Cavendish Update 3/9/18 News/Concert/Events

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3/9/18 Cavendish Update

1.Cavendish Related News

2. Raise the Roof Concert: Samirah Evans

3. Just in Time For Spring – Create Your Own Rain Garden

4. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Cavendish Community Tapestry: After two years and with the contributions of over 60 community members, artisan weaver Wendy Regier was proud and excited to unveil the finished Cavendish community tapestry during the Cavendish Town Meeting on Monday, March 5. Her plan had always been to dedicate the tapestry to former Town Manager Rich Svec since he was so instrumental in encouraging her to start the project in the first place. Sadly, just hours before town meeting, news spread that Svec had died suddenly that afternoon. Stunned though she was by the news, that dedication became even more important now. VT Journal

Cavendish Women You Should Know: Phyllis Bont: As part of the Cavendish Historical Society’s (CHS) series on women in Cavendish, this week features Phyllis Bont. Many know Phyllis as a nurse practitioner, who for many years worked along side her husband Dr. Eugene Bont at the Black River Health Center. However, when she went to Albany Medical Center, she added the role of teacher to her clinical practice, working in the Department of Family Medicine. While her contributions to family and community were outstanding- some will remember the teen center she ran for local youth-she has taken on a whole new role in retirement. Read her story at the CHS blog and attend CHS’s annual meeting on March 18, 2 pm at the Cavendish Baptist Church to learn more about Phyllis and other Cavendish women in history.

Scott Admin Says School Budgets Still too High: An overwhelming majority of school budgets passed on Town Meeting Day, but the Scott administration says those budgets need be cut back further and placed in the hands of state policymakers. The budgets passed this week would see school spending increase by an average of 1.5 percent next year. That's a lot less than the 3.5 percent that was expected, and less than the 2.5 percent Gov. Scott asked schools to limit themselves to in November. Now the Scott administration says budgets will need to be cut back by a lot more, and Scott's commissioner of finance says, "it's time for state policymakers to take over." VPR

2. RAISE THE ROOF CONCERT: SAMIRAH EVANS: With winter on the way out, what better way to welcome spring than with some sultry blues and jazz performed in an intimate setting on a late Sunday afternoon.  On March 18, Proctorsville's Raise the Roof Concerts will bring back fabulous keyboard player Eugene Uman, director of Brattleboro's Vermont Jazz Center, to back up the smoky sophisticated voice of Samirah Evans. Acoustic bass player Dave Picchi will join them to deepen their dynamic soulful sound.

In New Orleans, a city known worldwide for its music, Samirah was one of its most popular jazz & blues vocalists. She first performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1990, and became a regular fixture as either a leader or featured vocalist for fourteen consecutive years.  She has shared the stage with legendary greats B.B. King and James Brown, and been a popular solo vocalist in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.  Whether she's singing jazzy standards like My Funny Valentine and That Old Black Magic or New Orleans spiced original compositions, Evans can turn from sweet to sizzling.  

The concert will be Sunday March 18 at 4:00 at Gethsemane Church in Proctorsville.  The small acoustically perfect church is located at 89 Depot Street, next door to Crows Bakery Cafe, and admission is $10.00 at the door.  You won't want to miss this smooth-as-silk performance. 

3. CREATE YOUR OWN RAIN GARDEN: In another of their series of talks and workshops, the Cavendish Community and Conservation Association will sponsor a talk on March 20th at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Office meeting room when Kelly Stettner of the Black River Action Team will talk about Creating a Rain Garden.

How can you beautify your yard, increase your property value, and protect the local water quality at the same time? Consider planting a rain garden! By helping rain and snow-melt to slow down, spread out, and soak into the soil, you can keep your surrounding lawn greener, divert excess water to an attractive area designed to help it infiltrate rather than run off, and draw pollinators to the blooms of gorgeous native flowers.

What began as a one-time cleanup of the Black River in southeastern Vermont in 2000, the Black River Action Team has evolved into a full-blown grassroots watershed organization. Members monitor the health of the entire course of the river, including regular checks on water quality, and regular cleanup services. BRAT operates with support from grants and from donations. Kelly Stettner is the founding member and director of the group.

The CCCA is a non-profit membership organization that is dedicated to the conservation of land and natural resources and to the preservation of historic sites within the context of sustainable economic growth. Its commitment is to promote understanding and learning that engages and benefits all members of the Cavendish/Proctorsville community, now and in the future. For more information about the CCCA or about the upcoming Rain Garden talk, please call Robin at 802-226-7736.

