Cavendish Update 2/2/18: News/ Ballot/Face Off

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 2/2/18 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Town Positions for the March Ballot

3. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Book Discussion and Movie

4. Face Off

5. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

New Prescription Drug Drop Box in Ludlow: Ludlow Pharmacy now provides a safe disposal of medications- drop box- which is available during Ludlow Pharmacy business hours-Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. VT Journal

Harry’s Returning to Mt. Holly: Harry’s Restaurant is moving from its current location on Route 100 in Ludlow, back to its original location in Mt. Holly. The restaurant will remain open in Ludlow until mid April. VT Journal

 Welch, Sanders Call on Congress to Act on Community Health Centers: Time, and money, are running out for the community health centers that provide basic medical services to Vermonters, including the Ludlow Health Center. A federal program that provides funding for the nation’s community health centers lapsed last September. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, emergency funding is drying up fast. Vermonters make more use of the health centers per capita than any other state, which means they will feel the brunt of the loss of the funding, Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday at a news conference at Burlington International Airport. “One out of four people in the state of Vermont are getting their health care, dental care, mental health counseling, low-cost prescription drugs, from community health centers.” “We’ve been going month to month, through continuing resolutions,” Sanders said. “The community health center program has not been reauthorized, and has not received the kind of money it needs to do the job it needs to do.” VT Digger

Scholarships Available for VT Women: The General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Vermont (GFWC-VT) announces the availability of scholarships for Vermont women who are seeking to further their education, training, or to upgrade their skills in preparation for advancing in the workplace. Applicants must submit a specific plan for their education or training. The scholarships range from $500 to $1,500. Applications for the scholarship are due by March 15 and can be obtained from Betty Haggerty, 802-463-4159 or hubett@hotmail.com or Darlene Remy of the Okemo Valley club 802-345-0476 or remyslp@comcast.net and Joyce Lindamood, state president, gfwcvt@vermontel.net. VT Journal

2. TOWN POSITIONS FOR THE MARCH BALLOT: There are no contests in the upcoming Cavendish election. Petitions were not submitted for the following elected town positions: Town Agent; Auditor (3 year and 2 year terms); Constable (the voters will determine if they wish to continue this position); Town Grand Juror; and GMUHS School Director.

 Town Moderator                    Michael Ripley                       1 Year

School Dist. Moderator          Michael Ripley                       1 Year

Select Board                            Michael Ripley                       3 Year

Select Board                            Mark Huntley                        1 Year

Select Board                            Sandra Russo                          1 Year

Lister                                       Claire Walker                         2 Year

Lister                                       Diane McNamara                    3 Year

Auditor                                   Peter Labelle                           1 Year

Library Trustee                       Robert Evens                          5 Year

Trustee of Public Funds         Jane Pixley                              3 Year

Town School Director                       Barbara Dickey                        1 Year

Town School Director                       Doug McBride                         1 Year

Town School Director                       Denise Reilley-Hughes            3 Year 

Town School Director                       Gene Bont                                3 Year 

GMUHS Director                   Kathleen Lamphere                 2 Year

Town Meeting takes place on Monday, March 5, 7 pm at Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES). The town budget will be approved at this meeting. On Tuesday, March 6, Election Day, voters will decide the school budget as well as who will fill elected positions. Voting takes place at CTES from 10-7. To obtain an absentee ballot call or stop by the Town Office-226-7291.

3. ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH: BOOK DISCUSSION & MOVIE: As part of the year-long celebration of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s 100th birthday, on Feb. 13 (Tuesday) at noon there will be a book discussion and showing of the movie “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” at the Fletcher Library in Ludlow. In the madness of World War II, a dutiful Russian soldier is wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to ten years in a Siberian labor camp. So begins this masterpiece of modern Russian fiction, a harrowing account of a man who has conceded to all things evil with dignity and strength."  Barnes and Noble

Solzhenitsyn’s only publication in Russia before his exile, “One Day in the Life” alerted the world to the existence of the “gulags.” Winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, Solzhenitsyn was exiled from Russia in 1974 and lived 18 of his 20 years in exile in Cavendish, VT where he wrote “The Red Wheel.”

Margo Caulfield, Director of the Cavendish Historical Society and author of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History will be leading the discussion.

The Library is located at 88 Main St., Ludlow VT. Those attending are asked to please use the rear entrance of the library, which is adjacent to the parking area.  FMI: 228-8921

4. FACE OFF!!!! On Sunday Feb 11, Cavendish and Chester Recreation present the Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept. "facing off" against the Chester Fire Dept. in a "home and home" Hockey Match. 

