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HAPPY CONSTITUTION DAY! Today is the 234th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution. It’s also National Citizenship Day. Test your knowledge by taking the sample Citizenship test and/or What’s Your Constitution I.Q? How did you do?
9/17/21
1. Construction Reports for 9/20/21
2. Cavendish SB Mtg 9/13
3. Cavendish Info
4. Covid update
5. Events
1. CONSTRUCTION REPORTS: Please direct questions and concerns to Natalie Boyle at Vtrans802-855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com. The updates below are from Vtrans for the week of 9/20/21:
131 Construction: Paving of the wearing course on side roads and driveways will take place next week. Expect traffic control and delays. Some modifications are being made in the Town of Cavendish for drive access and sidewalk. Sign installation will take place next week at various locations throughout the project.
Bridge @ Exit 8: The contractor is scheduled to complete paving of the approaches to the bridge on I-91 next week. Paving should not have any effect on traffic. Guardrail installation and grinding of the bridge deck will occur next week. These operations will have no effect on traffic. The contractor will be repairing facia and applying silane (a sealant) on F-barrier for the bridge. Please expect a one-way alternating traffic pattern on VT Route 131 throughout the week.
2. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 9/13: Watch the Select Board (SB) meeting at the Okemo Valley TV’s website or read the minutes at the Municipal website. The VT Journal has also filed a report on this meeting. Additional information on topics discussed appear in italics.
Paving Project: The final paving of 131 is underway, starting at 131/106 and heading towards the 103 intersection. They are also correcting drainage issues in both villages, adjusting guardrails, and replacing a large portion of the sidewalk in Cavendish Village with concrete. A broken paver is why a section of 131 (East bound) in Proctorsville remains unpaved. Please see Item 1 for the latest report from VTrans.
413 Brook Rd Drainage Issue: Joe Vullo’s property has had poor drainage that began after Irene when the road was replaced. It would appear this resulted in an incorrect pitch for this area of Brook Rd. Town crew, VTrans and Regional Planning have been working to find a better solution. Vullo voiced concerns about the “half-hearted work” by the town crew, the expenditures he’s had to make, and stated that the drainage situation is the worst it’s ever been. The SB will site visit the area on Wednesday Sept. 22 at 4:30.
Use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding: The Town has received the first installments of these funds-$210,743, anticipated total is approximately $422,000. Funds must be spent by Dec. 2024 in one of the following areas: broadband, water and/or waste water. Broadband related items, such as equipment to improve participation in meetings via Internet or making land records available on-line, can be covered by ARPA money.. However, there is a major need for two waste water pump systems as well as replacing water meters. Currently, at least a third of the municipal water meters don’t work.
Broadband Note: Vermont has recently created the Vt Community Broadband Board (VCBB), which only provides federal dollars for build out to towns that are part of a CUD (Communication Union Districts). Cavendish is not part of a CUD so therefore not eligible for this funding. In addition, the state has made it impossible for Comcast, the largest Internet provider in Cavendish, to receive this funding. Of 969 addresses in Cavendish, 756 (78%) are covered by Comcast, 192 TDS only and 21 addresses are basically unserved. Given the state’s requirement of speeds of 25/3 MBPs, approximately 61 of the 192 TDS only customers would be considered underserved. Ultimately, 82 (8%) properties of the town would be considered under or un served. Cavendish could use its ARPA funds to help build out the “last mile,” but it is unlikely to do so as the SB is looking to do projects that benefit the entire community. The Cavendish Telecommunications Committee recognizes that 25/3, while sufficient for today, will not be enough within a few years. Consequently, they are looking for a standard of 100/100 or higher and exploring other options to meet the long term broadband needs of the community.
Covid : Need to look at options for hybrid meetings as people are tired of Zoom. Equipment will be needed, and ARPA funds can be used to help with this. Town manager, Brendan McNamara is working with Regional Planning and Okemo Valley TV to help identify the appropriate equipment.
Impact of rentals on town utilities: There appears to be a trend that single family homes are being reconfigured to take advantage of the AirBnB rental market, which increases water and waste water demand. McNamara gave an example of one house that has been turned into four AirBnB units but only has one meter. Ultimately the discussion led to how municipal water is being billed and what options should be considered.