4. EVENTS

MARCH 9 (FRIDAY):  Girl Scout Cookies sale, 3-6 PM Shaw’s in Ludlow

MARCH 10 (SATURDAY): Girl Scout Cookies sale, 4-6 pm next to Brewfest in Ludlow

MARCH 11 (SUNDAY): DAY LIGHT SAVINGS begins

• Murder on the Orient Express movie and dinner, 1 pm at the Cavendish Library. Menu is an outstanding collection of Eastern European dishes from Hungary, Austria, Turkey and Germany -- To make it even more fun, if you like, dress for the train trip!

MARCH 13 (TUESDAY): Green Mountain Unified School District board meeting, 6 pm at the Library GMUHS in Chester. For minutes from the previous meeting and agenda, see the Cavendish Connects Calendar.

MARCH 14 (WEDNESDAY): VINS program at CTES, 1 pm. Public invited

 MARCH 15 (THURSDAY): Sit & Knit from 5-7 at the Cavendish Library in Proctorsville. Show us what you're working on..knit, crochet, hooking--rugs or tapestries, embroidery, crewel, needlepoint....so many to choose from...refreshments provided....

MARCH 18 (SUNDAY): Cavendish Historical Society’s Annual Meeting featuring the program “Women in Cavendish You Should Know.” 2-4 pm at the Cavendish Baptist Church, Cavendish. Refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public. FMI: 802-226-7807 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.  

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Cavendish Update Special Post 3/7/18 Svec/Weather/Town Meeting

A very special thank you to Hans and Therese Schrag, whose Cavendish Connects donation has made this Special Post possible.

 3/7/18 SPECIAL POST

1. Remembering Rich Svec

2. Town Meeting Results

3. Weather Alert

1. REMEMBERING RICH SVEC: The sudden passing of Rich Svec, former Cavendish Town manager, on Town Meeting Day (March 5, 2018) has been a shock to the community. Having worked for the town for almost 30 years, and continuing to serve the community in his retirement in various capacities, this Monday was the first town meeting that many attended where Rich was not present.

In an incredible show of strength and courage, the town office-Brendan McNamara, town manager, Bruce McEnaney, Asst. Town Manager; Diane McNamara, Clerk; Jen Leak and Ginny Garrow-made sure that the Annual Town Meeting went off without a hitch. "Rich would have expected this of us," was a frequently heard comment.

Rich's contributions to Cavendish are lengthy and he has steered the town through revitalization (Proctorsville Green and village); the recovery from tropical storm Irene without the town having to go into debt; and the installation of solar power to name just a few. However, it was his human touch that people are talking about. One family wrote, "Rich always treated us so well even though we were the worst at paying our taxes etc. on time."

Cynthia Stoddard wrote " As a new Town Manager a few years ago, he always made me feel so welcome and at ease when we all gathered together. He will be missed by so many."

Steve Birge summed up what many are writing on the Cavendish VT Facebook Page. Such a great man, a very special man. He will be missed beyond words.

What free time he had, Rich was devoted to his family-his wife Peggy and children Max and Kathryn. However, he had a serious addiction-curling! In fact, he recruited others in town to play on his team. When the US Men's Olympic Curling team won in February, we were only too happy to direct people to Rich who wanted to know more about the sport and how they could participate.

Many have asked about services. At the family’s request, we are posting the following information: There are no services at this time. However, early in the summer there will be a celebration of life for Rich. It will be piggybacked with the dedication of the Proctorsville Town Green, as it will be the twentieth anniversary of his much loved community project. 

If you wish to make a donation in his memory, the family has selected the following that were very near and dear to him: 

• Upper Valley Curling Club 69 Kings Highway West Windsor, Vermont 05089

• Cavendish Family Fund. Checks should be made payable to the Town of Cavendish, with the reference/subject listing: Cavendish Family Fund. They can be mailed to Cavendish Town Office,  PO Box 126, Cavendish, Vermont  05142. Donations can also be dropped off at the Town Office during normal working hours

As much as Cavendish is grieving the loss of Rich, we know how much harder it is for his wife, children and family. We send to them are sympathies, love and the knowledge that we will be there for them in the same way Rich was always there for the town.

An obituary will be forth coming and we will keep the town informed about the Celebration of Life.

2. TOWN MEETING RESULTS: March 5: Town: All articles were passed (page 8-9 of the Annual Report). The budget was amended to take $200 from the Red Cross and give it to Black River Good Neighbor. Motions that were made, but failed to gain a majority vote included the elimination of the Windsor County Sheriff, who primarily provides traffic control and changing the article for dissolving the position of Town Constable to just changing it for a year.

A number of people voiced their frustration with the Sheriffs in how they carry out their duties. These included lack of courtesy for those being stopped; not getting out of their car to control traffic at the intersection of 103 and 131 during rush hour; and basically targeting locals with unnecessary tickets. Town manager, Brendan McNamara, asked that people bring their concerns directly to the select board so they in turn can see that problems are corrected.

