Open Positions for Cavendish Elected Officials: File Petitions Now

Anyone interested in applying for a Cavendish Elected position, see list below, stop by the Town Office and pick up a petition from the Town Clerk, Diane McNamara. All petitions require 12 signatures from registered Cavendish voters and are due at the Town Office by Monday, Jan. 27., 2020. Note all positions, appearing below, are for one official with the exception of Select Board, where there are two vacancies for one year terms.

Town Moderator 1 year term

Town Agent 1 year term

Auditor 1 year

Auditor 1 year (remaining balance of 2 year term

Auditor 3 years

Select Board 1 year (2 positions available)

Select Board 2 year (remaining balance of a 3 year term

Select Board 3 years

Town Clerk 3 Years

Town Treasurer 3 Years

Town Grand Juror 1 Year

Library Trustee 5 years

Trustee of Public Funds 3 years

GMUSD Director 1 year

GMUSD Director 3 years

For additional information, please contact the Town Office 802-226-7291.

Letter to Cavendish Connects Users

January 3, 2020:

Dear Cavendish Connects Users

 Happy New Year!

 As we enter this new decade, changes are in order to better serve the users of Cavendish Connects (CC) which includes Facebook page; Website; Blog; Update as well as special projects (e.g. Town Wide Tag Sale).

The roots of CC began in the early 2000s with the Cavendish Update, a free subscribe to e-mail listserv. As new social media platforms became available, these were added. In 2014, the CC was formed to consolidate these efforts as well as provide a stronger web presence for Cavendish.

This has been a volunteer effort on my part, with any funds received for CC being used for web hosting, studies, projects and operational expenses.  Moving forward it’s important to understand how the community is using CC, where gaps exist in our community that could be met by CC, and the best use of my time.

Then and Now: Many of today’s news outlets and social media platforms didn’t exist when the first updates were e-mailed. With sites like the Chester Telegraph, The Vermont Journal, and VT Digger, all of which have paid staff, there is less need for me to cover local news. In addition, there are numerous Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds to say nothing of Front Porch Forums.

How CC is Being Used: The most frequently used CC component is Facebook, with around 2,500 users daily. The least used is the Cavendish Update, which has had little to no growth. Mail Chimp data shows that most weeks only about half of the subscribers actually bother opening it. These statistics are not surprising since  many follow Facebook daily,  and by the time the Update is sent on Friday, they figure they pretty much know what it contains. Note: Utilization of the Update is much higher in times of emergency.

Facebook has its fans as well as detractors. However,  this is a multi-administered and monitored site and we delete comments and ban those who misuse it. Fortunately, we rarely need to do that. It’s set up as a community page so those who aren’t Facebook subscribers can read it. If you do wish to comment, you must be a Facebook subscriber and “like” the page.

Many start their day checking Facebook. Therefore, every effort is made to have news, weather bulletins, events and other information posted in a timely manner. It continues to be a very effective way to keep the community informed, particularly during emergencies.

CHANGES

• Cavendish Update will be limited to:

-       Emergent & urgent situations

-        Issues not being covered by other outlets, e.g. lack of high speed Internet in Cavendish

-       The third Friday of each month will contain a summary update (instead of once a week, it will be once a month, unless circumstances dictate more frequent posts as noted above).

• The  Cavendish VT Facebook page will continue to function as usual. Expect to see more “event” posts and, with time and volunteers, we will consider hosting “Facebook Live” of important meetings.

• Website/Calendar/Blog:  Continue as usual

• Town Wide Tag Sale: Cavendish Connects will once again sponsor the 10th anniversary tag sale this summer on Saturday July 25.

• High Speed Internet: We continue to work at addressing the lack of high speed Internet town wide. This is challenging problem. However, we recently helped Twenty Mile Stream TDS customers reach speeds of 25/3 Mbps.

• Cares Project: With Cavendish’s increasing aging population, along with requests about how social media can be used to connect the community to support those in need, a planning effort will begin this spring for a “Cares” program. Note: There are now many digital technologies to help people remain independent. As part of this new initiative, CC will provide a new resource “Tech Options for Aging in Place.”

OTHER SOURCES OF LOCAL INFORMATION

• The Town’s Municipal website includes Meeting agendas, minutes, notices, & calendar. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page you can subscribe to the Town’s news feed that is e-mailed on Fridays.

• The Vermont Journal: Articles pertaining to Cavendish will be posted to Facebook. Note that the Journal now has an e-mail service in addition to their print publication, website and Facebook page.

• The Chester Telegraph: Articles pertaining to Cavendish will be posted to Facebook

• Okemo Valley TV Includes video coverage of Select Board and School Board meetings as well as Town Meeting. Relevant Cavendish videos will be posted to Facebook. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Volunteers are needed for the following:

• Maintain Instagram and Pinterest sites

• Planning the 10th anniversary Town Wide Tag Sale

• Assist with the planning of Cavendish Cares

• Donate

If you would like to volunteer or  have questions, e-mail cavendishconnects@gmail.com or call 802-226-7807

Cavendish Update 12/20/19: Explosion/Education/News/Events

PLEASE NOTE THAT TRANSFER STATION WILL BE CLOSED ON DEC. 25 (WED) BUT WILL BE OPEN FROM 8-5 ON THURS. DEC. 26. Check out the following link to see what seasonal items are recyclable at the Transfer station.

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

12/20/19 Cavendish Update

1. Sunday’s Tannerite Explosion

2. Education News

3. Cavendish Related news

4. Events

1.SUNDAY TANNERITE EXPLOSION: On Sunday afternoon, around 12:30, many people in Cavendish reported a loud explosion, which shook homes and was unnerving to say the least. Earthquake was one possible explanation suggested on the Cavendish VT Facebook page. One resident was outside and thought they were being shot at. Another reported having various items in their home break from falling off the wall and shelves and now wonders about foundation damage.

The cause was the detonation of approximately 50 lbs. of Tannerite by a resident on Old County Rd. The blast was heard in a 15 mile radius, including Springfield, Claremont, and Chester.

Tannerite is a brand of binary explosive targets used for firearms practice and sold in kit form. Because it is sold as two separate components, it can be transported and sold in many places without the legal restrictions that would otherwise apply to explosives. No charges were filed.

2. EDUCATION NEWS: There are a variety of reports on the Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) as well as the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD).

• Auditor: School districts, including TRSU, service providers failed to check child abuse registry: Eleven supervisory districts or unions failed to screen job applicants in 2018 using Vermont’s child abuse registry. The Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) is listed in the state report as not having checked the Child Protective Registry (CPR) at all in 2018. VT Digger

• 2 approaches: Green Mountain, Ludlow-Mt. Holly school boards tackle spending: The two districts that make up the Two Rivers Supervisory Union are wrestling with controlling the spending in their FY 2021 budgets this year as one looks to increase its educational offerings and accommodate more students, while the other tries to manage the Act 46 downsizing that was supposed to result in savings but has not. And both are working with an SU that has been moving to expand its staff and its financial control over several areas. Chester Telegraph

• GM school board, Cavendish library trustees seek solution over safety concerns: Coverage of the 12/12 GMUSD board meeting where the Cavendish Public Library was discussed. Chester Telegraph

• GMUSD Board and Superintendent Meg Powden Wrestle with Trust Issues: Green Mountain Unified School District board members began their Dec. 12 meeting responding to criticism leveled by Superintendent Meg Powden at the recent TRSU board meeting, during which she said that based on several recent GMUSD Finance Committee meetings, “It’s clear to me that the spirit of collaboration is no longer there.” VT Journal

• What’s your experience? Telegraph seeks perspective of special ed. families, teachers: Are you the parent of a current or former special education student within the Two Rivers Supervisory Union?  Would you share your perspective on the education your child received or is receiving? Are you a teacher or a former special ed student who would like to share your unique point of view? In an effort to report on the special education portion of the Supervisory Union budget, The Telegraph is inviting anyone – parents, former students, staff members – to bring their experiences to us to help us get a clear picture of how services are provided. Email scunningham@chestertelegraph.org to get the conversation going Chester Telegraph

3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Violent Ludlow Robbery and Threats Land Cavendish Man in Jail: A Cavendish man was ordered held without bail this week after he allegedly participated in a violent robbery in Ludlow where the victim’s finger was nearly severed and, in a separate incident, where he allegedly brandished a firearm near his ex-girlfriend and her children in Springfield. Stephan Cota, 31, of Cavendish pleaded innocent on Monday to three separate felony domestic assault charges and to felony counts of assault & robbery and aiding in the commission of a felony.  He also pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor charge of petty larceny. HereCast

