Cavendish Update 9/18/15 SB/News/Cell/Memoirs/Events

9/18/15 Cavendish Update Contains
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting
2. Cavendish Related News
3. Change in Cell Service?
4. Cavendish Memoirs: Last Chapter/Post WWII Cavendish
5. Cavendish Calendar Contest Concludes
6. Bottle Drive to Benefit GMUHS Students
7. Cavendish Center of the Universe Tapestry
8. Cavendish to Host Composting Workshop
9. Events
 
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING
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:
• Discussion about the Depot Street Bridge and the need for its imminent closure due to continuing infrastructure decay. Bridge replacement will not take place until 2018.
• In comparison to the same time period as last year, there has been an overall reduction in spending of $3,478 or a 29% savings for maintenance of the cemeteries, which are now under the jurisdiction of the town/select board
• The Skate Board park plan for Greven Field has been okayed by the Flood Plan Manager for the region.
• FEMA closeouts for Irene are underway. Request for extension have been made for two bridges-Meadowbrook Camp Ground off of Twenty Mile Stream and Bridge #22 on East Rd.
• There is now a Cavendish Telecommunications Committee, which will be meeting with Comcast on Sept. 22 to discuss line extensions to areas that are currently underserved.
• The town is advertising for a full time assistant water operator.
 
For a full report on the Cavendish SB meeting, go to The Dish. 
 
2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish Winners!: Congratulations to the first Cavendish Sole Survivor champion, Jessica Rose of Cavendish. The contest was held Sept. 11-13. Also to be congratulated is Cavendish Snow Fleas (snowmobile club) who won the award for 2015 Best Groomed Trails and last weekend’s VAST Awards.
 
Cavendish Gulf Road Closure: The Cavendish Gulf Rd, on the Chester side, is slated to be closed from 9/15 through 10/15 for culvert repair.
 
CTES 6th Graders Participate in RiverSweep: Since at least 1876, where it appears on a map, the Cavendish swimming hole below the power station has been very popular. In recent years there has been considerable misuse of this beach, with mounds of trash being left behind by swimmers. As part of BRAT’s RiverSweep, the 6th graders of CTES spent last Friday morning cleaning the area. You can see pictures of them in action on the Cavendish VT Facebook page. This Saturday, Sept. 19, is RiverSweep for the Cavendish/Ludlow area. If you can spare an hour or two, go to the Ludlow Gazebo starting at 8 am and sign up to help. BRAT provides the T-shirts, gloves and bags, while American Pie provides the pizza. Special thanks to BRAT  for helping to preserve our river and to American Pie for creating a pizza party for our hard working 6th graders.
 
Lowest Gas Prices in the Area: Claremont now has the lowest prices for gas in the area, possibly relating to the opening of two new Cumberland Farms.
 
Austin Memorials is Closing: At the end of 2015, Austin Memorials of Springfield, VT is closing after 60 years of business due to the retirement of the current owners Joy and Carl Swanson. The Vermont Journal
 
3. CHANGE IN CELL SERVICE?
Have you noticed a change in your cell service in the last month-2 months? We've been receiving reports of problems and are trying to better understand what’s going on. The more details you can provide-carrier, location in town, when it started etc. the more helpful it will be in seeing if we can get this resolved. E-mail comments to cavendishconnects@gmail.com
 
4. CAVENDISH MEMOIRS: LAST CHAPTER/POST WWII CAVENDISH
Chapter 28 is the last one in Philip Tiemann’s Memoirs. He and his son Wyatt return safely from World War II, and in 1947 the Tiemanns finally have electricity. While the first half of the 1940s was a boom time for Cavendish, the latter part and the 1950s brought big changes to the town as well as to the Tiemanns.
 
For the prelude and links to all of the chapters go to Coming to Vermont (Cavendish): Memoirs of Philip Tiemann
 
If you have enjoyed the serialization of Philip Tiemann’s Memoirs, please show your support by sending a donation to the Cavendish Historical Society, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142.
 
5. CAVENDISH CALENDAR CONTEST CONCLUDES
The voting has ended and the results are in. The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association has selected winners and 2016 calendar selections from their annual Calendar Photography Contest. Entrants submitted photos this past spring and they were displayed at numerous venues around town. Cavendish residents cast their ballots for the best photos and here are the results.
 
