Welcome to "The Dish", the blog of Cavendish Connects, a community web site for the town of Cavendish, Vermont.
The Dish features a round-up of local happenings and events in Cavendish, Vermont.
Have something noteworthy to share? Contact us at cavendishconnects@gmail.com; we would love to hear from you.
At a special Select Board meeting on July 6, the new tax rate was set as follows:
Fire District 1 (Proctorsville): Resident 1.8533; Non resident 1.8712
Fire District 2 (Cavendish): Resident 1.8181; Non resident 1.8360
The new tax rate is available in PDF format by clicking here.
The Cavendish Select Board will meeting on Monday, July 11, 6:30 pm at the Cavendish Town Office. The agenda will be as follows:
1. Call the meeting to order
2. Conduct public hearing with regard to update of the Cavendish Municipal Water System Bylaws before intended adoption of the revised bylaws. Cavendish Board of Water Commissioners reviewed and approved of the revisions on April 25th, 2016 and the Cavendish Board of Selectmen has previously reviewed the by-law revision draft at its regularly scheduled meeting on June 13th, 2016 whereat it set the July 11th public hearing date.
3. Review/approve minutes of the meetings of June 13th, June 28th and July 6th, 2016
4. Sign Orders
5. Review Correspondence
6. Adjust agenda
7. Hear Citizens
8. Recap of activities with regard to setting the tax rate and sending out the FY17 tax bills.
9. Town Manager to propose that the Select Board consider a lot line adjustment on town-owned parcel #1R06-059 (which is currently on the market) with the adjoining property owned by Ward.
10. Consider letter of request from the Cavendish Library Board with regard to a replacement of a board member who has recently resigned.
11. As Local Board of Liquor Control, consider a request for a catering license for Vermont Farms Catering for an event on August 6, 2016 at Foxford Farm.
12. Set date for public hearing with regard to the adoption of the Cavendish Flood Hazard Area Regulations (FHAR). The draft of the FHARs update were reviewed by the Board of Selectmen with the Chair of the Cavendish Planning Commission on May 23rd and with John Broker Campbell, Floodplain Manager for Southern Vermont, on June 28th.
13. Updates on other town activities
14. Other business
15. Adjourn
Dr. Stevens was born 155 years ago in Cavendish on July 7. In honor of her birthday she received a "Google Doodle."
IF YOU COUNT ON CAVENDISH CONNECTS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON YOU.
7/8/16 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Alison Turner is Coming to the Proctorsville Green
3. July 20th Concert Sensible Shoes
4. Cavendish Historical Society in Need of “Strippers”
5. Events
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish’s Nettie Stevens Honored by Google: On what would have been her 155th birthday, Nettie Stevens received a “Google Doodle.” Born in Cavendish, on July 7, 1861, she published about 40 papers and was a leading force in genetics. In 1905, her work on sex determination was published. Investigating mealworms, she found female cells contained 20 chromosomes, but male cells contained 19 large chromosomes and one very small one. She showed that the X body paired with a 20th, much smaller chromosome in meiosis. She proposed that these two chromosomes be called X and Y, and explained that females contained two X chromosomes. Some believe her position in the field of genetics has largely been ignored because the credit for the discovery of X and Y chromosomes and their role in determining gender is instead generally given Edmund B. Wilson, who had read Stephens’ manuscript on chromosomal patterns before publishing his own theory. Stevens died in Baltimore, MD in 1912.
3,000 Price Chopper Loses 3,000 Products Over GMO Law: Price Chopper has learned that manufacturers will no longer ship 3,000 products to Vermont because they will not have a GMO label. The grocery store will stop receiving shipments of the food items beginning July 1 when Vermont's GMO labeling law goes into effect. Many food makers have agreed to add labels, informing consumers their products are made with genetically engineered ingredients. But others have chosen to pull out of the Vermont market. WCAX
Senate Action Guts VT’s GMO Labeling Law: In a procedural vote Wednesday, the Senate overwhelmingly supported a plan that would immediately preempt a state mandate requiring food manufacturers to label genetically engineered food. The bill, S.764, is expected to be fast-tracked through Congress before lawmakers recess July 15. The Senate legislation is expected to bypass the conference committee process and will be voted on by the House where it is expected to pass. It will then go to the president’s desk. If the federal law is enacted, the pre-emption will go into effect immediately and Vermont’s mandatory labeling statute will be rendered moot. VT Digger
West Nile in Windsor County: The Vermont Department of Health has confirmed the state's first case this year of human illness from West Nile virus. The disease is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Health officials say a Windsor County resident got sick in mid-June and was actually diagnosed with a more serious form of the illness that affects the nervous system called West Nile neuroinvasive disease. Only about 20 percent of people who get infected with West Nile actually get sick, with symptoms including high fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Since 2003, only nine human cases of West Nile have been reported in Vermont, the last one in 2013. WCAX
Proposed Solar Net Metering Rules: Renewable-energy advocates worry that new rules proposed last week by the Public Service Board will penalize owners of solar systems. The rules govern what’s known as net metering, a program that credits solar-array owners for electricity they generate in excess of what they use. Net metering customers now use solar credits to pay off electricity bills and service charges. Net metering credits will apply only to charges for electricity a customer uses, under the new rules. Customers will need to pay the customer service charge separately. The rule will apply to existing solar developments, a stipulation that clean-energy advocates, the Department of Public Service and even utilities oppose. VT Digger
2. WEDNESDAY CONCERT-ALISON TURNER : The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association on behalf of the Town of Cavendish invites everyone to the Cavendish Music Series on Wednesday, July 13th at 6:00 p.m. when Alison Turner, a newcomer to the series, the takes the stage on the Proctorsville Green. This will be the second of the 2016 concerts that are held on consecutive Wednesday evenings in July and August.
