CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 9/11/17

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. Town Garage Location: Rolf van Schaik raised the issue of moving the town garage to the sandpit across from the Waste Water treatment plant or to another location. He and Stephen Plunkard, a landscape architect living in Cavendish village, noted that this building will be here a long time-50 years- and it is prudent to make sure the building is capable of not only meeting today’s needs but trends and changes in the coming decades. The current location does not lend itself for expansion. Plunkard also noted that a metal building with big doors does not fit with the esthetics of the village and could in fact detract from the appeal of the village.

In May, the town manager, Brendan McNamara and assistant town manager, Bruce McEnaney, did consider other sites, which were discussed by the SB as well as the town crew. At that time, the existing location was considered to be the best option as the “sandpit” location could pose a problem entering and exiting route 131.

There are various pros and cons to changing location. However, one of the over riding concerns is time, with the hope that the garage would be built before snow flies. Because of all the delays with the project, McNamara has met with the current owners of the old Black River Produce building in Proctorsville and it would be possible for the town to rent bays for the winter season if need be.

In order to make an accurate assessment, including costs, the SB will take the next week to make a site visit. Plunkard would be willing to do a site analysis for free of both sites.

A vote on whether the town should spend up to $400,000 to replace the garage will take place on Sept. 26 at CTES from 10-7. Where the building would be located is not specified in the warning. An informational meeting will be held on Monday, Sept 25, 7 pm at Cavendish Elementary School. A copy of the legal warning is available on-line.

Note that this discussion took almost an hour of the SB meeting and it is recommended that anyone interested in this topic watch the meeting at the LPCTV website or on Comcast TV.

B. Road Crossing Agreement with Coolidge Solar I, LLC. (Crossing on Quent Phelan Road): The SB approved the agreement.  

C. Assessment Appeals: Diane McNamara, Town Clerk updated SB on the scheduled hearing on September 14th, 2017 regarding Castle Hill and Cavendish Pointe Condominiums property assessment appeals. The listers reduced the assessment in 2016 by about 10%, which reduced tax revenue to the town by about $1.9 million. The condo owners appealed to the Board of Civil Authorities for further reductions, who, after various site visits, agreed with the listers. The condo owners than appealed to the state, which is what the hearing will be about on Sept.14.

A contract starts in July for a town wide appraisal, which will take several years. D. McNamara pointed out that the task of lister has become so specialized and complicated that it really needs to be done by people who are trained to do this job

D. Construction Postponement of Aeration System Replacement: Weston and Sampson have suggested postponement of this project because there isn’t a chief wastewater operator due to Randy Shimp’s leave of absence. Nate Rose, who is working seven days a week, is doing an excellent job, but this construction project would be just more than he can handle at this time. They recommend waiting for next construction season. Funding will not be impacted by the postponement. The board voted to postpone until next year.

E. Other projects

• Hydrant flushing is underway this week

• Paving project on Bont’s Hill is complete

• Site visit with interested contractors for the bridge construction projects on East Rd and Greenbrier took place with 21 contractors attending.  Bids are due Oct. 10 with an award to be made at the November SB meeting.

• Electronics building at transfer station being torn down this week and will be replaced with a prefab building from LaValley’s.

• 53 Depot St complaint filed by North Country Condo. Site visited by McNamara and health officer, Doris Eddy, did not find rats to be coming from this building as reported by the condo association. They thought the source of the rats was a nearby chicken coop. The condo association would like to see the building removed. However, this appears to be a civil matter.

• Leak in valve on Maple St. If it were fixed now, water would need to be shut off in all of Proctorsville. Basically are looking into the best way to repair this  problem, with minimal impact on the community, as well as how to manage the situation if it should occur again.

Cavendish Update: 9/8/17: News/Hydrant Flushing/Fit/Events

Thank you Svetlana & Kem Phillips for the lovely fall reminder in front of the Museum. Wondering where the Museum sign went? It had an altercation with a loose trailer.

