Cavendish Update 6/23/17 News/Concert/Events

SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS BY ATTENDING BBQ UNDER THE STARS ON JULY 15.

6/23/17 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Cavendish Concerts Begin 2017 Series with Gypsy Reel

3. Schools Out-Activities for Cavendish Kids

4. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Black River Water Testing for 6/21/17: In spite of all the rain, the sites on the Black River in Cavendish all tested clean for swimming and boating on June 21 (Wednesday). These sites include Greven Field (53 CFU) and the Cavendish Gorge (116 CFU)). Please note that it is a good idea to stay out of the rivers and lakes within 24 hours of a heavy rain, or anytime the water looks cloudy, as Ecoli levels can be a lot higher at these times. Thank you BRAT and Okemo for providing us with this invaluable service.  To check other sites that are tested on the Connecticut River watershed, go to http://connecticutriver.us/site/content/sites-list

 Attempted Burglary/Unlawful Trespassing Cavendish:  Nico Spaulding, 35, of Chester pleaded innocent Tuesday to felony counts of burglary of an occupied dwelling and unlawful trespass as well as to accompanying misdemeanor counts of driving despite a suspended license and violations of pre-trial release conditions. Spaulding was arrested Monday morning after a homeowner on White’s Hill Road in Cavendish called state police reporting that he’d just been awoken by a male voice outside his residence saying “Okay..one, two, three…” right before he heard “a large banging noise that shook the walls and glass in his house.” Alex Turco told troopers that he grabbed his hunting rifle and ran to his front door to find Spaulding standing in his mud room “looking surprised,” Spaulding claimed he was looking for scrap metal. Spaulding reportedly ran away and took off in a red pickup truck, which was located a short time later in a driveway in Chester. A subsequent search of Spaulding’s pickup “revealed a large amount of scrap metal in the truck as well as numerous power and hand tools in the cab and bed of the truck, Spaulding, who has two dozen relatively minor convictions on his criminal record, was ordered held for lack of $10,000 bail on Tuesday and he is now facing a maximum potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison. Daily UV

 Congratulations to the Cavendish Red Sox: On June 20, the Cavendish’s 9/10 year old boys baseball team won the 2017 championship by beating Chester 12-2.

Proctorsville Resident Speaker at BRHS Graduation: Craig Goodman, owner of American Pie Pizza in Ludlow, was the guest speaker for the Black River High School graduation. A former graduate, he described his many jobs in the last 29 years, including working in California, returning to VT and being the “alumni janitor.” With his wife 8 months pregnant, he quite his job at BRHS to open American Pie. That was 18 years ago and many wood stoves later, all of which he has built himself. Congratulations on a well received speech Craig. Rutland Herald

VT Health Care Reform Efforts are Not Improving Care: The Green Mountain Care Board, a regulatory body responsible for hospital budgets and insurance prices, published the results of a new survey Thursday, on the State Innovation Model, which established three accountable care organizations. The grant started in 2013, expires at the end of the month. The survey shows that about 9 out of 10 primary care providers who responded thought that health care reform had negatively affected care or not affected care, or they didn’t know whether reform affected care at all. VT Digger

 2. CAVENDISH CONCERTS BEGIN GYPSY REEL 7/5/17: The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) and the Town of Cavendish invite everyone to spend an evening having fun on the Proctorsville Green on Wednesday, July 5th, starting at 6:00 p.m. when the annual summer music series kicks off with the sounds of Gypsy Reel.

The Celt band that rocks, Gypsy Reel has for over twenty years played high energy, stirring music rooted in the Celtic tradition but garnered from the whole world. Their music is an exciting synthesis of world rhythms and influences from three continents. Based in Ludlow Vermont the band continuously captivates local audiences.

This will be the first of several concerts that are held on consecutive Wednesday nights in July and August. For a listing of all 2017 concerts please go to the Upcoming Events page at http://www.CavendishCCCA.org.

CCCA encourages all area residents and visitors to join their 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. 

As always, the concerts are free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, please check the Cavendish Facebook page. For more information please call Robin at 226-7736.

3. SCHOOLS OUT-ACTIVITIES FOR CAVENDISH KIDS: With school ending on Thursday, Cavendish Connects has compiled a resource guide for various activities available in Cavendish and nearby towns. Available at The Dish, the guide includes links to day camps, swimming lessons, art classes, athletic opportunities and much more. Have fun this summer and we'll see ya in the fall!

4. EVENTS

JUNE 23 (FRIDAY): GMUHS Graduation

JUNE 25 (SUNDAY): Pickleball 10 AM at CTES.

• Cavendish Historical Society Museum Open 2-4.

JULY 1 (SATURDAY): Cavendish Historical Society’s Annual Plant Sale in front of the Museum from 9-2. For plant previews, go to the CHS blog.

