Cavendish Update 3/25/16 News/Tag Sale/Events

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The lush green of early summer is not that far away. Photograph by Elizabeth Rankin on Chambers Rd. 

The lush green of early summer is not that far away. Photograph by Elizabeth Rankin on Chambers Rd. 

3/25/16 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Related News
2. 6th Annual Town Wide Tag Sale
3. Jazz, Blues & Soul Raise the Roof
4. LPCTV’s 5th Annual Kentucky Derby Gala
5. Events
 
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Passing of Novack and Guica: In the last several weeks, Cavendish lost several well-known residents -Carolyn Novack (95) and Richard “Dick” Guica (64). Novack was an integral part of Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in Proctorsville and worked first at Gay Brothers and then Mack Molding. Guica served in the Navy and worked for J&L Machine Tool Co as a welder and as a machinist at General Electric. Calling hours for Guica will be March 25, 3-5 at the Adams Funeral Home in Ludlow with a reception to follow at the American Legion in Ludlow.
 
Arrest Made in 2015 Robbery of Cavendish Cemetery: On 5/25/2015, Vermont State Police responded to the Cavendish Cemetery, in the Town of Cavendish, for a reported burglary of a shed that was located on the property. During the burglary a lawn mower was stolen from the shed. During the investigation DNA evidence was collected from the scene and sent to the Vermont Forensic Laboratory for testing. As a results of those test, Douglas Sargent, was arrested on 3/22/2016, for the burglary at the Cavendish Cemetery. Sargent was transported to the Rockingham State Police Barracks for processing. A court clerk was contacted and bail was set on Sargent. Sargent was held at the Southern State Correctional Facility for lack of $2,000.00 bail. VT State Police Report
 
GMUHS Teams Win at Jr Iron Chief: GM's high school and middle school teams participated in the 9th Annual Jr Iron Chef competition on March 19th at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. Jr Iron Chef VT is a statewide culinary competition that challenges teams of middle and high school students to create healthy, local dishes that inspire school meal programs. The High School Team won the Local Lively Award for using local ingredients while the Middle School Team won the Mise en plac award for organization and teamwork.
 
Act 46 Focus Forum: Confused about Act 46? Missed the focus forum last week? No worries, watch it on-line at the LPC-TV website.
 
VTel Pulls Back Plan to Bring Cell Service to Remote Areas: A plan to bring cell phone service to nearly 1,000 miles of Vermont roads that do not get any signal reception has been sharply curtailed four years after the project was announced with great fanfare. VTel Wireless has dropped plans to provide cell phone service along roads in 35 unserved areas around the state, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The company will move forward with providing cell phone service along about 343 miles of roads in 11 areas in Vermont, mostly in northern part of the state. VTel president Michel Guite told Vermont Public Radio that VTel decided not to move forward with a majority of the sites because of federal regulations regarding the provision of a cell phone caller’s geographical location for 911 emergency calls. He said the 911 requirements are not compatible with the 4G LTE technology that VTel plans to deploy in its network. (The voice portion of mobile wireless communications typically is carried over 3G networks.) “We’re disappointed VTel is not going to be providing the cellular service it said it would to Vermont areas that do not receive it,” said James Porter, director of the telecommunications and connectivity division of the state’s Department of Public Service. Although the state didn’t have any role in VTel’s federally funded project, Porter said his department is working with Cambridge, Mass.-based CoverageCo to build 500 cell sites around the state that would bring coverage to unserved areas. CoverageCo contracts with cell phone providers to extend coverage so that customer calls are not dropped when traveling through a “black hole.” Porter said the CoverageCo project, which is “requiring a lot of resources,” should be completed with the next 12 to 18 months. Valley News
 
Be on the Look Out for Ticks: For the past month, ticks have been out on sunny days and are out most of the time now. Some are the size of poppy seeds and some a little bigger. Ticks especially like spring when the ground is damp, or they are in shaded areas. They climb high or hitchhike on birds. It's time to take your birdfeeders down if you have any ground feeders. Rultand Herald
 
April 9, Trout Season Opens: Vermont’s traditional trout fishing season is set to open on Saturday, April 9, and officials from Vermont Fish & Wildlife say the mild winter could be a boon for early season trout action across the state.
 