9/8/17 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Cavendish Fall Hydrant Flushing

3. Getting Fit Cavendish Style

4. Cavendish to Host Composting Workshop

5. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Card Skimming in Southern VT: The Vermont Fuel Dealers Association has issued a warning to gas pump users in Southern VT as credit card skimmers were found last week in Bennington County.  If you or anyone you know has been to a gas station in the area, you’re encouraged to check your financial accounts immediately. A skimmer is an electronic magnetic or hard-wired device, covertly placed, that is capable of stealing banking information encoded on credit/debit cards.  Please use the VFDA website to know what to do if you find a skimmer. VFDA Fuel Line Newsletter

 Cavendish Resources for Addiction: All three parts of this series are now available the Cavendish Update website: Part I: Tobacco Part II-Alcohol Part III Drugs. You can also link to them via the section Health and Senior Resources under the Mental Health Section

Car Accident in Proctorsville: On 9/2/17 at 11:57 Vermont State Police investigated a car vs. motorcycle crash on RT 103 in Cavendish. Bessie Sheehan of Cavendish was traveling south on RT 103 in a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. She used her left turn signal and stopped to turn left onto Greven Road. Alan Braga was traveling behind her on a 2016 Harley Davidson. He did not see her stopped and crashed into the rear end. He was transported by ambulance to the Springfield Hospital for a leg injury and possible other non-life threatening injuries. VT State Police Report

Gathering for Doug Haskell: The family of Douglas Haskell would like to thank friends and the community for their outpouring of support over the past three months. We will be celebrating Doug’s amazing life on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Sitting Bull Lounge at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow. We would love to have Doug’s friends, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances stop by to remember him, share memories, stories and laughter. There are lots of stories out there! Thank you all again for your ongoing support. Doug will be missed but never forgotten.

Minutes from August CTES Board Meeting and Agenda for September Meeting: The unapproved minutes from Cavendish Town Elementary School’s (CTES) August board meeting are available at the Dish along with the agenda for the September meeting.

Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) Meeting: The voters of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester approve the Act 46 merger plan to form one school district with one budget, one tax rate and one board of directors. They also voted in representatives from their respective towns for the GMUSD board. On Sept. 12, 2017, at 6 p.m. Vermont Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe will convene the first assembly of the voters of all four towns, meeting in the Green Mountain Union High School (GM) library, to officially open and organize the new district, elect an interim chairperson, a moderator, a clerk, and a treasurer and to swear in the 11 member GMUSD board. During the coming transition year, the towns’ school boards will continue to serve in that capacity. By July 2018, the GMUSD will be fully operational and these boards will cease to function.

Paying for College: Never Too Soon or Too Late: $37,000 is the national average for the amount of debt last year's college students graduated with. To help Cavendish kids pursue college or post secondary education without assuming debt, Cavendish Connects has a special post that provides information about a variety of ways to significantly reduce costs and/or eliminate them altogether.

Medicare Prescription Coverage Explained: Open enrollment for Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage, occurs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This is the time to compare and/or change your current Medicare prescription plan. On Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. Pati Kimball, coordinator, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Senior Solutions Council on Aging of Southeastern Vermont, will be at Fletcher Memorial Library, 88 Main Street, Ludlow to answer your questions. She will also discuss state programs, which offer assistance with the cost of Medicare prescription plans. To assure all questions are answered, the number of participants is limited to 15. Call the Fletcher Memorial Library, Ludlow at 802-228-8921 to attend. This program is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Oct 9 (Columbus Day) Proclaimed Indigenous Peoples’ Day in VT: Gov. Phil Scott says that he will proclaim Oct. 9, 2017 as Indigenous People's Day in Vermont. This is the same date on which the federal holiday Columbus Day falls this year. According to his proclamation, Scott says the state will recognize the contributions of Vermont's first residents. "I'm pleased to recognize the historic and cultural significance of the Indigenous Peoples here in Vermont, with an understanding our state was founded and built upon the lands they first inhabited." VPR

State Sending 20,000 Letters to Collect Sales Tax: he Tax Department is sending close to 20,000 letters to Vermonters telling them they may owe sales tax for online and other purchases. The letters say residents have until Oct. 31 to pay without interest or penalties. When a seller doesn’t charge Vermont’s 6 percent sales tax, buyers are responsible for paying what’s known as use tax at the same rate. The tax applies to online, phone or mail-order purchases as well as purchases made outside Vermont where the item is brought back and used in the state. The use tax does not apply to food and most clothing. A list of taxable and nontaxable items can be found here. VT Digger