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

Schools Out-Activities for Cavendish Kids

Below is a resource list of activities available in or near Cavendish for kids:

RECREATION DEPARTMENTS SCHEDULES

• Cavendish Rec Dept: FMI: 226-7289

• Ludlow Recreation 2017 Summer Brochure

• Chester Recreation

• Springfield Parks and Recreation

DAY CAMP

• Ludlow Rec and TRSU Operates Mon – Friday from 8:30-4 for students in grades 1-7. TRSU after School Program will be Open 7:30 and to 5:30 pm.

• YMCA Meeting Waters Camp Springfield

• Farm and Wilderness

• Camp Gokemo

ART CAMP

• Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts: Please note that Cavendish residents are entitled to half price off one class per year. You’ll need proof of residency from the town office.

SWIMMING LESSONS

• Ludlow Rec

• Chester Pool

• Springfield Pool

• Edgar May Health & Recreation

LIBRARY PROGRAMS: Both Cavendish and Ludlow libraries have summer programs for kids.

Cavendish Library:

Ludlow Library

Cavendish Update 6/16/17 SB Mtg/Concerts/Events

SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS BY ATTENDING BBQ UNDER THE STARS ON JULY 15.

6/16/17 Cavendish Update

1.Cavendish Select Board Meeting 6/12/17

2. Cavendish Related News

3. Events

CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 6/12/17: 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 discussed/taken at Monday night’s meeting:

• Update provided on Telecommunications

• Deferred to July’s meeting the approval of the Coolidge/Ludlow Solar road crossing agreement on Quent Phelan Rd

• Agreed to ask the Agency of Natural Resources for an extension on filing of comments as to the need for an Act 250 permit pertaining to the Quarry at the end of Tierney Rd. Agreed to convene a meeting to further discuss the issue and to see if a binding agreement can be reached between the concerned Tierney Rd residents and the quarry owner. Note-The extension has been granted by ANR until June 30.

• Approved hiring Katie Hamlin to redo the municipal website using Square Space

• Approved the use of the Proctorsville Green for the summer concerts starting July 5 and ending Aug. 16. (See schedule below)

• Accepted with regret the resignation of Seth Perry as animal control officer and town constable.

• Approved the VT Municipal Bond Bank Loan Agreement for the replacement of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration System, which was approved by town vote in March.

• Approved the filing o a grant application to place beacons in the cross walk in front of CTES.

• Reviewed options for replacing the town garage. Preferred approach, and lest costly, is a prefabricated building, which could be in place by the time snow flies.

For a more in-depth report on the SB Meeting, go to The Dish.

 2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Black River Water Testing for 6/14/17: The sites on the Black River in Cavendish all tested clean for swimming and boating on June 14 (Wednesday). These sites include Greven Field (70 CFU) and the Cavendish Gorge (72 CFU)). Thank you BRAT and Okemo for providing us with this invaluable service.  To check other sites that are tested on the Connecticut River watershed, go to http://connecticutriver.us/site/content/sites-list

 Summer Concert Series: Once again CCCA is sponsoring the concerts on the Proctorsville Green, which take place from 6-8 pm every Wednesday from July 5 to Aug. 16. The concert line up is as follows:

July 5 Gypsy Reel

July 12 Sensible Shoes

July 19 The Spiders (featuring Cavendish’s own Mark Huntley on drums)

July 26 Alison Turner

Aug. 2 local blues man Chris Kleeman

Aug 9 Gully Boys

Aug. 16, Yankee Chank (featuring Cavendish fiddler Bob Naess).

Thank you CCCA and Sharon Huntley for continuing to provide free and quality music every summer. Weekly concert reminders will be posted in the Cavendish Update and on the Cavendish VT Facebook page. In the event of a cancellation, or change of venue due to weather, check the Cavendish VT Facebook page. FMI: 226-7736

Solzhenitsyn Talk: On June 22, Thursday, Margo Caulfield of the Cavendish Historical Society will be giving a talk on the book Alkesandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History at the Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow at 7 pm. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at this event, which is free and open to the public. Please use the rear entrance to the Library Margo will be sharing his extraordinary journey . . . from young Russian child to Communist student . . . from heroic soldier to gulag prisoner . . . from unknown provincial schoolteacher to Nobel prize-winning author . . . from a “traitor” expelled by the Soviet government to a living legend finally returned home.  Solzhenitsyn was himself, a longtime resident of Cavendish, VT.  Certainly a fascinating time in US, Cavendish and Vermont history! FMI: 802-228-8921

Black River High School and Black River Academy Yearbooks: The Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow now has all yearbooks from 1930-2016 for BRHS & BRAM digitalized. Cost per page to print is .20¢. You can order a disc for $10 each. FMI: 802-228-8921

3. EVENTS

JUNE 18 (SUNDAY): HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

• Pickleball 10 AM at CTES.

• Cavendish Historical Society Museum Open 2-4.