The first game will be at Lover's Lane Rink in Chester at 10:00 a.m. and the second game will take place at the Greven Ice Rink at 3:00 p.m.

There will be a barbecue, raffles, and a skills competition for prizes. Come on out and support those that give so much of themselves for our communities! All proceeds will benefit both departments. FMI: Terry O'Brien 802-738-3215 or Cavendish Rec Dept. Facebook page

5. EVENTS

FEBRUARY 7 (WEDNESDAY): Learn about raptors at a VINS presentation at CTES, 6:30 pm. Sponsored by CCCA. Suggested donation $5. FMI: 226-7259

• Planning Commission Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8:30 Cavendish Town Office.

 FEBRUARY 8 (THURSDAY): Sit N Knit at the Cavendish Library from 5-7.

FEBRUARY 9 (FRIDAY): HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

• Look & See Film (about Wendell Berry, farmer, activist and writer) at the Cavendish Baptist Church, 7pm.

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

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Cavendish Update 1/26/18 News/Events/Recycle/Job

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 1/26/18 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Job Opening

3. Learn About the Raptors Around Us

4. New at the Cavendish Library

5. Stop Look Recycle Your Batteries

6. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

GMUSD Warning: The Annual School District Meeting for the Green Mountain Unified School District will take place on February 27 (Tuesday), 7 pm at the Green Mountain Union High School’s auditorium.

Article I: Shall the voters of the GMUSD approve setting its annual honorarium for each of its School Directors at $1,200.00?

Article II: Shall the voters of the GMUS approve setting its annual honorarium for the treasure at $500.00?

Article III: Shall the voters of the GMUSD approve setting the annual honorarium for its School District Clerk at $125.00?

Article IV: Shall the voters of GMUSD authorize its Board of School Directors to borrow money, pending receipt of payments from member districts as provided in Title 16, Chapter 11, 71, by issuance of notes of money orders, payable not later than one year from date, for the purpose of paying its expenses?

Article V: To act on any other business proper to come before said meeting.

The voting on the GMUSD budget, $12,547,513.00, will take place by Australian Ballot, Tuesday, March 6 at the Cavendish Town Elementary School from 10-7. The equalized per pupil cost will be $15,659.09

GMUSD Budget Minus $30,000: At the last minute the Green Mountain Unified School District board passed a budget minus $30,000 at their Jan. 17 meeting. The administration needed to decide where to take out the $30,000 by Friday, Jan. 19. TRSU Accounting Bookkeeper Cheryl Hammond confirmed that $10,000 was removed from Food Service and $20, 000 was removed from the Capital Reserve Fund. Vermont Journal

School Budgets: What goes into the central office assessment?: On January 17, the GMUSD board “reluctantly” passed a budget, minus $30,000 in order to have something to put before the voters by Town Meeting Day. There have been questions about expenditures. Superintendent Meg Powden who – if the budget is approved – will receive a raise of 5.58 percent from $125,580 to $132,590. In the 2017-2018 budget, the superintendent received a 9.2 percent raise, going from $115,000 to $125,580, according to the central office budget. One oddity is a new line for “meeting food” for $4,500. Close inspection also finds lines like “salaries, mail courier” for $6,815 when the actual expenditure for the line averages less than $1,300 for the past two years. The TRSU Executive Committee serves the function of finance committee in reviewing and recommending the budget to the full board. It will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 to put its final stamp of approval on the plan. The full board will meet a 6 p.m. Both meetings will be held at Cavendish Town Elementary School, 573 Main St., Proctorsville. Chester Telegraph

 State Rolls Out Plan to Reclassify Region’s Rivers, including the Black River: State officials are asking residents around Windsor County to weigh in on a plan that would reclassify many waters within the Black and Ottauquechee river basins, and determine funding for watershed projects over the next five years. There will be three public comment sessions on the 163-page proposed “Basin 10 Plan,” which refers to 425 square miles of land between Killington Peak and Springfield that drains water into the Ottauquechee and Black rivers. The first public comment session is scheduled for Tuesday, at the West Windsor Town Office, followed by one on Jan. 29 in the Woodstock Town Office on The Green, with the final session scheduled for Jan. 30 at the Cavendish Town Office. All three will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. VT Digger

 GMP Bills Going Down: Green Mountain Power customers will see their bills go down because of the federal tax changes that cut their corporate tax rate. The utility says it's going to lower bills by $6 million and you'll see that on the bill you get in February. WCAX

2. JOB OPENING: The After School Program at CTES needs a part time 1:1 special education para educator. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 3-5:15. The ideal candidate will be caring, patient and flexible. Team spirited and very organized. You must be passionate about students and learning. Interesting candidates should send a letter of interest, a resume and 3 letters of reference to Mary Barton, Director of Student Support Services, Two Rivers Supervisory Union, 609 VT Route 103 South, Ludlow VT 05149. FMI: 802-875-3365

3. LEARN ABOUT RAPTORS AROUND US: Owls, hawks, falcons and eagles are all around us even if we don’t see them every day. The folks at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) know all about them and will present an evening of learning on Wednesday, February 7th at 6:30 p.m. in the Cavendish Town Elementary School. You can meet captive owls, and perhaps falcons, and hear about their habits and lives.