VT Students Outpace National Averages on ACT: VT students who took the ACT, a college readiness test, in 2017 scored higher than the national average in the four subject areas covered, according to a report released by the testing and research giant. VT Digger

2. CAVENDISH FALL HYDRANT FLUSHING: For those on Cavendish Municipal Water, hydrant flushing will be taking place from Monday, Sept. 11 through Friday, Sept. 15 from 9-5. System users are reminded that:
• Flushing hydrants may cause temporary discoloration and turbidity of the water. We apologize for any inconvenience to our users, however this very important system maintenance procedure must be conducted each spring and fall. The flushing program allows the pipes to be purged and the hydrants checked for proper operation.

• Users are advised to avoid drinking the water or washing clothes (especially whites) while discoloration is in evidence. Following hydrant flushing in your area, users should be run cold water until it clears before resuming normal use. It is also a good idea to flush residential water heaters after the water clears following a hydrant flush in your area. FMI: 226-7291

3. GETTING FIT CAVENDISH STYLE: Now that school has started and the air is getting crisper, consider the following ways to stay fit

• dGBody Works is offering a series of free classes throughout September. In addition Lori Wright of Cavendish is going to be teaching various yoga classes. There are both advanced and beginner Tai Chi classes and of course, Boot Camp with Denise. Check out their class schedule.

• Walk & Talks: The Cavendish Historical Society is offering two “walk & talks.” The first is on Phineas Gage, the famous railroad foreman who had a tamping rod go through his head and lived for 12 more years. This will take place on Sept. 10 (Sunday). There will be a presentation at 2 pm at the Museum (1958 Main St. Cavendish) and the walk will be about 2 miles round trip. It will feature the accident location, the doctor’s home, and where Gage stayed. The second is a “Ghost Walk” in Proctorsville on Oct. 8 (Sunday). Meet at the War Memorial in Proctorsville at 2 pm.

The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) offers a Walk and Talk series and would like your input on ideas of what you’d like to see. If you have suggestion, please contact Robin Timko (226-7736) or any member of the Sustainability Committee-Tim O’Donoghue, Claire Walker and Sarah Stowell.

• Greven Field: The Trail is about ½ mile, less if you omit the side trails. The surface is a combination of grass, dirt and gravel. It’s an easy walk with no steep inclines. Greven Field is off Route 103-a left hand turn after you’ve taken a left at the 103/131 intersection. Look for the flag. If you get to Depot St., you’ve gone too far.

• De Clutter: As you go about your seasonal fall cleaning, check out Using the KonMari Approach for Decluttering Your Cavendish home. Keep in mind that the Black River Good Neighbor's annual fall sale is almost here so this is a good time to sort and recycle. You’d be amazed how much exercise decluttering can be.

4. CAVENDISH TO HOST COMPOSTING WORKSHOP: The Cavendish Energy Committee in conjunction with the Town of Cavendish will host a workshop specifically about composting on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in the town office meeting room, 37 High Street in Cavendish.

Recycling legislation passed by the Vermont legislature affects us all when it comes to recycling food waste. Basically, that recycling involves composting. The rules are mandatory, but what exactly does that mean? And how can we as Vermont residents best comply with the new rules?

The Cavendish Energy Committee has prepared a workshop in which Hamilton Gillett of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission will go over the rules and how they are being implemented. Composting containers are now located at the local transfer stations in this area but Mr. Gillett will discuss how home composting can better meet the state’s mandates.

Also speaking will be Cat Buxton of Grow More, Waste Less – Food Systems Consulting. Ms. Buxton works to connect communities and empower individuals to effect positive food system change. She is also a consultant in compost systems design, instruction and support, dealing with food scraps, organic matter, and yard waste. She will tell us about establishing and improving our recycling systems for organic waste.

At the workshop they will have available Soil Saver composters for residential use.  While these bins normally retail for about $125 each, they will be available to workshop attendees for $40.  Also available will be Sure Close food scrap pails for $5 each.