Results of Sen. Doyle’s Town Meeting Day Survey: With nearly 11,000 surveys returned, respondents supported paid sick leave, believe that VT has too many school districts, the state is not business friendly and that political campaigns are to expensive. Ninety percent support giving cities and towns input into renewable energy siting projects in their backyard. Respondents were split with 42% in favor and 44% opposed the legalization of marijuana. Only 32% expressed satisfaction with health care in VT. The written comments had a consistent theme, “we can’t afford to live in this state.” WCAX
 
2. 6th ANNUAL TOWN WIDE TAG SALE
It may not have felt like winter, but spring is definitely on its way and with it cleaning. This is a good time to put some items aside for the 6th Annual town wide tag sale, which will be held on July 30 (Saturday) from 9 – 3 pm.
 
Sponsored by Cavendish Connects, the following information is provided for vendors:
• The sale will be concentrated along Main Street (Route 131), with both village greens available.
•  Anyone setting up on a village green is responsible for bringing all supplies and removing all trash and items that did not sell by the end of the day.
• Secondary areas will be off High Street in Cavendish Village and Route 103, Twenty Mile Stream and Depot Street in Proctorsville. Those along High Street, Route 103, Twenty Mile or other areas should think about signage.
• The familiar red poster boards will go up two weeks before the event.
 
FMI: cavendishconnects@gmail.com or call 802-226-7807
 
3. JAZZ, BLUES & SOUL RAISE THE ROOF
On Sunday April 3, Proctorsville’s Raise the Roof winter concert series will be capped with a stellar 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!”
 
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. LPCTV’s 5th ANNUAL KENTUCKY DERBY GALA
LPCTV is holding its fifth “Kentucky Derby Gala – A Night at the Races” fundraising event on Saturday, May 7th at Willie Dunn’s Grill at the Okemo Valley Golf Course in Ludlow from 5:00pm to 8:30pm. The event has become the primary annual fundraiser for the local community access television station.
 
The event will feature food and entertainment which is included in the per person ticket price of $30. Entertainment will include several locally sponsored “horse races” with charity betting, a viewing of the Kentucky Derby live on television, a silent auction, and other activities.
 
This event is made possible by the Okemo Mountain Resort, which is hosting the event and providing the dinner, as well as the “Circle of Roses” race sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Stemwinder / Wine & Cheese Depot, George B. Tucker, Inc., The Book Nook, Vermont Properties & Development, and Jim & Anita Alic. A limited number of additional “Circle of Roses” sponsorships are still available.
 
Local businesses and individuals are invited to consider racehorse “sponsorships”. For $50 per horse, each sponsor names their own horse, which is printed in the event program. From now until April 15th, LPCTV is offering a 10% discount package of one horse sponsorship and two tickets to the event for $100. One winner from each race will receive a prize donated by local merchants.
 
Please contact Patrick Cody at LPCTV by calling 228-8808 or emailing pcody@lpctv.org to make prize donations, to sponsor horses, and to purchase advance tickets for the Kentucky Derby Gala. Tickets will also be available for purchase at LPCTV, The Book Nook, and the Wine & Cheese Depot. 
 
5. EVENTS
March 25 (Friday): Good Friday Town office and school closed
March 27 (Sunday): Easter
March 31 (Thursday)-April 2 (Saturday): Bye-Bye Birdie at GMUHS, tickets are $5 for Students/seniors and $7 for Adults. Curtain is 7pm in the school auditorium
April 2 (Saturday): Rabies Vaccination Clinic, 9-11 Proctorsville Fire Hall. $15 per dog or cat
 
 For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects March Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar. 

Cavendish Update 3/18/16 SB Mtg/Cell Service/News/Events

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3/18/16 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting 3/14/16
2. Cavendish Related News
3. Cell Service in Cavendish
4. Texas Hold’em March 19
5. BRGN Needs Donations for Spring Rummage Sale
6. Cavendish RabiesClinic
7. Events
 
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 3/14/16
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 action was taken at Monday night’s meeting:
• Organizational Meeting-Only a few minor changes were made from the 2015 list, which appears on page 9 of the current Town Report
• Approved use of the town greens for the Annual Town Wide Tag Sale-July 30
• Approved a second class liquor license for Mini Beez Store
• Discussed the Solar Ranger Project in Ludlow and the public hearing on March 17
• Received a report from the Telecommunications Committee
• Approved and adopted revised Cemetery Regulations.
 
For a more in-depth report, go to The Dish.
 