Under “other business,” the voters were asked how many were having problem with Internet, more than half of those in attendance raised their hands. More hands were raised when the question was asked if they wanted fiber wired to the home. However, some people lowered their hand when the question was then posed about whether they would be willing to pay if a bond vote was needed to make this possible. These questions were being asked to help the Telecommunications Committee as they try and see that high speed Internet is available town wide.

School: All articles were passed (page 59 of the Annual Report). Med Powden, Two Rivers Supervisory Union’s (TRSU) superintendent and CTES principal George Thomson,  made a presentation on the proposed budget. The overwhelming sentiment of those in attendance was that the budget should be voted down for the following reasons:

• Does not meet the promises of Act 46.

• While there are increases in spending for administrators, there are decreases for students

• There was a considerable lack of transparency in the process

• The budget was rushed and not well thought out

There was a handout at the meeting encouraging people to vote no, which summarized much of what people were saying. The over riding point is that people are in support of their school and teachers, yet the process has been rushed to meet dead lines set by those outside the community-e.g. VT Dept. of Education. Basically, the sentiment, as noted in the handout is,  We need to slow this process down and work together as parents, community members, voters, teachers and staff to define what models are working now, and what changes can be made to maintain and improve services while potentially cutting costs. This process needs to be led by local stakeholders – the same people impacted by our schools’ performance, budget and long range impact on our communities. People in our towns need time to heal from the Act 46 process and to come together again to build common goals for our children and our communities.  

Board member Doug McBride has consistently voted no to the various budget proposals, but Fred Marin, who has voted yes, noted that the budget is not as good as it could be and that the process was severely hampered by lack of time and trust. He thought it could be tweaked however and was in favor of a “yes” vote.

Another issue raised was that are no specific quantifiable goals and objectives for the GMUSD and TRSU. McBride stated what his over riding goal would be, an exceptional school, not one that’s “just good enough.”

March 6 (Election Day): Two hundred and seventeen (217) Cavendish voters cast ballots. There were no uncontested races. The one write in candidate with sufficient votes to fill a position was Diane McNamara for own Grand Junior.

The towns of Cavendish, Chester, Andover and Baltimore voted on the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) budget. By a vote of 394 No to 345 Yes the budget failed to pass. No separate tallies are available by town.

3. WEATHER ALERT: The VT Department of Public Safety has issued an alert about the approaching storm, which will most likely result in our area seeing more than a foot of snow. Travel will be impacted during the storm and power outages are possible. 

During a significant snow event, it is important to take steps to avoid health hazards, especially carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause flu-like illness or death. Symptoms of CO poisoning include nausea, headache, and dizziness. If you feel these symptoms, leave the home and call for help.

Other safety reminders

• Check on neighbors

• Clear all heating vents of snow

• Only call 911 for emergencies. Use www.511vt.com for road information

• Stay way from downed power lines

• Limit travel to only what’s necessary

• Take it easy while shoveling

• Never use a generator indoors

If an emergency situation arises in town, please check the Cavendish VT Facebook page for updates. You do not have to be a member to use this page. Check out Cavendish Connects Emergency Preparedness section.

Remembering Rich Svec

Rich enjoying his retirement party in 2017. What a smile!

The sudden passing of Rich Svec, former Cavendish Town manager, on Town Meeting Day (March 5, 2018) has been a shock to the community. Having worked for the town for almost 30 years, and continuing to serve the community in his retirement in various capacities, this Monday was the first town meeting that many attended where Rich was not present.

In an incredible show of strength and courage, the town office-Brendan McNamara, town manager, Bruce McEnaney, Asst. Town Manager; Diane McNamara, Clerk; Jen Leak and Ginny Garrow-made sure that the Annual Town Meeting went off without a hitch. "Rich would have expected this of us," was a frequently heard comment.

Rich's contributions to Cavendish are lengthy and he has steered the town through revitalization (Proctorsville Green and village); the recovery from tropical storm Irene without the town having to go into debt; and the installation of solar power to name just a few. However, it was his human touch that people are talking about. One family wrote, "Rich always treated us so well even though we were the worst at paying our taxes etc. on time."

Cynthia Stoddard wrote " As a new Town Manager a few years ago, he always made me feel so welcome and at ease when we all gathered together. He will be missed by so many."

Steve Birge summed up what many are writing on the Cavendish VT Facebook Page. Such a great man, a very special man. He will be missed beyond words.