An American singer-songwriter hailing from the small town of Royalton, Vermont, the self-managed songstress records and performs a “heartfelt” and unique style of alternative indie pop. Having started writing songs at the age of seven, Turner has developed over the years into the introspective, creative songwriter she is today.
The concert is free and open to everyone, not just Cavendish residents, so join your friends and neighbors in front of the gazebo on the green. Bring a blanket or a comfortable chair, have a picnic, or just lie back and relax on the grass. It’s a fun way to enjoy the summer weather and either reconnect with old friends or make new ones.
For more information please call Robin at 226-7736. In the event of rain, postponement information will be reflected on the Cavendish Facebook page.
3. JULY 20TH CONCERT-SENSIBLE SHOES: Sensible Shoes will be returning to the Cavendish Concert series on July 20th, 6 pm on the Proctorsville Green. Barbara Blaisdell on keyboard, lead guitarist and singer Tim Utt, Pooh Sprague, on bass, guitar and vocals, and drummer and singer Steve Drebber, Sensible Shoes has placed original music in several major motion pictures including “Philadelphia” and “The Manchurian Candidate.” This will be the third of six concerts that are held on consecutive Wednesday nights in July and August. This concert is sponsored by the Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company.
4. CAVENDISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN NEED OF STRIPPERS: Work began on July 5 to prepare new doors for the Cavendish Historical Society's (CHS) Museum. Under the direction of woodworker Dave Stern, volunteers are stripping the varnish from the doors, which once hung in a church. They will be reconfigured for the Museum entry way and ultimately painted. When completed and installed, the appearance will be very similar to the doors that were original to the building.
In 1834, church doors (the building was constructed to be the Cavendish Baptist Church) would have been solid and not contain glass. It's not clear when the double doors were either modified or replaced with glass. This may have been done when the building served as the Town Hall.
If you are interested and have the time to strip paint and help work on the doors, please call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com
5. EVENTS
JULY 11 (Monday): Cavendish Select Board Meeting. The agenda will be posted to The Dish
JULY 13 (Wednesday): Alison Turner is the featured artist for the Wednesday night Concert on the Proctorsville Green, when gets underway at 6 pm. This is free and open to the public
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.
Tomato plants all set for the Annual Plant Sale at the CHS Museum, Saturday, July 2 from 8:30-2:30 at the CHS Museum.
IF YOU COUNT ON CAVENDISH CONNECTS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON YOU.
The Cavendish Historical Society’s Annual Plant Sale is Saturday-July 2-from 8:30-2:30. The Museum will be open and there will be a book signing of CHS’s latest publication Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History.
7/1/16 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Where to see fire works
3. Cavendish Historical Society Briefs
4. Annual Cavendish Town Wide Tag Sale Is Coming Right Up
5. Save the Dates! Summer Fun for Kids in Cavendish!
6. Events
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish Town Water Consumer Confidence Report June 2016: This report is available in PDF format at The Dish.
Springfield Medical Care System Survey: Springfield Medical Care Systems (SMCS) of which Ludlow Health Center (LHC) is a part, is conducting its 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment to help with planning. You can provide input about the healthcare needs in our communities by completing their on-line survey or by filling out a paper form available from LHC. Data is being collected, using the online survey tool, through July 22nd. This survey can also be found on the homepage ofSMCS’s website:
Thousands of Driver’s Licenses Automatically Reinstated: More than 25,000 drivers have had their suspended licenses automatically reinstated, but it is up to them to reach out to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new one. Lawmakers passed a driver’s license restoration bill, which will allow thousands of people with suspended licenses to pay off their fines at a reduced rate and once again drive legally. However, the new law also automatically reinstates any suspensions from before July 1, 1990, a move that reinstates licenses for between 26,000 and 27,000 people. Drivers with licenses suspended prior to 1990 are not the only ones who will enjoy automatic reinstatement. Lawmakers also did away with suspensions for nondriving-related offenses, which include underage tobacco purchases, underage possession of alcohol and tobacco and pulling a fire alarm when there isn’t actually a fire. Times Argus
Will VT GMO Labeling Law Lead to Higher Prices?: It was a law intended to give consumers more information about the food they buy. Now, some economists worry Vermont's GMO labeling law could hurt shoppers' wallets...if it ever takes effect. Vermont's law goes into effect July 1, but a compromise in Congress could lead to a law that would pre-empt the Vermont law. But Congress is on break and manufacturers will need to start labeling their Vermont products this week. You may not be able to find some products in Vermont anymore. Kraft is going to label its marshmallows; other companies may not. Shurfine makes things like cornflakes and maraschino cherries; those might come off the shelves. The popular baby formula company Similac is going to hand label their jars with a sticker. WCAX
VT Women Hit with Hidden ‘Gender Tax:’ They call it the gender tax. Thursday, Vermont's attorney general and the Human Rights Commission warned businesses. "Do not set prices differently for similar products on the basis of gender factors," said Bill Sorrell, D-Vt. Attorney General. In Vermont, women make about 84 cents on every dollar a man makes. And Sorrell says women pay, on average, $2,200 more each year than men for similar goods and services. "Forty-two percent of the goods and services surveyed that women were paying more than men," Sorrell said. Other companies charged men more than women. Filing a complaint with the attorney general's office will trigger an investigation. A focused effort to stop Vermont's hidden gender tax. Charging more based solely on gender is illegal in Vermont. Many companies blame the price differential on a slight difference in the product. WCAX
2. WHERE TO SEE FIRE WORKS: There are no fireworks in Ludlow this year due to lack of sponsorship/funds. However, on July 2 ( Saturday), Crown Point Country Club will be holding its 1st Annual Fireworks 6-10 pm, 910 Brook Rd Springfield, VT.
A little after the 4th but fireworks are still involved, the VT Symphony Orchestra will be at Jackson Gore on July 8. Gates open at 5:30 pm for picnicking with a concert at 7:30 pm featuring the 1812 Overture, marches and fireworks. See Wanderlust for prices and ordering tickets.
List of Upper Valley Events, including fireworks, is available from the Daily Upper Valley.
3. CAVENDISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY BRIEFS: The Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) has recently launched a new monthly bulletin called CHS Briefs. Here you can learn about what we’ve been doing, what’s in the works and how you can be involved. This will be e-mailed the first of each month and will also appear at the CHS Blog. If you would like to receive CHS Briefs, please e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com with “subscribe CHS Briefs” in the subject heading.
4. ANNUAL CAVENDISH TOWN WIDE TAG SALE: We’re into the final weeks before the Annual Town Wide Tag Sale takes place. If you want a spot on one of the greens or you want your property listed in the on-line directory, please e-mail cavendishconnects@gmail.com or call 802-226-7807. Please be aware that the more information you can provide about what you plan on selling, the better the response will be to your sale. For more information and to see who has already registered, go to 6th Annual Town Wide Tag Sale page of The Dish.
5. SUMMER FUN FOR KIDS IN CAVENDISH: This summer, there are two free programs for children at Cavendish Baptist Church located at 2258 Main Street in Cavendish, VT.
July 5-7 from 10am to 2pm is a sports themed camp for kids ages 4 to 12. This program includes music, crafts, recreation and Bible study. Lunch is provided. This camp is made possible by volunteers from Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. FMI, call Brain Varble at (859) 254-3491.
July 18-20 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm is a Pets Unleashed camp for kids ages 3 to 12. This program includes music, outdoor games, Bible stories and making pet toys to donate to the Springfield Humane Society. Dinner is provided. FMI, call Amanda Gross at (802) 226-7131.
6. EVENTS
JULY 2 (Saturday): Cavendish Historical Society’s Annual Plant Sale plus book signing of “Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History.” 8:30-2:30 pm at the CHS Museum, 1958 Main Street (Route 131). Fletcher Farm’s annual craft’s show 10-4 at Fletcher Farm’s off Route 103
JULY 4 (Monday): Happy 4th of July This is a legal holiday with the town office, banks and most businesses closed for the day.
JULY 5 (Tuesday): Cavendish Community Luncheon, noon at Gethsemane Church, off Depot Street in Proctorsville.
JULY 6 (Wednesday): Special Select Board Meeting, 5 pm at the Cavendish Town Office, to determine the tax rate for the year.Gypsy Reel Concert, 6 pm Proctorsville Green. Free
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.