2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
CTES 6th Graders Teach WWII History: Thanks to LPC-TV, Cavendish Elementary 6th graders videotaped their various WWII reports. They cover such diverse topics as the enigma machine; the holocaust, D-Day, the Manhattan project, poisonous gases; ships; USA’s place in the war; top 10 tanks; Battles of the Aleutian Islands; and the role dogs played in the war.
 
Springfield Hospital Implements New Security Protocols: Effective March 14, Springfield Hospital will institute enhanced security procedures in the Emergency Department. For the safety of all patients and staff, the Emergency Department will become a locked area. Emergency Department access for family members and visitors will require a sticker for identification. Family and visitors wishing to use the cafeteria will be instructed to exit and re-enter through a secured door. When the cafeteria closes for the evening, family and visitors will be restricted to the Emergency Department area and visitors will not be allowed access to the rest of the hospital without escort. Effective immediately, all patients, family and visitors are asked to always enter the Emergency Department through the Emergency Department main entrance. During early implementation of this new policy, Emergency Department patients and visitors who come to Springfield Hospital’s main entrance will be identified and instructed regarding appropriate access to the Emergency Department. Eagle Times
 
VTel Defaults On Federal Cell Service Money: The federal government says the Springfield-based company VTel has defaulted on money awarded to provide cellular phone service in some parts of Vermont. The state is also waiting for the company to meet the terms of a grant to VTel for cell coverage. VTel was one of 33 service providers nationally to win federal awards in 2012 under Mobility Fund Phase I to provide mobile phone coverage in unserved areas. VTel’s $2.05 million was one of the smallest awards given out by the FCC. It was divided up based on the cost of providing service in 46 Vermont tracts, which are groups of census blocks. But the FCC says VTel did not meet the terms of the award in 35 of the tracts, which account for $1.7 million of the federal money.   The money was never given to VTel but the company will have to pay the FCC $86,000 for the defaults.  VPR
 
Vermonters Urged to Remove Bird Feeders: The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is recommending that people take down their bird feeders and remove other sources of food that could attract black bears coming out of their winter dens. The warm weather and melting snow has prompted the bears to come out of their winter dens early this year. Aside from bird feeders, bears may also be attracted to pet food, barbecue grills, garbage, open Dumpsters and campsites with accessible food and food waste. Purposely feeding a bear is illegal in Vermont.
 
Maple Syrup and Alzheimer’s Disease: Maple syrup was included for the first time among foods that showed promise in protecting brain cells against the kind of damage found in Alzheimer’s disease. The research by Dr. Donald Weaver showed pure maple syrup extract helped prevent the misfolding and clumping of certain proteins in the brain. WCAX
 
Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea Recall Tuna Fish: Bumble Bee issued the voluntary recall of canned Chunk Light tuna due to spoilage concerns. The company says it became aware of "process deviations" at a packing facility it does not run. And though no illnesses have been reported, the deviations could result in spoilage. So Bumble Bee says it issued the recall out of an abundance of caution. The recall of over 31,000 cases of tuna includes 5-ounce cans of Chunk Light Tuna in Water sold individually or in four-packs, and 5-ounce cans of Chunk Light Tuna in Oil. The affected items were produced in February 2016 and distributed nationally. The recalled products have three specific UPC codes: 8660000020, 8660000021 and 8660000736. And all are marked with a can code that starts with a "T." Click here to see the complete list on Bumble Bee's website and for information on reimbursement. There is a similar recall for Chicken of the Seas. Click here for more details on the recall from Chicken of the Sea.
 
3. CELL SERVICE IN CAVENDISH
So the long awaited answer to why many people in Cavendish have experienced significant cell service loss starting in the late spring/early summer. When the carriers went to 4G, giving much better service, the area they covered shrunk. For more in depth information, go to the Telecommunications section of Monday night’s select board meeting report.
 
So how to fix this.
• Microcell of femtocell devices operate through the Internet to provide cellular service, even when you don’t have a signal at your house. It takes very little bandwidth and those people in town with these devices really like them. Contact your carrier for more information on the best devise for your phone. You can expect to pay $200-$350. However, some people have been able to get them for free or at reduced cost from their carrier due to changes in service availability.
• Booster. This will be a cheaper option than a micro or femtocell device but it does require that you are getting some sort of signal to the home. It’s also going to require positioning and the use of an antenna. This does not require you to go through your computer.
• Change Carriers: Depending on where you live, some carriers are better than others. You can keep your number when you change carriers.
 
The Telecommunications Committee is exploring the possibility of installing one of the 400 microcell towers the state purchased from CoverageCo to improve cell service on the roadways. These devices are generally installed on utility poles and need both AC power and broadband Internet access. They have a range of about ¼ mile, so they are placed about ½ mile apart along a road.
 
4. TEXAS HOLD’EM MARCH 19
 Enjoy an afternoon of cards with your friends and neighbors.  Gethsemane Church is hosting a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker game at the Proctorsville Fire House on Saturday, March 19th  Call 802 484-7431 to   reserved seat at the poker table, or just show up and register at 11:30 a.m.  The game begins at 12:30 with a $75 Buy-In and Re-Buys available.  Pay out based on the number of players.  Pay off will be 60% of the proceeds from the Buy-In & Re-Buys.  Rules are available ahead of time.  Food Concession available.
 
5. BRGNS Seeks Rummage Sale Donations
Black River Good Neighbor Services is seeking donations of saleable goods for their annual spring rummage sale, which includes clothing, shoes, housewares, books, and furniture of all types. There is a big need for bureaus and dressers, beds, bunk beds, bedding, dining and kitchen tables and chairs, and small appliances and tools.  They do not accept large appliances or televisions. Proceeds from the sale are used to purchase food for the food shelf or used for financial assistance programs in the community. Black River Good Neighbors is a 501(c)(3) charity and donations are tax deductible. If you have something to donate, please bring it to the thrift store.  For large items, please call ahead to 802-228-3663.
 
6. CAVENDISH RABIES CLINIC
For your convenience, a rabies clinic for dogs and cats has been scheduled for April 2 (Saturday) 9-11 at the Proctorsville Fire Department. The cost is $15 per animal and is open to the public. Proctorsville veterinarian Dr. Diane Johnson will be administering the vaccinations. For Cavendish residents, please register your dog at the Cavendish Town Office.
 
7. EVENTS
March 18 (Friday): Bingo Cavendish Elementary School this Friday night at 6pm.
March 19 (Saturday): Texas Hold’em at Proctorsvile Fire House, 12:30 pm to benefit Gethsemane Church.
March 20 (Sunday): FIRST DAY OF SPRING Spring Sing rehearsal, 12:30 at Gethsemane Church, off Depot St.
March 24 (Thursday): Holy Thursday
March 25 (Friday): Good Friday
 
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects March Calendar. 

Select Board Meeting 3/14/16

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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:

• Organizational Meeting: The appointed positions (e.g. animal control officers, Planning Commission etc.) are the same as 2015 (see page 9 of the Town Report) with three exceptions:

-       Lucy MacKenzie is the Animal Pound with Springfield Humane Society serving as a backup

-       The Water Commission membership requirement has been changed from a five-member board with 2 representatives from each of the villages plus the town manager to a five-member board that includes the town manager and representation of both towns.

-       Bruce McEnaney will be the Solid Waste District Representative.

• Town Wide Tag Sale: The SB gave approval for the use of the town greens for the town wide tag sale scheduled for July 30 (Saturday) from 9-2.

• Approved Mini Beez Store for a second-class liquor license.

• Ranger Solar Ludlow Project: Discussed the proposed Ranger Solar Project, which is located mainly in Ludlow. The Project will be up to a 20 MW of solar generation consisting of up to 95,000 solar photovoltaic panels installed in linear arrays on both sides of Barker Road on lands referred to as the “Barker Farm” near the intersection with Nelson Road and Quent Phelan Road. The lines needed to connect the solar project to the VELCO station cross Cavendish land, which automatically gives the town “party” status.

The Ludlow Select Board has approved this project, while Green Mountain Power does not support the plan. There is a public hearing on March 17 (Thursday), 7 pm at the Cavendish Town Office. A site visit will be held at 3pm the same day on Barker Rd. The public is invited to participate in both events.

 • Cavendish Telecommunications Committee Report: The handout given to the SB can be downloaded in PDF format. The reduction in cell service is due to the upgrade to 4G, which provides better service but to a reduced catchment area. Options for improving the situation are provided in the report along with current status of the state’s release of funds for undeserved Internet locations. Various census tracts in Cavendish have been designated as underserved areas.

• Cemetery Regulations: Final approval and adoption was given for the revised Cavendish Cemetery Regulations. Copies are available from the town office and will appear on the town website in PDF format.