June 17 (Saturday): Cavendish Village Ghost Walk, Meet at the old Duttonsville School 66 Duttonsville School Dr, Cavendish, at 8 pm, wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight

July 29 (Saturday): Town Wide Tag Sale. The CHS) booth will be at the Gazebo on the Proctorsville Green.

Sept.10 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk, 2pm begins at the Museum with the talk. It’s about ¾ of a mile to the accident site. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Cavendish Update 4/28/23: Schools/News/Events

READ THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE LATEST NEWS           

4/28/23

1.    Cavendish Info

2.    COVID

3.    Events 

1.    CAVENDISH INFO

Former GMUHS teacher, Norman Merrill, Receives 10-year Sentence: The former language teacher, who pleaded guilty last year to possession of child sexual abuse materials, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison in U.S. District Court in Burlington. Both VT Digger and the Chester Telegraph have posted in-depth reports.

Cavendish School Concerns Rise to top at GMUSD Board Meeting: At the recent Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD), outgoing CTES principal Amy Bohren noted that the student population in Cavendish is falling-projected 2023/2024 enrollment is estimated to be below 65 students. Bohren suggested an organizational model that would reduce the current number of classrooms from seven to four and ultimately reduce the number of teachers so it would be one teacher one classroom. The reduction in teachers would be done by attrition. This was of concern to at least one board member, who noted that two teachers, each making six figure incomes, for 15-20 students was very expensive, while Superintendent Lauren Fierman was concerned that with discussions underway about the restructuring of the schools, that “it didn’t seem prudent to “pink slip” teachers by attrition.” The committee for school restructuring discussion is also viewed as problematic for Cavendish as Board Chair, Deb Brown, has appointed s a four member committee, versus the whole 11 member board as suggested by Fierman. Chester Telegraph

Carmine Guica Young Historians Program Update: As part of the Carmine Guica Young Historians (CGYH) program, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) provides teachers, students, families and the community with information on town, state and national history for the month ahead. The May post is available at the CHS blog.

Partnering in Raising Our Youth in a Challenging World: On May 11, (Thursday), from 6-8 pm, the Cavendish Town Elementary School (CtES) will host a Parent Information Night on such topics as Internet Safety, Vaping Prevention and Substance Abuse Prevention. Snacks and a movie will be provided for elementary school students. RSVP required by May 8. FMI: amy_bohren@trsu.org

Clean Up Day for the Proctorsville Green. Bring your tools and your enthusiasm Sat. May 13 and join the merry crew of Cavendish Streetscapes to ready the Green for another season of concerts, picnics, and summer pleasures. All help appreciated from 9 to noon. Thanks!

Congratulations to Cavendish Game Birds: Cavendish Game Birds was selected by Food & Wine as the Best Place to Buy Wild Game Meat Online in 2023. Congrats Bill Thompson and family.  In 1988, Bill told his wife how he had a plan to hatch some birds. “I mean we have a quarter acre, were in Vermont, why not?” Many will remember how Bill shared his bounty and cooking skills during Irene, when he made several delicious meals with the game birds at the Shelter.

BRGN Gigantic Spring Rummage Sale: Black River Good Neighbor Services (BRGNS) will hold its annual Spring Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farm, 611 Route 103 South in Ludlow, on Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This gigantic sale includes a barn full of spring and summer clothing for the entire family, a boutique, shoe department, sporting goods department, housewares department, linens, books, furniture, bake sale, and grills. Funds raised will help cover food, cost of utilities, heating fuel, and rent for qualified individuals and families residing in Ludlow, Mount Holly, Belmont, Cavendish, Proctorsville, and Plymouth. To arrange a donation drop-off or for other information call802-228-3663 or kkellingtonbrgns@gmail.com.

Mud Season Penny Sale: Ludlow Rotary Club’s 65th Annual Penny Sale begins at 6 p.m. sharp on Saturday, April 29 in the Ludlow Elementary School Gymnasium, 45 Main St. in Ludlow. Refreshments will be available. More than 300 prizes will be on display. Prizes include maple syrup, ski passes, garden equipment, fishing poles, cash, restaurant gift cards and much more. Raffle tickets can be purchased online at www.ludlowrotary.com. This annual event supports the Rotary Club’s scholarship program. FMI: Kim at 802-228-4000 or Jim at 802-228-8866

2. COVID: For local information on Covid, please see the Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide, which does provide information on Long Covid.

Vaccination for Covid-Doctor’s office or pharmacy.  VT now has new vaccine recommendations.

Free Covid Test kits/masks & hand sanitizer: Available Monday-Friday at the Cavendish Fire Dept from 9-4. For weekends and off hours, call 802-226-7807. Pick up free masks and sanitizer when picking up a test kit. Masks and hand sanitizer are available 24/7, 365 at the CHS Cares Closet, next to the steps of the Museum.