Winner of the Best in Show award is Belle McKnight for her photo "New Camper" taken at Meadowbrook Farm Campground. Winner of the 5 to 12 age group is Claire Palmer for her photo "Is it Spring Yet?" and winner of the 13 to 18 age group is Emery Benoit for her photo "Bumblebee on a Lilac".
 
The 2014 calendar selections are as follows:
January - Susan Rogers "January Ice"
February - Tim O'Donoghue"Look Out Below"
March - Hans Schrag "Vacationing in Cavendish"
April - Gail Verheyen "Cow Selfie"
May - Gary McElligott "Feed Me
June - Winston Churchill "Harbinger of Summer"
July - Belle McKnight "New Camper"
August - Cheryl Leiner "After the Rain
September - Pat Moore"Proctorsville Sunrise"
October - Jonathan Rice "Are You Lost"
November - Nancy Kelley "Stick Season"
December - Peter LaBelle "The Fence in Winter".
 
Each year CCCA accepts photographs for the contest in late spring. Voting takes place in early summer and selections are made by about July 4th. Details and rules are set out in a press release and on CCCA’s web site. But no one should wait for the announced dates to start taking pictures. Get out that camera and snap away, the next contest will be here before you know it.
 
The 2016 calendars will go on sale starting in November. Watch the papers for an announcement of the sale date. For additional information on the contest, please call Cheryl Leiner at (802) 226-7820.
 
6. BOTTLE DRIVE TO BENEFIT STUDENTS
A bottle drive will be held at Cavendish Town Elementary School on Route 131 in Proctorsville from 9 AM to Noon on Saturday, September 26.
 
If you need to clean out your garage so that you can find your snow blower and winter tires, please bring your clean returnable cans and bottles to us! All donations are greatly appreciated.
 
Students at Green Mountain Union High School are raising funds for their trip to Hawaii during spring break of 2016. They will study the tropical rainforest biomes, volcanoes, agriculture, and cultural history of the islands, as well as visit the World War II memorials.
 
7. CAVENDISH CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE TAPESTRY
Cavendish Tapestry is working on a weaving project that is designed and woven by residents (and friends). Everyone is invited to participate. If you can't weave, they'll teach you.
 
The theme is based on the "Center of the Universe" sign that sat on Twenty Mile Stream Rd. If you know who the artist was and/or have a picture of it, please e-mail underandover@tds.net Stop by the Six Loose Ladies booth at the Chester Craft Fair this coming Sunday, 9/20 to learn more and/or follow them on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009979548545&fref=ts
 
8. CAVENDISH TO HOST COMPOSTING WORKSHOP
The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association in conjunction with the Town of Cavendish will host a workshop specifically about composting on Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in the town office meeting room, 37 High Street in Cavendish. The Vermont State Legislature has passed comprehensive recycling legislation that includes mandatory rules on composting certain food waste.  While these rules will not take effect for a few more months, many residents have asked for information on composting and the law.

Therefore the Cavendish Energy committee has prepared a workshop in which Master Composter Philip Hammond will talk about why composting is worthwhile, how a compost pile works, the ways of composting, and how to make a compost bin. He will demonstrate the construction of a bin and will have several handouts showing ways to build one and several handouts on how to compost. Also presenting will be Hamilton Gillette of the Southern Windsor County Solid Waste Management District who will address many of the aspects of Vermont Act 148, which mandates recycling, including the composting of food waste.

The presenters will have many handouts for the participants on the above topics and they encourage audience questions during the presentation. Residents of Cavendish and any other town are invited to attend. It’s great for the garden, it’s great for the lawn, and it’s soon to be the law. For more information about the workshop, please call Cheryl Leiner at 802-226-7820.

9. EVENTS
Upcoming events for Cavendish include:
• Sept 18-20 (Friday-Sunday): Black River Good Neighbor Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farms.
• Sept 19 (Saturday): RiverSweep; Sale on the Green in Chester (GMUHS students will have a booth there)
 
For more information on these and other events, go to the Cavendish Connects September Calendar. For regional events, check out the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce Calendar.

Cavendish Select Board Meeting 9/14/15

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:

1. Depot Street Bridge: Rob Young from the state’s Accelerated Bridge Program was on hand to discuss an additional option for the Depot Street Bridge (#58)-close the bridge and just have a one-lane pedestrian/bike bridge. The SB was not interested in this option, affirming the letter sent to the state several months ago requesting an accelerated bridge replacement that would reduce the width of the bridge, plus reduce the bike/pedestrian from two to one. The cost to the town is estimated to be $134,750.

Recently the town received a “bad bridge” letter from the state. The bridge is in such poor shape that it will be closed this fall to all vehicular traffic as it is unsafe and cannot support the weight of the snow removal trucks. Town manager, Rich Svec, said the bridge will remain closed until it is replaced, which will be in 2018. However, with engineering studies, it may be possible to reduce the bridge to one lane with a weight restriction and lights. The center support structure repair, which is the primary concern, would cost the town an estimated $90,000. However, this would be removed when the new bridge is built. The board questioned whether it would make sense to spend this type of money, only to have it removed two years later.

There is concern that with the closure of Depot Street bridge there will be more traffic at the 103/131 intersection, which is problematic due to the proximity of the railroad crossing and the entrance to the Castle Hill Resort and Spa. In the past there has been discussion aboutputting blinking lights at this intersection. Given the duration of the closure-potentially 2-3 years, this needs to be addressed sooner than later.

 2. Solar Farm: Ranger Solar would like to build six solar facilities in Vermont, one of which would be near the Coolidge Substation-the old Barker Farm, located on Barker Rd in Ludlow-but would be running lines through Cavendish to connect to the substation. The company had said they would send plans to the town manager but neglected to do so. The board agreed to review the plans and then decide whether they would like a representative to attend a meeting.

An article in the Sept. 11 Time Argus and Rutland Herald reported on Ranger Solar’s presentation to the Ludlow Select Board. This would be 20-megawatt solar facility to be located on 125 acres. Green Mountain Power said the utility was not interested in buying any additional solar power.

3. FEMA Close Outs: Davis Rd Bridge is now complete. The paper work is being filed to close out the town’s FEMA projects relating to Irene and a request for an extension has been made for two bridge projects-Meadowbrook Rd off Twenty Mile Stream and Bridge #22 on East Rd. There is no word yet whether FEMA will grant the extension.

4. Skate Park at Greven Field: The Flood Plan Manager for the region visited Greven Field to review the site along with the proposed plans for the skate park. He thought the plans were sufficient and agreed that hinged apparatus, that could quickly be removed in the event of a flood warning or would allow the water to flow through, would be sufficient. No date on when construction will begin on the skate park.

5. Cemetery Update: Asst. Town Manager Bruce McEnaney gave an update on the progress being made in the Cavendish Cemeteries as well as the cost comparisons between 2014 and 2015. From May-Sept 2014, $11,927.42 was spent on gasoline ($1,028.92) and personnel ($10,898.50) as compared to the same time period in 2015 where $8,449.37 was expended with $554.37 for gasoline and $7,905 for cemetery workers. There has been an overall reduction in spending of $3,478 or a 29% savings.  In addition, burial fees ($100), which in the past went to the sexton, now go to the town. There have been nine burials so far this year, with five more slated in the next few weeks.

In the Cavendish Village Cemetery, there are 180 stones with orange mold. Volunteers from the Cavendish Historical Society (Kem and Svetlana Phillips) have been cleaning the stones in order to prevent the spread to other grave markers. Other volunteer work includes Hollis Quinn righting stones in the Cavendish Center Road Cemetery.

6. Telecommunications Committee: A committee has been established to address the significant problems the town is having with connectivity. Members include: Margo Caulfield, Katie Hamlin, Ignat Solzhenitsyn and Rich Svec. Now that VTel has not proven to be the solution many in town were looking for, the committee will be meeting with Comcast to explore options for expanded service.  SB member Wendy Regier noted that they had recently had a problem with Comcast and had to go to Springfield to talk to someone. They were informed that they don’t answer their phones. Since Comcast is up for a Certificate of Public Good (CPG), which is required to operate in the state, this will be brought to their attention at both the Committee’s meeting on Sept. 22 as well as at the Windsor County CPG hearing of the same date. It was also noted that TDS is raising fees by $5 a month for high-speed Internet users starting in October. TDS’s “turbo speed plan” is at 15 Mbp as compared to Comcast’s starting speeds of 25 Mbps. Even though a TDS representative attended a SB meeting, they have not responded to any inquiries since then.