The presenters encourage audience questions during the presentation. Residents of Cavendish and any other town are invited to attend. Composting is great for the garden, it’s great for the yard, and it’s now the law. For more information about the workshop, please call Peter LaBelle at 226-7250.

5. EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 9 (SATURDAY): Household Hazardous Waste Collection at the Springfield Transfer station 9-1 pm.

• Honey Festival: Golden Stage Inn off Depot St. Proctorsville. Free and open to the public 10-2.

• RiverSweep: 9-12, Check in at the gazebo in Ludlow.

 SEPTEMBER 10 (SUNDAY): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk, CHS Museum (1951 Main St.-route 131) 2-4 pm. Free and open to the public FMI: 226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com

SEPTEMBER 11 (MONDAY): Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm Cavendish Town Office

 SEPTEMBER 11-15 (MONDAY-FRIDAY): Fall Flushing for those on Cavendish Municipal Water. See item 2

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

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CTES Minutes 8/8/17 Mtg & 9/19 Agenda

Attached in PDF format are the unapproved minutes from the 8/8/17 Cavendish Town Elementary School Meeting, which included the following:

• Board Position Filled: Voted to approve Kate Lamphere to replace Bruce Pollard to GMUHS and on the GMUSD Boards . A mother of two children, Lamphere has lived in Cavendish since 2009. She is a licensed independent social worker, the Director of Adult Mental Addiction Service at HCRS Health Care and Rehabilitation Services. Pollard has recently moved out of town.

• Lunch/Breakfast program: Principal George Thomson said over 60% of students last year were on reduced or free lunch. This year everyone is being asked to fill out the forms even if they don’t think they qualify as statistics are used not only to providemeals but also have a bearing on Consolidated Federal Funds and the percentages given to schools. Parents and guardians are being encouraged to fill out the Free and Reduced Meal forms. To the idea that it might make sense just to provide all students with meals, Thompson notedthere is a program available for all students to receive free meals through the Department of Nutrition that has been looked into in the past (and this year) and found to be too costly to the local taxpayers.

The board approved an increase of 10 cents to the breakfast and lunch meals. Therefore, lunches are $2.90 and $1.60 for breakfast; a total increase of 20 cents per day and/or $1.00 per week. Pricing includes a drink.

• Media Policy: Voted to adopt D18 Employee Use of Social Networking, Social Media, Media Sites & Personal Sites policy with the amendment of “Employees are not allowed on social networking sites to invite students to be friends and/or members or accept invitations from students to be friends and/or members except for family members of the employees or students within the Supervisory Union."

• Bus Service: The School Bus position has been raised to $17.50 an hour. Thompson has been advertising for quite a while now and had a driver lined up, but the person required surgery. Thompson informed parents that they will have to provide transportation to and from school. They are contacting bus transportation companies for help but Butler Bus Services is having trouble finding drivers as well. This is a statewide problem.

• Arts Furniture: Approved the use of trust funds money in the amount of up to $1,200.00 to purchase 24 folding chairs for the Art Center.

•  New Hires: Nathan Marshall has been hired for late shift custodian.Due to resignations three Para-professionals have been hired; Catherine Tyrrell, Jennifer LaBarge and Jamie Steffen.

The agenda for the September 19 meeting is available in PDF format.

Cavendish Update 9/1/17 Town Garage/Drugs/News/Events

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9/1/17 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting 8/23/Town Garage

2. Cavendish Related News

3. Cavendish Resources for Addiction: Drugs

4. What’s New at the Cavendish Historical Society

5. Events

1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING AUG. 23/WARNING:

Replacement of Town Garage: The SB voted the proposed warning for the town vote regarding expenditure of up to $400,000 to replace the town garage. Town manager Brendan McNamara indicated that the anticipated costs were  $381,628.00. He said these estimates may be a little high but he and assistant town manager Bruce McEnaney did not want to underestimates costs. The insurance settlement will reimburse the Town for some of these costs, but how much is still unknown. The construction timeline includes a 6-7 week fabrication period once the building is ordered, and 5 days to construct the building on site. Foundation and site work should be taking place shortly so everything will be ready when the garage is ready to be installed. An informational meeting will be held on Monday, Sept 25, 7 pm at Cavendish Elementary School. Voting will take place by Australian Ballot from 10-7 at CTES on Tuesday, Sept. 26. A copy of the legal warning is available at The Dish. For more information about the Town Garage discussion see the minutes from Aug. 23 and Aug. 21.

Bonts Hill: McEnaney said that only the lower half of Bonts Hill was repaved and the upper section sustained damage during the recent rain storms and needs to be repaved to prevent further wash outs. Bazin Brothers will repave it for $7,500 and can do the work next week. Note this work was completed on 7/31/17

The following unapproved minutes from the SB are now available on-line Aug. 23  Aug. 21Aug 14

2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Cavendish Residents Help to Solve a Mystery: Doris and Herb Eddy met with Ron Patch and The Vermont Journal outside the Chester Historical Society on Friday, Aug. 25. They had information that could solve the mystery of the safe found in the William’s River. The Eddys were owners of the Jameson Store, now Lisai’s Market. On Sunday, Feb. 28, 1982, Herb Eddy went to the store between 4:30 – 5 p.m. to get a gallon of milk when he noticed from a distance the door was ajar. He approached the door cautiously and snuck in, unsure if the intruders were still in the building or not. Near the door were cartons of cigarettes; only certain brands had been stolen. He went in the office; the Mosler safe was missing! Read the story at the VT Journal

 BRGNS Looking for Volunteers: Black River Good Neighbor Services depends on the donation of clothing and other goods to sell in its thrift store in order to fund its food and financial assistance operations. That means somebody has to sort and process those donations and get them onto the sales floor or into storage for rummage and other sales. BRGNS has a limited staff and they cannot do it all. This is especially true since many donations of seasonal merchandise come in after the season ends and have to be sorted and stored until the next season. So the staff is asking for help. If you have some time to donate, even if it’s just a few hours a week, or just a few hours period, please call Audrey at 802-228-3663, or stop into the thrift store at 37B Main Street in Ludlow, behind the Ludlow Community Center, to volunteer.BRGNS’ programs serve Ludlow, Cavendish, Mount Holly and Plymouth. For more information about their programs you can visit www.brgn.org, or you can call 802-228-3663

Springfield Animal Hospital Returns to Original Facility: The Springfield Animal Hospital (SAH), owned by Dr. Brad Temple and Dr. Dena Meehan, returned to 346 River St., permanently, on Monday after months of working out of a temporary location. On Jan. 19, a fire gutted the facility. Springfield Fire Chief Russ Thompson later said the fire started in the hospital’s crematorium. The SAH is back at home, with floor-to-ceiling renovations: new flooring, a new roof, new paint, and even a new layout. Eagle Times

VT PBS-The Opiate Crisis: Stories & Solutions:: Vermont PBS and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont are sponsoring The Opiate Crisis: Stories and Solutions. This is a state-wide event that includes two television film broadcasts, a live television panel discussion, and three in-person film screenings and robust discussions around the opiate crisis in Vermont. Each event at the Vermont PBS Studios in Colchester (Sept. 7), Latchis Theater in Brattleboro (Sept. 12), The Rutland High School (Sept 13), and Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury (Sept. 14), will include a live audience interacting with a panel representing the medical, social work, advocacy, enforcement, prevention and recovery communities.   These programs run from 7-9 pm. On the Sept. 7 broadcast, you can call toll free 866-424-LIVE (5483), e-mail questions@vermontpbs.org to ask your questions. For more information, check the PBS website.

Comcast Suing VT: Cable television giant Comcast is suing the Public Utility Commission over the panel’s decision to require the company to expand its network and step up support for community access TV if it wants to continue doing business in Vermont. A key issue is the services Comcast must provide to local community access systems that carry municipal government and school board meetings and other local events. The 26 community access systems have been pushing — against resistance by Comcast — for high-definition video, greater ability to operate from remote locations, and inclusion in the interactive program guides that Comcast customers can use to decide what to watch. VT Digger