What free time he had, Rich was devoted to his family-his wife Peggy and children Max and Kathryn. However, he had a serious addiction-curling! In fact, he recruited others in town to play on his team. In fact, when the US Men's Olympic Curling team won in February, we were only too happy to direct people to Rich who wanted to know more about the sport and how they could participate.

Many have asked about services. At the family’s request, we are posting the following information: There are no services at this time. However, early in the summer there will be a celebration of life for Rich. It will be piggybacked with the dedication of the Proctorsville Town Green, as it will be the twentieth anniversary of his much loved community project. 

If you wish to make a donation in his memory, the family has selected the following, that were very near and dear to him: 

• Upper Valley Curling Club 69 Kings Highway West Windsor, Vermont 05089

• Cavendish Family Fund. Checks should be made payable to the Town of Cavendish, with the reference/subject listing: Cavendish Family Fund. They can be mailed to Cavendish Town Office,  PO Box 126, Cavendish, Vermont  05142. Donations can also be dropped off at the Town Office during normal working hours

As much as Cavendish is grieving the loss of Rich, we know how much harder it is for his wife, children and family. We send to them are sympathies, love and the knowledge that we will be for them in the same way Rich was always there for the town.

An obituary will be forth coming and we will keep the town informed about the Celebration of Life.

Town Meeting-March 5

The Annual Town Meeting began on a very somber note when Town Moderator, Mike Ripley, related that former town manager, Rich Svec, had died suddenly that afternoon. For many in attendance they couldn’t remember a time where they attended town meeting and Rich wasn’t present. Through out the evening their were private conversations about the many contributions Rich had made to the town. Wendy Regier, in presenting the completed Cavendish Tapestry to the town, summed up what a lot of people were thinking, The Proctorsville Town Green, depicted in the tapestry, was the handiwork of Town Manager Richard Svec. Without his encouragement and support neither the Green, a community gathering place, nor the tapestry, a shared community art project, would have happened. The tapestry will hang in the Community Library and is dedicated to him. Thank you Richard for giving so much of yourself to Cavendish.

Town: All articles were passed (page 8-9 of the Annual Report). The budget was amended to take $200 from the Red Cross and give it to Black River Good Neighbor.  Motions that were made, but failed to gain a majority vote, included the elimination of the Windsor County Sheriff, who primarily provides traffic control, and changing the article for dissolving the position of Town Constable to just changing it for a year.

A number of people voiced their frustration with the Sheriffs in how they carry out their duties. These included lack of courtesy for those being stopped; not getting out of their car to control traffic at the intersection of 103 and 131 during rush hour; and basically targeting locals with unnecessary tickets. Town manager, Brendan McNamara, asked that people bring their concerns directly to the select board so they in turn can see that problems are corrected.

Under “other business,” the voters were asked how many were having problems with Internet. More than half of those in attendance raised their hands. More hands were raised when the question was asked if they wanted fiber wired to the home. However, some people lowered their hand when the question was then posed about whether they would be willing to pay if a bond vote was needed to make this possible. These questions were being asked to help the Telecommunications Committee as they work on trying to bring high speed Internet town wide.

School: All articles were passed (page 59 of the Annual Report). Meg Powden, Two Rivers Supervisory Union’s (TRSU) superintendent and CTES principal George Thomson,  made a presentation on the proposed budget. The overwhelming sentiment of those in attendance was that the budget should be voted down for the following reasons:

• Does not meet the promises of Act 46.

• While there are increases in spending for administrators, there are decreases for students

• There was a considerable lack of transparency in the process

• The budget was rushed and not well thought out

There was a handout at the meeting encouraging people to vote no, which summarized much of what people were saying. The over riding point is that people are in support of their school and teachers, yet the process has been rushed to meet dead lines set by those outside the community-e.g. VT Dept. of Education. Basically, the sentiment, as noted in the handout is,  We need to slow this process down and work together as parents, community members, voters, teachers and staff to define what models are working now, and what changes can be made to maintain and improve services while potentially cutting costs. This process needs to be led by local stakeholders – the same people impacted by our schools’ performance, budget and long range impact on our communities. People in our towns need time to heal from the Act 46 process and to come together again to build common goals for our children and our communities.  

 Board member Doug McBride has consistently voted no to the various budget proposals, but Fred Marin, who has voted yes, noted that the budget is not as good as it could be and that the process was severely hampered by lack of time and trust. He thought it could be tweaked however and was in favor of a “yes” vote.

Another issue raised was that are no specific quantifiable goals and objectives for the GMUSD and TRSU boards to help them in setting budgets as well as gauge performance. McBride stated what his over riding goal would be, an exceptional school, not one that’s “just good enough.”

Town Meeting was filmed by Okemo Valley TV and is available on Comcast as well as at their website.