Cavendish Update 12/10/21 Jobs/Masks/News/Events

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12/10/21

1.    Cavendish Info

2.    Job Postings: Town & Mack Molding

3.    Covid update

4.    Events

Winter Weather Advisory has been posted for our area from 3 AM-10 AM on Saturday. Mixed precipitation, freezing rain. Ice accumulations.

Sunday is the Proctorsville Christmas Ghost Walk. Meet 7 pm in front of the War Memorial (across from Svec Park).

 

1. CAVENDISH INFO

• Local mask mandates

• Letters to Santa Now Open at the Cavendish Post Office: Children have their own mail slot to use at the Cavendish Post Office so they can drop off their letters to Santa. Thank you Miguel (post master).

• TRSU Looks to align school schedules for both its districts: Superintendent Lauren Fierman noted at the recent TRSU meeting, she would like to see a single schedule for all schools in the TRSU. Currently, CTES has an early release on Tuesdays in order for the teachers to have ”embedded professional development time.” Chester Telegraph

• Christmas Concert: St. James United Methodist Church (570 Main St., Proctorsville) will be holding a Christmas Concert on Dec. 18 (Saturday) at 5pm. Admission is free. Donations welcome. FMI:802-455-6500

• Grant program to help homeowners settle unpaid mortgage, utility bills: A program that aims to help eligible Vermont homeowners settle thousands of dollars in unpaid dues is expected to launch by January. VT Digger

 

2. JOB POSTINGS: The Town of Cavendish has an immediate opening for a Temporary, full-time Highway Department crew member. Applicants are required to have current CDL, good driving and work records and must be in good physical health. Solid experience in construction and heavy equipment operation, including dump truck operation, is essential. A comprehensive job description is available to serious applicants. Applications, resumes and inquiries should be directed to: Brendan McNamara, Town Manager, Town of Cavendish Municipal Building 37 High Street, P.O. Box 126, Cavendish, Vermont 05142. (802) 226-7291. Cavendish is an Equal Opportunity Employer

 Mack Molding will be holding a job fair on Wed. Dec. 15 from 8-4 at the Cavendish location (2044 Main St). Employee referral bonus $500. Sign on Bonus $3,000. Flexible part time hours available. $15.63/hr-$22/hr.

3. COVID UPDATE: For local information on testing, vaccinations, boosters, notifying contacts as well as other resources, please see the Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide.

WEEKLY DATA:

• Cavendish & Surrounding Towns: Once again, Cavendish- 8 new cases (77 total); Chester-36 new cases (299 total) and Springfield -124 new cases (974 total) have set records for highest number of new cases in the past week. Ludlow had 7 cases (152 total) and Weathersfield had 8 new cases (123 total).

• Schools: The VT Dept of Health’s school report for Dec. 6, lists CTES as having no new case in the past week with 2 cases total. Note, we are aware of at least two other cases at the school. VT Digger recently posted an article State, local data show discrepancies in Covid-19 cases in Vermont schools, which helps to explain why this is happening.

Green Mountain had 6 new cases this past week, for a total of 14, while Ludlow and Chester elementary schools reported no cases. There were 246 cases last week in Vermont schools and 2,491 since the start of the school year. 

• State: VT continues to set new records for number of new daily cases as well as high daily hospitalizations. Cases of Covid have doubled in the last six months.

Tuesday’s Modeling showed that VT cases have increased 54% over the last 7 days and increased 31% over the last 14 days. A post-Thanksgiving surge is underway with the not fully vaccinated having a 95% increase in the last 7 days while fully vaccinated increased 52%, Those not fully vaccinated were 15 times more likely to require hospitalizations in November compared to those who were fully vaccinated. Health Commissioner Dr. Levine noted Tuesday that 91% of those currently in the ICU were not vaccinated. He also noted two pediatric hospital cases. Over the last 7 days cases have increased for all age groups. However,  VT also has the highest testing rate so is more likely to capture more positive cases.

Seropositivity (percentage of tests that are positive) has dropped from 5.2% to 4.8% in the last week. Vt’s case count is 54,321 with 426 deaths and 87 people in hospital, 23 in the ICU.  

TESTING: On Tuesday, the Governor and his team discussed a new approach to testing. From now until March/April, there will be a steady move to replace the PCR testing with LAMP testing, which does not require a lab and can provide results in an hour. This testing is viewed as reliable as the PCR and is currently in usedas part of “Test to Stay” in the schools. Note that a negative LAMP test is sufficient to shorten a 14-day quarantine or return to school after an illness. The second component will be testing at home using rapid antigen testing.

According to the Governor, We’ve been working to secure thousands of rapid at-home tests. ..We want to have tens of thousands of these available at no charge to Vermonters. ..You might have seen that President Biden is working to allow Americans to be reimbursed for at-home tests in the New Year. Commissioner Pieciak and his team at DFR [Dept. of Financial Regulation]  had already been working on this, so we’ll launch this in Vermont within the next couple of weeks.