Resources to Help Survivors of Hurricane Harvey: Hurricane Harvey has caused catastrophic damage to southeast Texas and many Vermonters are eager to assist the survivors. Vermont Emergency Management has compiled some resources and tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other sources on volunteering and donating responsibly in the wake of this devastating disaster: Cash is the most efficient way to donate. Donations should be made to a known, reputable charitable organization. Be wary of scammers looking to profit from a dire situation. A list of organizations can be found below. Sending unsolicited goods is strongly discouraged. Volunteers should affiliate with an organization. Self-deploying to the disaster area actually creates a strain on local officials recovering from the disaster. Volunteering with an organization ensures your time will be spent safely providing help. Volunteers and people traveling to disaster areas should always heed the safety precautions of local officials. https://www.fema.gov/volunteer-donate-responsibly

www.nvoad.org

www.serve.gov

www.citizencorps.gov

3. CAVENDISH RESOURCES FOR ADDICTION: Drugs: Addiction is a major issue in 21st century American, and Cavendish is no exception. Those most often affected-family, friends and the person themselves-can struggle with little support, resources or understanding.  In order to address that in our town, Cavendish Connects is running a three part series, providing local resources, information and answering questions that people may have. Part I: Tobacco; Part II-Alcohol

National data shows that Vermont has one of the highest percentages of illicit (illegal) drug use in the country and is referred to as “America’s Heroin Capital” because of its high incidence of opioid use. 

Because of the north/west route of 91, as well as the Internet, Vermonters have easy access to drugs of all types, not just opioids and heroin. Other factors include proximity to major cities, cheap prices, resort areas, rural , poverty, lack of jobs, long winters etc. And yes, evidence of needle use is very prevalent in Cavendish, with people reporting syringes in a number of places in town.

Drugs like heroin are highly addictive with the brain being altered in hundreds of different ways in a very short time frame. No ones’ life ambition is to become an addict.

Since the 1930s, when researchers first began to study addictive behavior, the belief was that that people who developed addictions were somehow morally flawed or lacking in willpower. Thanks to brain imaging and other techniques, addiction is now recognized as a chronic disease that changes the structure and chemistry of the brain, much in the same way cardiovascular disease damages the heart.

Once the brain is “hijacked” by the drug-be it opioid, heroin, alcohol, and even gambling, gaming or shopping-there is a craving for the object of addiction, an inability to control the craving and little to no regard for consequences. Not surprising, people go through multiple rehabs and go right back to using drugs because they can’t control the craving.

As frightening as this sounds, thanks to neuroscience,  the damage done by drugs/addiction can now be studied and just as the brain is rewired to desire drugs, research is focusing on how to reboot the brain to stop cravings. Today drugs like Naltrexone and Buprenorphine (Suboxone) are helping to make a difference in successful recovery.

To learn more about local resources to help with treatment and support, go to The Dish for Part III: Cavendish Resources for Addiction: Drugs

4. WHAT’S NEW AT THE CAVENDISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY: In honor of September being "Archeology Month," the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) will be sponsoring a trip to the West Haven, VT site of the South Champlain Historical Ecology Project (SCHEP) dig where we have been providing volunteers for the last two years. This is also the site where the Cavendish Elementary School 4th and 6th grade classes visit. This trip will take place on Sept. 16 (Saturday) and will leave from the CHS Museum at 9 am. Learn more at the CHS Blog.

 The weekend of Sept. 9 will be a busy one. CHS will once again be running a beeswax candle dipping workshop at the Honey Festival that Saturday. This will be at the Golden Stage Inn, off of Depot St., from 10-2. To mark the 169th anniversary of Phineas Gage’s accident on Sept. 13, 1849, CHS will be holding its annual Walk and Talk at the Museum starting at 2 pm. Interested in a signed copy of “Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Artist Who Changed History?" You can pick one up at either event.

Learn more about what’s happening at CHS and how you can become involved in the September CHS Briefs.

5. EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 4 (MONDAY): Labor Day. Legal holiday. Town office and schools closed.

SEPTEMBER 5 (TUESDAY): Community luncheon returns at Gethsemane Church, off Depot Street in Proctorsville. Noon. In the parish hall behind the church.

 SEPTEMBER 9 (SATURDAY): Household Hazardous Waste Collection at the Springfield Transfer station 9-1 pm.

• Honey Festival

• RiverSweep

 SEPTEMBER 10 (SUNDAY): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk, CHS Museum 2-4 pm. FMI: 226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com

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