JUNE 21 (WEDNESDAY): CTES 6TH Grade Graduation, 6 pm

JUNE 22 (THURSDAY): LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

• Talk at the Fletcher Library on the book Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History, 7 pm, free and open to the public. Please use rear door. More information above.

JUNE 23 (FRIDAY): GMUHS Graduation

Select Board Meeting Report 6/12/17

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 discussed/taken at Monday night’s meeting:

A. Telecommunications: A homeowner on Chapman and Twenty Mile Stream expressed frustration with the lack of services with TDS, particularly as the promised upgrade has not resulted in the service as advertised. Could some type of legal recourse be taken? What about funding to get Comcast to extend service out that far?

Margo Caulfield, who is a member of the Cavendish Telecommunications Committee explained that they are working with Comcast on a State grant from the VT Department of Public Service’s Telecommunications Division, which was submitted in December.  The grant would extend service from Tarbell Hill through and around Knapp Pond. The state has asked representatives from Cavendish to come to the June Telecommunication Board to discuss the situation in Cavendish and why we deserve to be funded. Caulfield and another committee member will attend. Further, the state asked Caulfield to serve on their board, which she has agreed to do but only after the entire town of Cavendish has been wired with high speed Internet. Note that a report was given to the SB in December about the proposed grant, which can be downloaded in PDF format.

TDS has received Connect America Funds (CAF) in order to expand high speed Internet in rural communities. This year’s allocation went only to Northfield, VT. The earliest an upgrade would be done in Cavendish would be 2018 and then it’s only for 10Mbps, which is well below what Comcast currently offers.  There are 17 junction sites in the Cavendish/Proctorsville/Ludlow area that need to be replaced with fiber. In the mean time, the degradation of TDS Internet services continues.

B. Ludlow Solar Project: The SB was asked to approve a Coolidge/Ludlow Solar road crossing agreement on Quent Phelan Rd. Due to the length of the agreement and materials submitted at the meeting, this was tabled until the July meeting.

C. Quarry Tierney Rd: The SB discussed a possible response to the Natural Resources Board (NRB) regarding an Act 250 permit for less than an acre mining operation, which is allowable under the Cavendish Town Plan. (See Cavendish Update 6/9/17 for information on this project). Several Tierney Rd homeowners spoke strongly against the project, which is very different than what was proposed by McLean back in 2003. That resistance resulted in the formation of the CCA, now known as Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA). This group, not the town, raised $150,000 to pay the legal and other fees associated with the Act 250 process, in addition to the donation of thousands of in-kind hours.

CCCA’s position is that they’d like to see a binding agreement with all parties involved as they recognize the scope of the project is very different than what McLean proposed. Unfortunately, no documentation was provided that compares the McLean project versus what Savage/Snow plans on doing.

After considerable discussion, the board voted to ask for an extension on the filing (NRB had asked for a submission by June 20) in order to hold a special informational meeting where all sides can present their viewpoints and hopefully come up with a binding agreement. This meeting should take place as soon as possible. Town manager Brendan McNamara noted that being born and raised in the town, he understands the rights of landowners who want to use their property versus potential homeowners who could be impacted by that use. He will call NRB first thing in the morning to request the extension and to arrange for a meeting, which will be advertised via the Cavendish VT Facebook page and the Cavendish Update.

D. Town Website: The board approved hiring Katie Hamlin to redo the town’s website using Square Space, teach staff how to use the site and provide yearly maintenance. The contract will be up to $1,500. Money has been budgeted for this activity since 2011.

E. Town Garage: A design build for replacing the town garage, which was heavily damaged by fire in February, would not result in a town garage by the time snow flies. However, doing a fabricated building could meet that deadline as it takes 6-8 weeks to build and five days of construction. The town would act as their own construction manager, and have already discussed this with Randy Shemp, current head of Municipal Water and who has served as Clerk of the Works on a number of projects. Ultimately, the prefabricated structure, which comes insulated, will need to be plumbed and wired. According to assistant town manager Bruce McEnaney, this is a straightforward process. That noted, McEnaney explained that things are taking longer that anticipated, particularly with the asbestos removal.

F. Summer Concert Series: SB approved the CCCA’s request to use the Proctorsville Green for the annual summer concert series, which will be on Wednesday nights from 6-8, starting July 5th and ending on August 16th.

G. Resignations: Jill Flinn had planned on resigning as Animal Control Officer but said she’d try to continue to serve in that capacity as Seth Perry needs to step down as both Animal Control Officer and Town Constable. The board will need to decide if the Town Constable position is necessary. The state police want to see towns eliminate this position. The board accepted Perry resignation with regrets.

H. Wastewater Treatment Plant: Approved the VT Municipal Bond Bank Loan Agreement for the replacement of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration System, which was approved by town vote in March.

I. Flashing Beacons for School Cross Walk: The town has an opportunity to seek grant funding to install blinking lights at the school cross walk. The town’s cost would be $3,962. The SB gave approval for McEnaney to file the grant application.