 Cavendish Fire Dept. donates funds for CTES emergency kits: Cavendish Volunteer Fire Department has come to the rescue of Cavendish Town Elementary School by donating funds to supply 13 emergency kits to be placed throughout the school. VT Journal  

Windsor man charged with poaching, fleeing from game wardens: It happened in Cavendish Saturday. Authorities say Robert Hagar, 48, fired a gun from the cab of his truck at a deer decoy after legal shooting hours and then led game wardens on a pursuit. Officials say he caused at least one vehicle to go off the road during the chase. They eventually tracked Hagar to a home in Weathersfield where they arrested him and seized his truck. Hagar was charged with attempting to elude, being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking big game in a closed season and shooting from a public highway. He pleaded not guilty on Monday and is due back in court on January 21. WCAX

Outer Limits Brewing lures après-ski crowd to outer limits of southern Vermont: Opened in July in a striking, brick 1850s woolen mill located on the similarly fetching village green in Proctorsville, a hamlet in the Windsor County town of Cavendish. Ski towns and breweries seem like a perfect match for the après crowd, and Outer Limits is less than a 10-minute drive from Ludlow's Okemo Mountain Resort. Burlington Free Press

Despite Bogus Claims From Carriers, Feds Won't Help Boost Cell Coverage In Vermont: The Federal Communications Commission has scrapped a grant program aimed at boosting cell coverage in underserved areas. The news is disappointing for Vermont officials, who spent months last year proving that the carriers' claims of coverage were false. VPR

Okemo upgrades focus on base areas, uphill capacity: Okemo to set receive upgrades as part of Vail Resorts, Inc.’s $215 million investment for 2020 across its resorts. This investment builds on the approximately $190-$195 million that Vail Resorts had planned to spend on capital improvement projects in calendar year 2019. The majority of the new investment at Okemo will be in lift, lodge and dining updates. Changes will increase uphill capacity, improve circulation across the resort, enhance dining options, and make it easier for guests and families to access services, further enhancing the resort’s emphasis on providing superior customer service. Mountain Times

Airbnb announces new policies, party house ban: Airbnb has announced three forward steps in protecting hosts, guests and communities, including a new party house ban, guest standards and dedicated line of communication for  town officials to reach Airbnb in 2020. Mountain Times  

4. EVENTS

DECEMBER 21 (SATURDAY): Winter Solstice

DECEMBER 22-DECEMBER 30 (SUNDAY-MONDAY): HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 24 (TUESDAY); Christmas Eve

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS (Town Office & Transfer Station Closed.)

DECEMBER 26 (THURSDAY): HAPPY KWANZAA

• Cavendish Transfer Station open from 8-5

JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY NEW YEAR (Town Office Closed)

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 12/13/19: GMUSD, SB, News, Job, Events

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

12/13/19 Cavendish Update
1. GMUSD Board Meeting 12/12/19
2.Cavendish Select Board Meeting 12/9/19
3.Cavendish Related news
4.Immediate Job Opening
5. Events

1. GMUSD BOARD MEETING 12/12/19: At last night’s Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) board meeting, various members responded to Twin Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) superintendent, Meg Powden’s, recent criticism of the of the Financial Committee, (the entire board), saying they were not collaborating with administrative initiatives. Cavendish representative, Kate Lamphere, was quite clear that the board takes its oversight role seriously and did not appreciate Powden’s comments. Other members commented that the budget proposed by the TRSU for GMUSD, almost $1.3 million over last year, was something the communities couldn’t afford and the voters wouldn’t support.

Item #7 on the agenda, identified as “CTES Library,” was a primary concern for many in attendance. As Cavendish rep Doug McBride pointed out, it’s not CTES’s library but rather a public library, which CTES has the good fortune to use. As it is, CTES only contributes approximately 2% (approximately $2,000) to the Library’s budget of $100,000. McBride also noted that the library trustees own the building and its contents and have a 99 year lease on the ground it sits on. In short, the board can’t just dictate to them.

Both the library trustees who were present, and GMUSD board members agreed the best effort was to work together. Board chair Joe Fromberger summed up the situation -a patron was openly carrying an unloaded gun in the library when the school was closed-by saying it was being blown out of proportion.

