Cavendish SB Meeting 12-14-15

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.  The following was discussed at Monday night’s meeting:

A. Approved Liquor License for Table 19: Known for its restaurant at the Crown Point Country Club in Springfield, Table 19 is changing locations to the intersection of routes 131 and 103 in the former Brew Pub. This will be a family restaurant, with planned opening mid February.

B. Telecommunications Update: The Vermont Division of Connectivity and Telecommunications is interested in Cavendish being a demonstration site for broadband expansion. Cavendish census tracts will now be included on the state’s underserved list, making it possible to receive state funds. A request for proposal will be issued in January for census tracks with unmet need, and Internet service providers can submit proposals. Cavendish is being asked to consider an approach whereby the town, state and Internet provider would each put up money to ensure maximum expansion in the shortest time possible. More information should be available, including the amount of funds the state will make available, after the first of the year.

 C. Discussion of the FY 2016-2017 BudgetProcess: Town Meeting will be on March 1, 2016, which means that the Town Report has to be at the printer’s in early February in order for the report to be mailed in sufficient time for voters to review it. Voters who wish to receive their Town Report electronically and not by mail, should send an e-mail to mail@cavendishvt.com, with “Town Report- Electronic Version” in the subject heading. Please include your current mailing address in the body of the e-mail. The town saves money on postage and printing costs when sending the report electronically. Note that the Report will also be posted to the town’s website in PDF format. 

D. External Appropriation Requests: As part of the yearly budget planning, outside organizations/agencies can apply for funds from the town. The following groups, who have been funded in the past, were present requesting level funding: Black River Good Neighbors (BRGN); LPC-TV; SEVCA; Visiting Nurse Association/Hospice; and Black River Senior Center. Not present, but also requesting level funding were American Red Cross and VT Rural Fire.

• Reading Food Shelf: New this year was a request for $500 from Reading/West Windsor Food Shelf.  This group stated that they serve 13 families in Cavendish. BRGN serves a number of Cavendish families with food distribution and financial assistance (total expenditures in 2014 for town residents was close to $75,000) and is requesting $400. The Reading Food Shelf said they were unaware that BRGN is  the food shelf for the town According to their website, they offer services to Reading, West Windsor or an adjacent community that does not have a food pantry.

• Food Services for Seniors: There appears to be considerable overlap in service among some of the agencies requesting funds. SEVCA and BRGN were very clear that they work together to avoid duplication of resources. Senior Solutions and the Black River Senior Center are involved in the Meals on Wheels Program. While the Senior Solutions representative said the cost of a Meals on Wheels meal was $2.50, the representative from the Black River Senior Center said that meals-be they delivered or eaten at the Senior Center- were $7 a meal. FitzVogt in Rutland, VT provides these meals.   The Senior Center said they provided 3,600 meals last year to Cavendish residents, of which 830 were Meals on Wheels. Since Meals on Wheels provides meals five days a week, this would mean that the average number of meals delivered weekly in Cavendish would be approximately 16.

Select Board member Jillian Flinn, who has worked in the food industry for almost 20 years, said that was an incredibly high price per meal and requested various types of information that the Senior Center representative could not provide.

E. Transfer Station: As part of the External Appropriation Requests, the representative from SEVCA said that they are phasing out their Fiber Barns. This is the textile recycling building at the Transfer Station. Rich Svec, town manager, asked for clarification about ownership of the textile barn building. According to Mary O’Brien, of the Southern Windsor/Windham County Solid Waste Management District, the shed/barn is owned by the District. O’Brien is currently in the process of trying to secure another company or organization to recycle textiles. In the mean time, the textile barn is closed and those wishing to get rid of textiles/clothes will have to pay if deposited in the waste compactor.

F. Cemetery Regulations: The Select Board continues to review and revise the  new Cavendish Cemetery Regulations.

Armed Robbery at Minibees

Close to lunch time, Minibees, next to Mack Molding, was held up by knife point on Monday, Dec. 14. The thief removed the cash register, getting some cash before dropping it to the side walk. The register is destroyed and it is unknown how much cash was taken. There is good information and strong leads in the capture of this individual. 

Donations to help the owners of Minibees replace the cash and register can be dropped off at the Cavendish Town Office during normal business hours. 

Below is the press release from the Vermont State Police

SPECIAL POST: ARMED ROBBERY AT MINIBEES IN CAVENDISH

Below is the press release from the Vermont State Police regarding the armed robbery which took place this morning, Dec. 14. 

Vermont State Police are investigating an armed robbery which occurred at the Cavendish General Store at approximately 1140 hours.  A lone male suspect entered the store and held a knife to the cash register attendant, demanding cash from the register.  The attendant was unable to get the drawer open and a second worker from the store appeared from the rear of the store and intervened.  A struggle ensued in which the intervening attendant struck the suspect in the arm with a machete.  The suspect took the cash register and fled from the store on foot.  The register was dropped in the parking lot and the suspect was seen by an eyewitness driving away in a vehicle bearing VT registration GGD960.  The vehicle is a '05 Tan Volkswagon Jetta.

Neither victim was injured during the incident.  The suspect is not believed to have suffered significant injuries.  The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 5'9 – 5’10, with a medium build.  He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, winter coat (possibly blue and white), and a black baseball cap.

Police searched the surrounding area but have not located the vehicle at this time.  Video surveillance from the store is not available to the media at the time of this press release.  If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the VSP Rockingham Barracks at 802-875-2112.   
 