3. CAVENDISH INFO
• Proctorsville Fire Department honors members: The Proctorsville Fire Department honored three of their members Sunday, Sept. 12 for major service milestones reached over the past year. Firefighter Jeremy Carlisle reached the 20-year milestone with PFD, becoming a lifetime member. Fire Chief Robert Glidden was honored for reaching 50 years of service with PFD. He achieved the honor last year, but the celebration was postponed due to Covid-19 concerns. Firefighter Ray Fitzgibbons reached the milestone of 50 years of service with a combined stint in both the Cavendish Fire Department and PFD. Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to our town. VT Journal
• E-Bike Demonstration: Curious about learning how an Electric bike might help you breeze up and down Vermont's hills with less effort? The Cavendish Energy Committee will present a free e-bike presentation on Wednesday, September 29th at 5:30 p.m. with demonstrations of e-bikes by local owners. The workshop will be held outside, in the schoolyard at the Cavendish Town Elementary School on Main Street in Proctorsville. FMI: Mary Ormrod at 802-226-7783 or email Mary.Ormrod@icloud.com.
• Vermont regulators put cash-strapped Springfield Hospital on ice
4. COVID UPDATE: Cavendish now has 39 total cases, 8 of which have occurred in the last three weeks, with 5 alone (17% increase) for the most recent week of data. Cases are also increasing in surrounding towns. Ludlow and Chester each had 9 new cases per Town, while Springfield had 12. The Gill Home posted on Sept. 14, On Tuesday, we completed PCR testing facility wide for all staff and residents. Results are in and all residents have tested negative, however, one staff member has tested positive. During discussion with the Vermont Department of Health we learned they don't necessarily consider this case to be linked with the original resident cases. The employee last worked on Saturday, September 11th. The Vermont Department of Health does not feel the residents this staff member worked with are at risk of transmission, due to their vaccination status and the fact the staff member was in full facial PPE (N95, surgical mask, and face shield).
Yesterday, Sept. 16, saw the highest one day total of new cases, 314, since the start of the pandemic. The state provided the following information,. While this is technically the largest single day report, as we communicated yesterday, we had an outside vendor IT glitch that delayed the delivery of test results. At this time, we believe the issue has been resolved. We are therefore investigating whether or not the IT glitch and subsequent fix may have impacted today's case count, as well as our previous days' case counts. It is possible – but not confirmed – that we will see older tests come through over the next few days. We are actively working to assess the impacts, monitor the situation, and we will keep the public informed, including providing updated numbers, as we learn more.
Free Vaccine Clinics nearby: A free clinic will be held at the Chester Festival on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9-5. They will be administering the “one & done” Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 18+. On Wed, Sept. 22 is the free vaccine clinic (Pfizer) at the Cavendish Fire Dept, 3-7 pm. Don’t forget that second dose of Pfizer.
• Weekly Press Conference: There have been complaints about testing availability and turn around for results. The state identified both staffing issues and allowing walk-in patients for testing sites as part of the problem. They recommend calling for an appointment. Note that you can get a Covid test at the Ludlow Health Center if you have symptoms. If you need a routine test, such as required for an event or travel, you will need to use one of the state sites, which include locations in Rutland and Springfield.
Contact tracing has also been a problem for schools and public who are concerned about how long this is taking. Mike Smith, Agency of Human Services secretary, blamed AM Trace. “The contract calls for them to increase their workforce as Covid-19 positive case counts increased. Recently, they failed to do that sufficiently, leaving the state to fill the gap,” Smith said. State employees and the National Guard will now be used to fill this need.
• By the Numbers: The Sept. 14 state report, appears to be out of sync with yesterday’s new cases. However, Tuesday’s report shows a declining growth rate, and for the first time, a decrease in cases since the Delta serge began in late June. International and national data suggests that the Delta variant peaks around 7-9 weeks and then drops. VT is now in its 9th week.
The data continues to show the importance of vaccination, with the unvaccinated cases increasing by 7% over the last week and the vaccinated rate decreasing by 2% for the same time period. Hospitalizations are increasing, which is an expected trend as hospitalizations generally occur after people have been infected for a while. On average, 71% of recent hospitalizations have occurred among the unvaccinated. To date 294 people have died, which includes 11 deaths in the last week.
- Covid in Schools: According to the VT Dept of Health’s weekly data on schools, dated Sept. 12, while 159 cases were reported in the state since schools reopened this fall, 78 occurred in the last seven days, 0 cases for Cavendish, Ludlow, Chester or Springfield.