Schools: Cases are being reported for Chester/Andover and Ludlow Elementary schools. 

Vermont Covid Surveillance Report: The 4/9-4/15 report indicates low community levels state wide. There have been 3 new Covid deaths, bringing the state total to 960, with 14 in April.

3. EVENTS

APRIL 24 (MONDAY)-MAY 5 (FRIDAY): Water Conservation weeks for those on town water. During this period the municipal water system will have the system well off-line for cleaning and redevelopment.

MAY 6 (SATURDAY): Green Up Day

MAY 11 (THURSDAY): Partnering in Raising Our Youth in a Challenging World: from 6-8 pm, the Cavendish Town Elementary School (CtES) will host a Parent Information Night on such topics as Internet Safety, Vaping Prevention and Substance Abuse Prevention. Snacks and a movie will be provided for elementary school students. RSVP required by May 8. FMI: amy_bohren@trsu.org

MAY 12 (FRIDAY)-13 (SATURDAY): Black River Good Neighbor’s semi-annual rummage sale will take place at Fletcher Farm off of 103 from 10-4.

MAY 13 (SATURDAY): Clean-up of the Proctorsville Green from 9-noon. Bring rakes and other tools.

MAY 15 (MONDAY): 4th quarter property taxes due

MAY 16 (TUESDAY): The Annual Meeting of Cavendish Fire District 2 will be held at Cavendish Fire Station, 2154 Main Street, Cavendish, VT 05142, at 6pm. Copies of the board’s annual report will be available beforehand from the Town Office. The Warning notice is available online.

MAY 29 (MONDAY): Memorial Day. Town Office closed.

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Cavendish Update 4/21/23: SB Mtg/Water

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                        WATER CONSERVATION NOTICE!

Cavendish Municipal Water System users are requested to reduce water consumption as much as possible during the time period: 7 am Monday, April 24th through 5 pm Friday, May 5th

During this period the municipal water system will have the system well off-line for cleaning and redevelopment. The system will remain operational during this period using water in the storage tanks and water quality will be normal. Once cleaning is completed, the tanks will need some time to refill.

 Your cooperation is needed and all users are urged, wherever possible, to defer activities which may require large amounts of water until after Friday, May 5th, With good user cooperation and conservative use there should be an ample supply of water for normal household use during this period and there should be no interruption of service. For more information please call the Town Office at 802-226-7291

 4/21/23

1.    Select Board Meeting 4/17/23

2.    Earth Week Activities

3.    COVID

4.    Events

1. SELECT BOARD MEETING 4/17/23: Cavendish Select Board (SB) meetings are videoed by Okemo Valley TV and posted to their website. In addition, unapproved minutes from Monday’s meeting will be posted at the Cavendish Municipal Website. The VT Journal and Chester Telegraph generally provide coverage.

Without a town manager, Diane McNamara, town clerk, answered as many town related questions as she could and various members of the SB assumed responsibilities that normally would be held by the town manager. The board will be conducting second round interviews for town manager in executive session. To the question of whether town employees should meet prospective town managers, the decision was made to leave things as they were.

The following took place at Monday’s meeting:

Trees: The white pine on the east side of the Stone Church is posing a considerable risk to the building. The town’s tree warden, Tim Calabrese, has stated that the tree needs to come down. The cost will be approximately $2,000-$3,000 provided the Town disposes of the downed tree. The tree appears to be on both the town property and the abutting property owner. The board would like to talk to the town’s lawyer as far as what will be required in writing from the homeowner. This issue will be on the May agenda.

• The two maples in front of the town office require a gypsum treatment.

Town Water: Local resident and municipal water user, Daniela Clark read a letter to the board expressing concerns about water quality including why an above average manganese level in October of 2022, wasn’t reported to water users until March 2023. According to McNamara, the water report from the state wasn’t received until March and were told to issue an immediate report to users. According to the June 2022 Consumer Confidence Report Our water filtration plant which we constructed for the purpose of removing the high levels of iron and manganese commonly found in the ground water in this area continues to prove itself to be effective and efficient. The filtration equipment removes virtually all of these two nuisance minerals. At most times, they are not even able to be detected in the samples (<0.020 ppm) which we test in-house as well as those we send out for professional lab analysis. Complaints about yellow and brown water have been occurring with more frequency in town. It appears randomly and the thought is that it maybe from the pipes during times of high water usage. Chair Bob Glidden noted that for the first time in about 2 ½ years, the Proctorsville Fire Dept. had brown tap water that day. The board agreed to include municipal water on the May agenda and will have someone from the water department on hand to answer questions. Note: Iron and manganese were serious issues in town until the current biologic system was installed. Cavendish was the first town in New England to install such a system, though it is used in Europe and Canada.  To learn about the system check out  page 40 of the Iron and Manganese Removal Handbook and/or Biological Iron & Manganese Treatment: 5 Years of Operating Experience in Cavendish VT

Cemetery Mowers: Bruce McEnaney, town sexton, requested that $4,700 of the Cemetery Equipment Budget be used to purchase two used mowers,  a Ferris Zero Turn for $4,000 and a Troy Built for $700.