The presentation will be sponsored by the Cavendish Community and Conservation Association as part of its ongoing Walk and Talk series of environmental and conservation events, and is open to residents of all area towns. Come meet live ambassador raptors from VINS and learn about their winter habits, predator-prey relationships and the interdependence of the systems that support life.  This first-hand encounter enables participants to understand the defining characteristics that make a bird a raptor and to observe their adaptations for life as a predator on the wing. Suggested donation at the door is $5.

VINS’ mission stresses education as a way to change attitudes and maintain a healthy environment. Headquartered in Quechee, VINS houses hawks, eagles, falcons, owls, and other birds of prey in 17 state-of-the-art raptor enclosures. In addition, the site has two songbird aviaries, a Welcome Center and Nature Store, a Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation, a Center for Environmental Education, and the Center for Environmental Research from which operates an active Citizen Science program. FMI:  Claire Walker at 802-226-7259. Refreshments will be served.

4. NEW AT THE CAVENDISH LIBRARY: SIT "N" KNIT starting Feb 1st !! Thursday evenings from 5-7 bring your latest needlework project to the library and stitch with other crafters. Knit, Crochet, Crewel, Needlepoint, Quilting--whatever fiber art you practice is welcome. Light snacks will be provided. There is no charge for this program. For more information call 226-7503

LIBBY is the new app that Cavendish Fletcher Community Library has made available for you to "borrow" books online from a statewide library.  meet.libbyapp.com is the url that will bring you to the site and you just need to input your library card number and happy reading all the books you want.  No need to go out into the cold, snow and ice. Perfect for when you are not feeling well.

Cavendish Fletcher Community Library has increased the movies that are offered  Come in and browse our extensive collection.

5. “STOP! LOOK! RECYCLE YOUR BATTERIES! Keep all of your household batteries out of the trash and recycle them at the Cavendish Transfer Station. Please note that the new E-Waste facility is now open and accepting electronics at the Cavendish Transfer Station.

6. EVENTS

JANUARY 28 (SUNDAY): Dinner and a Movie at the Cavendish Library (Proctorsville) featuring the film Dunkirk. 1 pm. Free. Donations welcome.

 JANUARY 31 (WEDNESDAY): Super Blue full moon

 FEBRUARY 1 (THURSDAY): Sit N Knit at the Cavendish Library from 5-7.

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

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Impact of Government Shut Down

Congress failed to pass a stopgap measure so the federal government is now in partial shutdown.

What this impacts

Social Security, SSI, Unemployment insurance, TANF, Food Stamps: Benefits will continue, but applying and appealing may be stopped.

Medicare and Medicaid: Payment may be delayed for providers but the programs will continue to operate

Not Affected

• Veteran’s Hospitals

• Federal prisons

• Local Governments, schools, libraries etc.

• U.S. Postal Service (note that new rates go into effect on Sunday. A stamp will now cost. 50¢

• Airports-Air traffic controllers, TSA officers and customs agents will continue to work at airports

• USDA Inspection of meat, poultry and eggs

• Federal Financial Aid-Note that 90% of the Education Department staff will be sent home

• Congress

• Supreme Court

• Special counsel’s Russia investigation

What is closed

• Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo

• National Zoo Panda Cam

• Federal office Buildings: Most departments and agencies will be shut down

• IRS Customer Service-Automated processes will continue but anything that involves people will be closed

• Disaster recovery efforts

• Many government research operations

• National parks though limited access will be available wherever possible.

Possible Impact

• Federal courts: Will have three more weeks of funding

• Passport offices will likely remain open but not those in federal buildings

• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is funded through March.

• Military is currently paid through Feb. 1. After that they will not be paid until after their shutdown

• Department of Health and Human Services: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have a hard time with their annual flu programs. Reduced staffing is expected

Other Ways it can Impact

• Home buyers could face delays in closing. The Federal Housing Administration would halt new mortgage approvals. Since lenders often ask IRS to verify a potential buyer’s tax information, delays should be expected

Impacts in Vermont

• Vermont Guard-Normal day-today operations would cease and only essential personnel would report for work.