• Springfield Hospital No Visitors Allowed at This Time: From Springfield Hospital For the health and safety of our patients and staff, NO VISITORS ARE ALLOWED AT THIS TIME, with only the following exceptions: Patients receiving end of life care may have two visitors - coordinated by nursing staff. Patients under age 18 may have two parents or guardians. Outpatient Clinic appointment patients - may have one vaccinated support person. Must show proof of vaccination. Outpatient Surgery and Endoscopy patients may not have visitors waiting in the hospital, and visitors will be asked to wait outside. MASKS ARE REQUIRED. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Booster Shots: The FDA is meeting today about vaccine boosters. While those with compromised immune systems are recommended to get a third shot, it’s possible the FDA will only approve a booster for those 60+. Information on the ruling will be posted to the Cavendish VT Facebook when it’s announced.
• Literature/Other News
- CDC data indicates Moderna vaccine more effective against delta variant of COVID-19 than Pfizer, J&J: Moderna vaccine effectiveness has a rate of 95% when it comes to hospitalizations due to the delta variant, while Pfizer sits at 80% and Johnson & Johnson at 60%. The effectiveness rate for Moderna against urgent care and emergency room visits sits at 92%. Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson have rates of 77% and 65%, respectively.
- Moderna working on hybrid COVID-19/Flu vaccine: Moderna announced is developing a hybrid vaccine that would provide protection against COVID-19 and influenza. Moderna is also developing four variant-specific booster candidates to the standalone COVID-19 shot, including a formula specifically targeting delta.
- Doctors Divided About Need for COVID-19 Boosters: Overall, 71% of 575 US physicians who were polled said they thought the available evidence supports giving boosters to people who have already had two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines; 12% disagreed, and 17% said they were unsure. Of 1133 nurses surveyed, 66% said they thought evidence supports boosters, 15% disagreed, and 19% were unsure. The Lancet
- FDA Could Authorize COVID Vaccine for Ages 5‒11 in October: Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine could be authorized for ages 5-11 by the end of October, according to Reuters.
- New Moderna Vaccine Support Booster Shot after 8 Months: Moderna released new data that i supports the argument for COVID-19 booster shots — specifically showing that people who received a first shot of their mRNA vaccine a median of 13 months ago are more likely to experience a breakthrough infection compared to individuals who received a first shot a median of 8 months ago.
5. EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 17 (FRIDAY): Constitution Day!
SEPTEMBER 21 (TUESDAY): Hazardous Waste Collection Day for Cavendish. Springfield Transfer Station, 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. E-mail mobrien@marcvt.org or call 674-9235 for more information or visit https://www.vtsolidwastedistrict.org/hazardous-waste.html for a list of what to bring and what not to bring.
SEPTEMBER 22 (WEDNESDAY): ): Free COVID vaccination clinic at the Cavendish Fire Department from 3-7 pm. Pfizer vaccines will be administered.
- First day of fall!
SEPTEMBER 24-26 (FRIDAY-SUNDAY): Black River Good Neighbor Services will hold its 25th Annual Fall Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farm, 611 Route 103 South in Ludlow, Friday & Saturday, 10 - 4 and Sunday, 10 - 2. Masks required. FMI: Krey Kellington at Black River Good Neighbor Services Thrift Store, 37B Main Street, Ludlow at 802-228-3663 or BRGNS@gmail.com.
SEPTEMBER 29 (WEDNESDAY): E Bike demonstration, 5:30 pm at CTES. Free and open to the public.
OCTOBER 3 (SUNDAY): Fitton-the Mill, the Firebug, and Everything in Between. Starting at 2 pm at the Museum, there will be a talk on the Fitton (Spring) Mill, the town that grew up around it-Fittonsville- and the man Robert “Firebug” Fitton who was responsible for its demise and lots of other property in the town of Cavendish. The talk will be following by a walk out to the site where the Mill, boarding house, and other structures once stood. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for walking on uneven terrain. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com 802-226-7807
DECEMBER 12 (SUNDAY): Christmas Ghost Walk-Proctorsville. 7 pm, meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial. Free and open to the public. FMI: 802-226-7807.
CA❤︎ENDSH VAXXING & MASKING TO PROTECT SELF & OTHERS