Concert Series: Peter LaBelle provided the list of Wednesday night concerts on for the 2023 season as follows:

July 5 - Gypsy Reel

July 12 - Bill Brink

July 19 - Gully Boys

July 26 - The Willistones (Mark Huntley, etc.)

Aug 2 - Sammy Blanchette

Aug 9 - Yankee Chank

Aug 16 - The Silverbacks

Outdoor Liquor Licenses: The board approved the request for Smokin Bowls but had concerns about the request for Outer Limits. Due to Covid, the SB gave a permit to Outer Limits in June 2020 to use town property, previously used as parking space, in order to operate an outdoor venue. This poses a liability risk to the town and also reduces parking options. SB vice chair Mike Ripley will talk to the owners. No permit was issued for Outer Limits.

Building Permits: As this was a task for the town manager, Bob Glidden as chair will take on this responsibility until a new manager is hired.

Oil Spill at the former Town Garage site:  When the soil samples are completed, the town will be informed about next steps and removal of dirt currently under plastic near the Museum and poll barns.

Town Grant Policy: McNamara requested that the SB adopt a grant policy to make things easier for her to manage. The SB agree and will follow up with at the May meeting.

2. EARTH WEEK ACTIVITIES: Throughout Earth Week (April 16-22), we’ve been posting to Facebook daily ways to support our community and the planet.

• Monday-Black River Good Neighbor (BRGN) in Ludlow is in need of any and all household items. Please check and see what you can donate. Before you buy new, check and see if you can find it gently used at BRGN. You can support your neighbors, community and the environment by recycling, repurposing and keeping items out of the landfill.

• Tuesday-Black River Action Team (BRAT) is helping to preserve the Black River for now and always, by river cleanups, water quality monitoring, invasive plant management, dragonfly surveys, native vegetable planting and educational programs. You can support their work by volunteering or making a donation. This month you can stop by the Springfield Coop to round up at the register! Whether it's a quick bite, cup of coffee, some adult beverages, or a week's worth of groceries, just have them round up to the nearest dollar and all the change will go to help BRAT do all the awesome projects they do!

• Wednesday-The Cavendish Transfer Station: You can save money and help the environment by taking full advantage of what the Transfer Station offers including: Free Zero Sort Recycling; free E-waste recycling; free composting, chipping and burn pile  and more. To learn more about this valuable community resource, visit the Transfer Station website.

• Thursday-Efficiency VT: Order a free Energy Savings Kit. The kit includes LEDS and water saving devices that can help you save on energy bills.

• Friday-Get a Jump Start on Green Up Day: While the official date for VT’s Green Up Day is May 6, , get a jump start by picking up a Green Up trash bags from the town office when they become available and clean up your neighborhood roads and waterways. As a volunteer, you make a huge difference for our environment. 

3. COVID: For local information on Covid, please see the Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide, which includes information on Long Covid.

Vaccination for Covid-Doctor’s office or pharmacy.  The FDA ruled this week that People 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised are now eligible for another COVID-19 booster shot.

Free Covid Test kits/masks & hand sanitizer: Available Monday-Friday at the Cavendish Fire Dept from 9-4. For weekends and off hours, call 802-226-7807. Pick up free masks and sanitizer when picking up a test kit. Masks and hand sanitizer are available 24/7, 365 at the CHS Cares Closet, next to the steps of the Museum.

Schools: Chester Andover Elementary reported one case on 4/18

Vermont Covid Surveillance Report: The 4/9-4/15 report indicates low community levels state wide, with the exception of Rutland County, which is reported as medium. There have been 9 new Covid deaths, bringing the state total to 956, with 11 in April.

4. EVENTS

APRIL 22 (SATURDAY): Drug Take Back Day

MAY 6 (SATURDAY): Green Up Day

APRIL 24 (MONDAY)-MAY 5 (FRIDAY): Water Conservation weeks for those on town water. During this period the municipal water system will have the system well off-line for cleaning and redevelopment.

MAY 15 (MONDAY): 4th quarter property taxes due

MAY 16 (TUESDAY): The Annual Meeting of Cavendish Fire District 2 will be held at Cavendish Fire Station, 2154 Main Street, Cavendish, VT 05142, at 6pm. Copies of the board’s annual report will be available beforehand from the Town Office. The Warning notice is available online.

MAY 29 (MONDAY): Memorial Day. Town Office closed.

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