• Other action being taken in VT

Cavendish Update: 1/19/18 School/Act 250/Film

CHECK THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE DAILY FOR THE LATEST NEWS You don’t have to be a Facebook subscriber to see this page.

1/19/18 Cavendish Update

Correction

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Act 250 Hearing on Murdock’s

3. Look & See to be screened at Cavendish Baptist Church

4. Events

CORRECTION: Since the Select Board Meeting of Jan. 8, the Town clerk, Diane McNamara has spoken to the state regarding the need for an informational meeting for the school. The annual meeting will be needed to "Hear and act on the reports of the Cavendish Town Elementary School District Directors for the school year ending June 30, 2017.

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Combined CTES and CAES Meeting: Moving the 6th grade to Chester: The overwhelming sentiment of those attending Tuesday night's combined meeting of the CTES and Chester/Andover school boards was not to relocate CTES's 6th graders to Chester. This meeting was called by Chester and it was quickly apparent that members of both boards had little idea if a middle school 6-8 grade was even in the best interest of students. Because of CTES’s small size (currently about 93 students) and the state’s push to do away with small schools, many were concerned that if the 6th grade was relocated to GMUHS, the school would have such a low enrollment it was at high risk of being closed. The Dish

GMUDS’s Budget: Did it Deliver on its Act 46 Promises?: At the Jan. 17 Finance Committee and Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) board meetings, the Finance Committee was tied in approving the budget. Throughout the budget meeting, Cavendish representative Doug McBride pointed out issue after issue on the budget showing how it didn’t conform to the Act 46 promise and asking the hard questions. When the GMUSD board met, they ignored the Finance Committee’s deadlock and went ahead and voted in the budget, minus $30,000. The only dissenting vote was McBride’s. When asked why he voted no, McBride stated that the budget is not what we promised the voters. It does not conform to Act 46’s promise of enhancing the education of students and there is no economic savings. The Dish

Cavendish Resident Jim Hasson Super Senior: From a 42-year career as a Navy Seabee, to raising a family, to volunteering at Plymouth Notch State Park, Super Senior Jim Hasson's life has been one adventure after another. WCAX

Mack Molding Sued by Fired Worker in Multi-Part Complaint: A woman who was fired in 2016 from her job at Mack Molding is suing the Arlington-based manufacturer for what she says were violations of the Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act and Vermont Parental and Family Leave Act. In the suit, which was filed in the Bennington County Superior Court Civil Division, former longtime Mack Molding employee Angela Gates, of Mount Holly, accused the company, which employs 2,000 in six locations, including Cavendish, along the East Coast, of a “pattern of discrimination and retaliation” spanning a number of years, against her and other employees. VT Digger

Flu Arrives Early in Area, Strikes Hard This Season: This is not an ordinary flu season in the area, according to officials. “We are seeing widespread activity,” says Blythe Kersula, infection prevention nurse for Springfield Medical Care Systems. Springfield Medical facilities began seeing it in December. Adding to the concern of health officials is the strain. H3N2, the flu virus driving this outbreak, most affects people with low immune systems, particular children and adults over 65. Eagle Times If you need one of the flu Cavendish Cares Packages being prepared by our home school community, please e-mail cavendishconnects@gmail.com There are fun items for kids.

Phone Scam Targets GMP Customers: A warning from Green Mountain Power about a phone scam making the rounds. Officials say scammers are going after businesses and threatening customers with disconnection if they do not pay immediately. They give the business a fake toll-free number to call which leads to a recording claiming to be GMP.  The utility says if you get a call like this -- hang up.

 GMP Customers to Benefit From Tax Cut: The state’s largest utility will pass along savings from a reduction in the federal corporate tax rate. In December, the Trump administration and Congress reduced the rate from 35 percent to 21 percent as part of an overhaul of the federal tax code. The new rate went into effect on Jan. 1. Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power, says the Vermont utility will pass along “100 percent” of the savings along to customers. In December the VT Public Utilities Commission approved a 5.34 percent rate increase. The utility will not announce how much the percentage savings for Vermont ratepayers will be until Green Mountain Power files a rate case with state regulators in April.

2018 USPS Postage Rate Increase: Effective Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postage rates for several mailing and shipping products will increase . Stamps will now be 50 cents, while other rates will increase an average of 4 percent.