7. Assistant Water Operator Position: The town will be hiring a full time assistant water operator. While experience and certification is desirable, it is not required.

8. Dog Bite: On Sunday evening,  a 21 year old was bitten at the Meadowbrook Camp Ground by a dog that normally lives in the Knapp Pond area. The injury was severe enough to require hospitalization overnight. Given the age of the dog, 12 years old, and past biting behavior, the dog will be euthanized after a 10 day waiting period, which is required to determine if the dog has rabies. The dog is quarantined to the owner’s home and can only be in the yard on a leash.

9. Items not Discussed from Agenda: The representative from VTrans did not show to discuss the Green Mountain Railroad trestle project on the Cavendish Gulf Road. The Transfer Station fee discussion was postponed since new rates can be better assessed after the town has the new contract from Casella, which takes place in October. 

Select Board Meeting Agenda 9/14/15

The agenda for Monday, Sept 14's, 6:30 pm Cavendish Select Board Meeting at the Cavendish Town Office is as follows:

1. Call the meeting to order

2. Act upon minutes of the meetings of August 10th, 27th and 31st, 2015

3. Sign Orders

4. Review Correspondence

5. Adjust Agenda

6. Hear Citizens

7. Discuss and consider project changes proposed by Vtrans for the Green Mountain Railroad trestle project on Cavendish Gulf Road. Specifically Aaron Guyette of VHB will be present to give information about shotcrete options. This is a follow-up to previous discussions including item #13 on the August 10th

8. Town Manager to give brief overview of a developing large solar project in Ludlow which will have a transmission line to the Coolidge Substation in Cavendish.

9. Update on FEMA closeouts and two project extension requests.

10. Manager to advise the Board as to the site visit and review of the skateboard area at Greven Field by the Flood Plain Manager for this region.

11. Manager to update and advise Board as to Bridge #58 progress and a question posed by the Accelerated Bridge Program.

12. Assistant Bruce McEnaney to give summary of cemetery activities and expenditures so far this year as well as some discussion on cemetery policy development.

13. Discussion/.review of transfer station fees.

14. Updates on various town activities.

15. Other business

16. Adjourn

Cavendish Update 9/11/15 News/Memoirs/Swap/Events

9/11/15 Cavendish Update Contains
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Cavendish Memoirs: Chapter 27/Cavendish in WWII
3. 2nd Annual Abundance Swap: December 5
4. Events
 
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Road Closure: The Town of Chester will be replacing a culvert on Cavendish Rd in the vicinity of 1049 Cavendish Rd during the month of September. This culvert replacement will cause a road closure and detour. Individuals located south of this location traveling to Cavendish will need to use Vermont Route 103. Individuals located north of this location traveling to Chester will need to travel through Cavendish and join with Vermont Route 103. The town of Chester apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. Please contact the Chester town office 802-875-2173 with any questions or concerns. 
 
Car Accident Sept 8: Around 1 pm, the Vermont State Police, Ludlow Ambulance, and Proctorsville Fire Department were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on VT103 at the bottom of the Proctorsville Gulf in the town of Cavendish. Investigation revealed that V1 (Lyndon Lewis, Brattleboro) had been traveling south on VT103 at the bottom of the Gulf when it crossed the centerline on a slight right hand curve and struck the driver's side doors of V2 (Wendy Aiken, Ludlow), which had been northbound. The impact caused V2 to spin out in a counterclockwise manner, strike the guardrails, and come to rest facing in a southerly direction approximately 200 feet north of the area of impact. V1 continued in a southeasterly direction, struck the guard rail end, left the east side of the roadway, went down an embankment and struck a small tree in a swampy area, coming to rest facing in a southeasterly direction. OP#2 denied any injury. OP#1 and his passenger, Lisa Laplante, age 43 of Brattleboro, were transported to the Springfield Hospital by Ludlow Ambulance for treatment of what were believed to be minor injuries. OP#1 was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was issued a civil ticket for possession of marijuana and a criminal citation to appear in Windsor Superior Court-Criminal Division on 10/27/15 to face the charge of Negligent Operation. OP#2 was found to be operating under suspension in the State of Vermont; she will be issued a civil traffic ticket for that violation. The Proctorsville FD provided valuable assistance with traffic control. Benny's Towing responded and removed V1 and V2 from the scene. VT State Police Press Release
 
The Vermont Golden Honey Festival is Becoming a Tradition: Autumn is on its way. The weather’s getting cooler, and a local craft fair presents an opportunity to celebrate the season. The third annual Vermont Golden Honey Festival is Saturday, September 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Golden Stage Inn in Proctorsville, rain or shine. Admission is free.  Vermont Journal
 
Annual Phineas Gage Walk and Talk: Learn more about Dr. Harlow at the Cavendish Historical Society’s annual Phineas Gage Walk and Talk, which takes place on Sept. 13 at the CHS Museum, Route 131 in Cavendish, Vt. The program begins at 2 p.m. at the Museum. The walk includes the location of the accident, Dr. Harlow’s home/surgery, and the boarding house where Gage was taken after his injury.  This event will take place rain or shine. Vermont Journal  
 
Got Drugs? Collection Day Sept. 26: The following locations will be collecting unused or expired medication for safe disposal from 10-2 on Sept. 26: Police Departments-Ludlow, Springfield, Chester and Windsor (Note that all of these departments, with the exception of Chester, have permanent year round medicine drop boxes); Transfer Station-Weathersfield.  Needles are not accepted. FMI 802-457-5211
 
Old Farmer’s Almanac Winter Prediction: The forecast for this coming winter according to this year's "Old Farmer's Almanac," is for below average temps and above average snowfall. The book uses sunspots, planetary positions and tidal patterns to gage weather patterns.. While the Old Almanac rates their prediction success at about 80%, meteorologists says forecasts shouldn’t be taken seriously as it’s hard enough to predict five days out, let alone a year away.  As one meteorologist noted, "The Old Farmer's Almanac is to meteorology what astrology is to astronomy."
 
2. CAVENDISH MEMOIRS: CHAPTER 27/CAVENDISH WWII
In Chapter 27, after working so hard to establish a farm at Windy Hill, Phillip Tiemann and his family must now prepare to leave it as WWII begins and he receives his orders to report to Fort Ethan Allen. The bonus feature this week pertains to Cavendish during WWII, which many from that era consider the heyday of the town. Please note that next week the serialization of Coming to Vermont will conclude with Chapter 28. 
 
For the prelude and links to all of the chapters go to Coming to Vermont (Cavendish): Memoirs of Philip Tiemann
 
3. 2ND ANNUAL ABUNDANCE SWAP: DECEMBER 5
It may seem like months away, but many begin their holiday shopping after Labor Day so keep in mind the Abundance Swap, sponsored by Cavendish Connects, which takes place the first Saturday in December. A big hit last year, in spite of snow, sleet and some very nasty weather, this is a way to share and receive the bounty of the season without spending a dime.
 
Pick 3-5 items in your home, shop or office that someone would enjoy as a gift. These should be in really good shape and of quality, meaning it’s well made and likely to be valued by someone. Children are encouraged to bring gently used toys they may have outgrown or no longer use. Bring them to the Cavendish Town Elementary School on Saturday morning, December 5,  starting at 9:30 am. Drop off your items, enjoy a visit with your neighbors and the Cavendish Connects team, as well as share the stories of what you are bringing to the swap. From 10-11:30, select presents for someone on your holiday giving list (it can be you).  FMI: 226-7807 or cavendishconnect@gmail.com
 
4. EVENTS
Upcoming Events This week
Sept. 11 (Friday): Cavendish Survivor Challenge begins, 6 pm at the Cavendish Museum
Sept. 12 (Saturday): Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day 9-1; Annual Golden Honey Festival (Golden Stage Inn, Depot Street, Proctorsville); Cavendish Survivor Challenge Continues.
Sept 13 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage Walk and Talk (2 pm Cavendish Historical Society Museum) and conclusion of Cavendish Survivor Challenge
Sept 14 (Monday): Select Board Meeting
 
 For more information on these and other events, go to the Cavendish Connects September Calendar. For regional events, check out the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce Calendar.