Lamphere, who has a child at the school, felt that everything should be done to protect the safety of the students, and basically, if it cost an additional $50,000 or more to ensure students safety, that would be worth it. However, as other members of the audience noted, the school has many other vulnerabilities that have nothing to do with the library. In fact, Lamphere did note that maybe the issue should be addressed at the community level.

Lamphere’s comment may be more accurate than people realize, as one of the most effective programs in the world in stopping shootings and other types of violence, is Cure Violence. This program uses disease control methods to stop all forms of violence by: detecting and interrupting conflicts; identifying and treating the highest risk individuals; and changing social norms. It may make the most sense if community, library trustees and school work collectively in adopting this type of approach.

2. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD SPECIAL MEETING 12/9/19: Cavendish SB Meetings are videotaped by Okemo Valley TV and available at their website. In addition, minutes are available at the Cavendish Municipal website.

At the December meeting, Tierney Rd once again dominated. This time the Tierney Road Residents Against Quarry came to rebut Maureen Savages’s Letter to the Editor. The comments & concerns of this group are outlined in a Letter to the Editor as well as in the VT Journal’s article Cavendish Select Board meeting continues to discuss Tierney Road quarry. Note: Letters to the Editor reflect the views of the writer only.

Items Discussed/Voted on:
• Approved Cooperative Agreement between the State of Vermont ANR Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation and the Town of Cavendish. (Proctor Piper Trail Project)
• Approved a Special Event Permit for a three year anniversary celebration at DG Bodyworks in Proctorsville for Dec. 14th from 5:15-9:15.
• Approved note in the amount of $195,000 for 24 months at a rate of 2%, to account for Fire Districts tax rate calculation shortfall.
• Heard from external organizations requesting funding for the FY2019-2020 budget. Decisions on amounts of funding take place during the January budget hearings, the first meeting takes place on January 7, Tuesday at 6 pm. Other budget meetings will be held on January 9th, 13 and 16.
• The town health officer, Doris Eddy, has written an emergency health order to Mr. Gattorna whose rental property at 1052 Main St. has no water due to frozen pipes.
• The Town has hired Ron Davis as the assistant water/waste water operator.

3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
TRSU superintendent criticizes GM board budget decisions: Two Rivers Supervisory Union’s Meg Powden used her superintendent’s report at Thursday’s board meeting to chastise the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) Board of Directors for what she said was its attitude toward a number of administration initiatives. Referring to a recent GM finance committee meeting in which the panel (made up of the entire board) opted not to fund several administration priorities, Powden said it was clear to her that the spirit of collaboration is no longer there. The TRSU is pushing for consolidated food and transportation services. Chester Telegraph

Senior Solutions Programs: Vicki Mastroianni, Cavendish resident, was recently videotaped by Okemo Valley TV discussing the various programs for seniors as well as volunteer opportunities for our area. You can watch the video by clicking here.

'Worse For Care': Elder Abuse And Neglect Is A Well-Kept Secret In Vermont: Vermont families who rely on eldercare homes often know little about their track records, despite state inspections that document problem after problem. Families make crucial care decisions in the dark. Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) publishes its citations in inspection reports online, but the reports are uploaded in no particular order on a hard-to-find page. Seven Days and Vermont Public Radio found that one in five of the inspection reports was missing from the state's website. And although the state's eldercare homes must post their most recent inspection reports inside their facilities, the documents can be overlooked and hard to interpret. They also do not make note of previous citations. VPR The joint VPR/Seven Days investigation "Worse for Care" looked into the indignities, injuries and deaths at Vermont eldercare facilities.

4. IMMEDIATE JOB OPENING: Driver/helper 15-20 hours per week. Call 802-226-8131

5. EVENTS
DECEMBER 14 (SATURDAY): Christmas Tree Sale at Proctorsville Fire Dept. 9-4, Santa arrives at 10 with free coffee and homemade doughnuts!

DECEMBER 15 (SUNDAY): Christmas Tree Sale at Proctorsville Fire Dept. 9-4

DECEMBER 21 (SATURDAY): Winter Solstice

DECEMBER 22-DECEMBER 30 (SUNDAY-MONDAY): HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 24 (TUESDAY); Christmas Eve

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

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