 State of VT to See $30M Trump Bump in FY 2019: Federal tax reforms will boost state coffers by $30 million in fiscal year 2019, state economists predict. And will go up another $38.3 million for fiscal year 2020. While the Republican plan was supposed to cut taxes, many Vermonters will actually pay more to the federal — and state — governments. Married couples filing jointly in Vermont who earn between $125,000 and $500,000 will be hit the hardest by the increase, according to the state’s economists. Meanwhile, corporations will see a 14 percent reduction in federal tax rates. While experts are unsure exactly how the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will impact the state’s economy over the long haul, in the short term it looks like a boon for government revenues. VT Digger

2. ACT 250 HEARING ON MURDOCK’S: When Murdock’s Restaurant submitted their original Act 250 permit application for a restaurant on the Proctorsville Green, it was approved without a hearing. However, when they applied recently to increase their seating from 50 to 80, without any additional construction, the Act 250 board called for a hearing, which was held on January 16. The reason given was to ensure there was sufficient parking, particularly in view of the fact that Outer Limit Brewery, which has not filed, let alone been approved for an Act 250 permit, is planning to open a brewery and tasting room in an adjacent building.

Following a site visit to the restaurant’s location, testimony was given by the Cavendish Town Manager, Brendan McNamara, who stated that the Select Board and Planning Commission approved the project, as it fit with the town plan and there was no parking issues. The Regional Planning Council provided similar comments.

An under current of frustration with the Act 250 Commission for creating an issue where none existed, was best expressed by Tim Calabresse of the Cavendish Planning Commission. He noted that there was no need for the hearing and that it could have been handled by a few phone calls and e-mails. The fact that three governing groups-the Cavendish Planning Commission, the board of Selectmen and the Regional Planning Commission- all agreed the expansion was fine and did not pose a parking problem should have been sufficient.

While the chairman of the hearing kept on saying that Act 250’s purpose was to facilitate appropriate development, this was not necessarily the viewpoint of those in attendance. Calabresse stated what many were thinking-the hearing was not needed; it created unnecessary expenses to say nothing of the stress placed on Murdock’s; and ultimately, if it was still “boom” times, they wouldn’t have given a second thought to this request for modification.

Doug McBride, a Proctorsville business owner, also commented that the message the Act 250 Commission was sending to future business owners was a very negative one. If a resident is willing to invest their own funds to refurbish and create a thriving business in what was once a derelict building, it is punitive to create roadblocks over a possible 10-20 parking spaces.

3. LOOK & SEE TO BE SCREENED AT CAVENDISH BAPTIST CHURCH: Cavendish Baptist Church is hosting a screening of the award-winning Sundance documentary LOOK & SEE, a powerful cinematic portrait of Wendell Berry—farmer, activist, and writer. The film will be screened on February 9 at 7:00pm at Cavendish Baptist Church, 2258 Main Street in Cavendish. 

In 1965, Wendell Berry returned home to Henry County, where he bought a small farmhouse and began a life of farming, writing and teaching.  This lifelong relationship with the land and community would come to form the core of his prolific writings. A half century later Henry County, like many rural communities across America, has become a place of quiet ideological struggle. In the span of a generation, the agrarian virtues of simplicity, land stewardship, sustainable farming, local economies and rootedness to place have been replaced by a capital-intensive model of industrial agriculture characterized by machine labor, chemical fertilizers, soil erosion and debt - all of which have frayed the fabric of rural communities. Writing from a long wooden desk beneath a forty-paned window, Berry has watched this struggle unfold, becoming one its most passionate and eloquent voices in defense of agrarian life.

Often called “a prophet for rural America,” Berry has long been a voice for the communities that are so often overlooked by the media. Filmmaker Laura Dunn skillfully weaves Berry’s poetic and prescient words with gorgeous cinematography and the testimonies of his family and neighbors, all of whom are being deeply affected by the industrial and economic changes to their agrarian way of life. “It’s a conversation that is more urgent now than ever, as we find ourselves in a deeply divided nation where urban consumers remain so completely disconnected from the rural producers whose work sustains their very lives,” says director Laura Dunn. “Wendell shows us with extraordinary sensitivity, just what fidelity to a place and to one's own community can truly mean.”

Admission is free thanks to a grant from the Cavendish Community Fund, but donations for refreshments will be accepted for the Cavendish Fire Dept. Emergency Shelter Initiative.  For more information and to view the trailer, visit: http://www.lookandseefilm.com

 4. EVENTS

JANUARY 23 (TUESDAY): Home Weatherization Workshop, 6 pm Cavendish Town Office. Free.

 JANUARY 28 (SUNDAY): Dinner and a Movie at the Cavendish Library (Proctorsville) featuring the film Dunkirk. 1 pm. Free donations welcome.

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

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS