DEPOT STREET BRIDGE CLOSING DEC. 23

At a result of a site visit on Friday, Dec. 18, by the engineering company hired by the Town, the Depot Street Bridge in Proctorsville is being closed on Dec. 23 (Wed) to all vehicular traffic, It will remain closed until 2018, when the bridge is slated for replacement. The town regrets any inconvenience this may cause, but the public's safety is of the utmost concern and it is not safe to use the bridge because of its deterioration. There will be signs posted by Wednesday to remind people of the closing. 

Please direct questions and concerns to the Town Manager 802-226-7291.

Cavendish Update 12/18/15 SB Mtg/Robberies/News/Events

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 12/18/15 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting

2. Cavendish Related News

3. Events

 1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD 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:
• Approved Liquor License for Table 19 at their new location at the intersection of 103 and 131 (old Brew Pub).
• Telecommunications Committee is working with the state on a project to provide broadband service to underserved parts of town.
• Discussion of the FY 2016-2017 budget process
• External Appropriations Requests from seven organizations previously funded (Black River Good Neighbors (BRGN); LPC-TV; SEVCA; Visiting Nurse Association/Hospice; Black River Senior Center; American Red Cross; and VT Rural Fire. New this year was a request from Reading Food Shelf
• The Textile Barn at the Transfer Station is being closed as SEVCA is phasing out this recycling program. E-Waste will continue to be collected and recycled though the town will not received any money.
• Continued to review and revise thenew Cavendish Cemetery Regulations.
 
A full report on the meeting is available at The Dish. 
 
2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Arrest Made in Cavendish General Store Armed Robbery: A Springfield man has been arrested in connection to an armed robbery that occurred at the Cavendish General Store on Dec. 14. Joshua Corliss, 33, turned himself in to police last night and was charged with assault and robbery and aggravated assault. Corliss is scheduled to appear in Windsor County Superior Court Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 12:30 p.m., and is currently being held at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield on $50,000 bail. Corliss had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court in October. Press Release VT State Police
 
Cavendish Robber Held Up Irving Gas: Police said the same robber who was hit with a machete at the Cavendish General Store on Monday held up the Irving gas station in North Springfield hours later. Joshua Corliss, 33, a long-time Chester resident who listed a North Springfield address when he was brought into White River Junction criminal court Wednesday, pleaded guilty to a felony count of assault and robbery with a weapon. He was taken back to the Springfield jail for lack of $50,000 bail. “The state anticipates that another, very similar, charge will be brought in relation to the Springfield case still under investigation within the next couple of days.”  Rutland Herald
 
Robberies in Cavendish: State Police in Rockingham have completed the investigation of numerous thefts and burglaries in the towns of Rockingham, Andover, Ludlow, Cavendish, Weathersfield, Springfield and West Windsor.  Investigation determined David Farnsworth and his son, Michael Farnsworth drove to numerous locations throughout several towns during the day throughout the months of October and November to steal property. The property was then sold to support their heroin addictions.  Zachary McNeill also accompanied them on several occasions. Joshua Congdon committed one burglary with Michael Farnsworth.  With cooperation, many stolen items were located to return to the owners including Pieter van Schaik in Cavendish.  VT State Press Release
 
Changes at the Cavendish Transfer Station: Two changes at the transfer station that you should be aware of: The Fiber Barn is no longer taking textiles/clothes, since SEVCA has phased out this program. However, the Waste Management District that Cavendish is part of is working to find a new hauler. In the interim, you can a) Take textiles/clothes in good shape and donate to Black River Good Neighbor or other places seeking clothing donations or b) Dispose of in the regular waste compactor, which you will be charged for. With a change in the law-effective Jan. 1-the Cavendish's transfer station will now recycle all types of batteries, including the single or primary use variety. These can now be recycled in the E-waste shed. Talk to the transfer station attendant if you have questions.
 
Would you prefer an Electronic Version of the Cavendish Town Report? : 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. 
 
How Did Cavendish Settlers Celebrate Christmas? New Englanders did not celebrate Christmas for a variety of reasons. Learn more at the Cavendish Historical Society blog about Christmas traditions. 
 
Exploring VT’s Waterfalls, Gorges: In “Rodrick’s Guide to Vermont Waterfalls, Cascades and Gorges,” the Cavendish Gorge is listed as the second most beautiful canyon in the state. The Eagle
 
GMP Won’t Support Solar Project in Ludlow: Green Mountain Power says it is not supporting plans by a New York company to build a giant solar farm in the town of Ludlow. At 20 megawatts, the Coolidge Project would be by far the largest solar farm in Vermont and would sit on about 90 acres. Town officials have so far been generally supportive of the project, which was submitted to the Public Service Board this week. The governor and other administration officials have cautioned that the project and similar ones proposed earlier this year are out of scale with Vermont's energy needs. And officials at Green Mountain Power, which would be the obvious utility to buy the power, also are skeptical. WCAX
 
West Windsor Acquires Land at Mt. Ascutney: The Trust for Public Land (TPL) on Wednesday announced West Windsor's acquisition of 468 acres of the former Ascutney Mountain Resort for land protection and recreational uses. The move will add the property to the existing 1,112-acre West Windsor Town Forest. Eagle Times
 
3. EVENTS
Dec. 19 (Saturday): PVFD has a few more trees left and will start selling at 9.
Dec. 20 (Sunday): Cavendish Community choir practice-all invited, 12:30 at Gethsemane Church in Proctorsville. Brent Buswell Concert at the Cavendish Baptist Church, 7 pm. Free, donations welcome. 
Dec. 22 (Tuesday): Winter Solstice (or the first day of summer as the days will now become longer).
Dec 23 (Wednesday): Happy Festivus (A festivus for the rest of us).
Dec. 24 (Thursday): Christmas Eve services will be taking place at various churches in Cavendish
Dec. 25 (Friday): Merry Christmas

For more information on this and other events, go to the Cavendish Connects December Calendar.  For regional events, check out the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce Calendar. 

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.