 

Select Board Meeting Agenda for 12/14/15

The Select Board's monthly meeting will be on Monday, Dec. 14, 6:30 pm at the Town office. The agenda will be as follows:

1. Call the Meeting to Order

2. Act upon minutes of the meeting of November 9th, 2015

3. Sign Orders

4. Review Correspondence

5. Adjust Agenda

6. Hear Citizens

7. Town Treasurer, Diane McNamara, present to offer Delinquent Tax Note Renewal documents for approval and signatures.

8. Consider application for liquor license for the Table 19 Restaurant which is scheduled to open at the former brew pub location on Route 103.

9. Brief update on activities of the Cavendish Telecommunications Committee.

10. Town Manager to discuss the FY 2016-2017 budget development process with the Board and distribute a January through March 2016 calendar of town government activities which will include statutory windows and deadlines for relevant activities and budget meetings.

11. As the first FY 2016-2017 budget activity there will be, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, External Appropriations Requests presentations by: Black River Good Neighbors; LPC-TV; American Red Cross; SEVCA; Reading/West Windsor Food Shelf; Visiting Nurse Association/Hospice; Green Mountain RSVP; Council on Aging/Senior Solutions; Black River Senior Center and VT Rural Fire.

12. Update on Transfer Station collection of E-Waste under the state E-Waste Program.

13. Update on Cavendish’s participation in the Vermont ERP (Ecorestoration Program).

14. Review of Cavendish Cemetery Regulations revisions draft update. Cemetery Sexton Bruce McEnaney will be present to explain proposed changes.

15. Updates on various town activities including: beginning of the winter road maintenance season; consideration of changes to lister activities; paving of High Street drainage repair, bottom of Bonts Hill Road and transfer station.

CU: 12/11/15 News/Poem/Events

                                                      Roof tops of Cavendish village.

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the town
Not a creature was stirring, not even a hound;
The snow sparkled in the cold frosty air,
While chimney smoke floated from here to there;
The villagers were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of high speed Internet danced in their heads.
 
Thanks to donations from Gray Muehlemann and George Thomson here are the next few verses.
But service was awful, it really did stink.
We’re in the Dark Ages, that’s what you would think!
 They’re blacked out on Tarbell, Knapp Pond, and East Road.
They’re lucky to log on and never download.
 They can’t get their Netflix or check on their pension,
Or download some stuff we had better not mention!
 If we can’t improve it would be such a pity.
Can’t we have speeds like some Korean city?
 
You’ll have to check out next week’s Update for more verses-based on donations received. You can support Cavendish Connects by:
 • Mailing a check to Cavendish Connects, PO Box 3, Cavendish VT 05142 or clicking the Support Button and donating on-line. 
• Make a donation for an issue of the Cavendish Update in someone’s name
• Organize a fundraiser
 
12/11/15 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Events
 
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Coolidge Solar Project: Ranger Solar is proposing a 20 megawatt, 155 acre project on the former Barker Farm, which is in Ludlow, but abuts Cavendish land. This project would exceed by an order of magnitude the size of almost any other solar array in the state. According to Ranger, the Ludlow solar array will save ratepayers $4.5 million and will create 400 jobs. A video of the informational meeting held in November on the proposed Solar Project Proposal is now at LPCTV. According to a study released last week by the developer, the electricity is needed. However, those in attendance do not share this belief and in fact, Green Mountain Power, says the power isn’t wanted or needed. However, if the project is approved, GMP must purchase power from Ranger Solar. GMP filed a request with the Public Service Board a month asking the board to deny Ranger’s application. Ludlow select board Chair Howard Barton said that while the select board hasn’t reached an official stance on the project, there doesn’t appear to be much resistance among community members. At a recent informational meeting, only a handful of residents raised resistance to the proposal, he said. Gov. Peter Shumlin has in recent weeks disparaged large solar projects by out-of-state developers, both in general terms and in reference to Ranger Solar’s project specifically. VT Digger 
 
Do you like to sing? Cavendish Community Christmas Choir: Gethsemane Episcopal Church loves music and singing. Not having enough folks to form a choir on their own, they are extending an invitation to join them in forming a community Christmas choir that will sing a few special carols as a part of their Christmas Eve service-Dec. 24 (Thursday), 4 pm at the Church. A rehearsal is scheduled for the Sunday before Christmas (December 20) at 12:30pm for those who are interested in joining this community Christmas choir.  This will be the only rehearsal and will last about 90 minutes.  The music will be familiar and fairly simple to learn.  FMI: Todd Mckee, 603-667-5458 or e-mail gethsemanechurchvt@gmail.com 
 
New Resources Added to Paying for College, It’s Never Too Soon or Too Late: To help Cavendish kids pursue college or post secondary education, we continue to update The Dish’s special post on resources for Cavendish College Bound Students. It provides options beyond the typical 529 college-savings, prepaid plans, Coverdell Education Saving or Roth individual retirement accounts. Thanks to the digital age, there are some new, creative and painless ways to prepare for the expense of college whereby family, friends and even the students themselves can raise considerable money, even if they’ve already started college. The Dish 
 
Two Rivers Supervisory Union Superintendent and Associate Superintendent Announce Retirements: After several decades each in education, Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) Superintendent Bruce Williams and Associate Superintendent Linda Waite have announced they will retire from their respective positions, effective June 30, 2016. Press Release
 
2. EVENTS
Dec. 12-13 (Saturday-Sunday): Christmas Tree Sales continues at both Fire Departments. Santa is scheduled to arrive at the Proctorsville Fire Dept by 10 am on Saturday, with free donuts and coffee. Cavendish Fire Department is now offering free tree delivery-you pick it and they deliver it to you door.
 
Dec. 14 (Monday): Select Board Meeting, 6:30 Pm at the Cavendish Town Office. Agenda will be posted to The Dish when available.