DFR today will issue an emergency rule requiring commercial insurers to cover the cost of rapid COVID-19 take-home tests, it will be retroactive to December 1.

Once the emergency rule is fully in place, those with commercial insurance will be able to get take-home COVID rapid tests at a pharmacy, without out-of-pocket costs.  We believe this will cover about 140K Vermonters, and we’re working to extend it beyond commercial insurance, in hopes of covering most Vermonters. And again, we think this is an important step to take now and we encourage people to use tests before & after holiday gatherings.

This will be in addition to giving our tens of thousands for free, once we finalize logistics with the federal government and other partners.

Currently, those on Medicaid or Medicare are not eligible for this reimbursement. Efforts are being made to make these tests available for free who don’t qualify for the reimbursement program.

If you test positive on a home test: A positive self-test result means that the test detected the virus, and you are very likely to have an infection.

-       Stay home or isolate for 10 days, wear a mask if you could have contact with others, and avoid indoor gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading disease to someone else.

-       Contact your health provider about you positive test. It’s important to talk to your provider ASAP. Your provider can determine if you are a good candidate for monoclonal antibodies or some of the newer medications that can reduce severity and need for hospitalizations.

-       Notify Contacts: Use How to Notify Contacts if you Test Positive for Covid

-       Notify the VT Health Dept. using the VT Covid-19 Self-Test Reporting Form

OMICRON: Several studies have been released this week. Preliminary results from two small studies strongly suggest the vaccines will be much less effective at stopping infections from the omicron variant but will still likely offer protection against severe disease. The study in Germany also indicates that a third shot, or a booster, will partially recover the effectiveness of the vaccines, at least for a few months.

 Omicron variant is four times more transmissible than Delta

NEWS/LIT REVIEW

• Agency of Human Services Secretary Mike Smith to retire at the end of this month: Mike Smith, a critical player in Vermont’s pandemic response and the state’s secretary of human services, is retiring at the end of the year. 

• State kid-vaxx incentive program could bring thousands of dollars into TRSU schools

• FDA has authorized Pfizer booster for those 16-17 at least six months after their last dose.

• DHMC’s No Visitor policy (with certain exceptions) goes into effect Dec. 10. Rutland is now restricting visitors as is Springfield Medical Center.

 

4.EVENTS

DECEMBER 12 (SUNDAY): Christmas Ghost Walk-Proctorsville. 7 pm, meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial. Free and open to the public. Donations welcomed.  FMI: 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com

DECEMBER 13 (MONDAY): Cavendish Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm Cavendish Town Office.

DECEMBER 18 (SATURDAY): St. James Methodist Church (Proctorsville), Christmas Concert, 5 pm. Free Admission. Donations welcome

DECEMBER 23 (THURSDAY)-JANUARY 2 (SUNDAY): Schools holiday break

DECEMBER 24 (FRIDAY): Christmas Eve Town Office Closed

DECEMBER 25 (SATURDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 26 (SUNDAY)-DECEMBER 31 (SATURDAY): HAPPY KWANZA

DECEMBER 31 (FRIDAY) New Year’s Eve Town Office Closed

JANUARY 17 (MONDAY): Martin Luther King’s Day Town Officer Closed

CA❤︎ENDSH VAXXING & MASKING TO PROTECT SELF & OTHERS

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

 

 

 

 

Cavendish Update 12/3/21: Volunteers needed/News/Events

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12/3/21

1.    Cavendish Info

2.    Covid update

3.    Events

Saturday is Proctorsville Fire Dept’s “Stuff a Fire Truck” at Shaw’s Plaza to benefit BRGN food shelf. The Snow fleas will be selling Holiday Gourmet Gift Baskets from 9-2 in front of Singletons and the Cavendish Library Book Fair will be hosting a Pirate Party from 1-2.

1. CAVENDISH INFO

• Urgent need for Snow Sports Program, on-snow, volunteers CTES is planning to have their Snow Sports program. In order to run it, they must have a 3:1 student to volunteer ratio. Volunteers have to be fully vaccinated and pass a background check and be finger printed. The program will run for 6 Tuesdays starting on 1/11/22 and ending on 2/15/22. Signups for the program will be Friday, Dec. 3rd from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturday, Dec. 4th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If there are not enough on-snow volunteers, the program will only be able to operate for some grade levels or be cancelled completely. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jarrod Harper at 802-770-2892 or by messaging him directly on Facebook. Learn more about the program: Lack of volunteers threatens CTES Snow Sports Program

• GMUSD Finance Committee Gets first look at proposed FY23 budget: The almost $15 million  spending plan for running the high school plus Chester-Andover and Cavendish Town elementary schools represents a 3.28 percent increase over the current year, but there are also Covid-19 related funds and other grants that will supplement the operation but do not appear in this budget. Several of the TRSU recommendations, including a sole principal position for Cavendish Town Elementary School and the proposed $40,000 Fletcher library contribution, were approved. CTES in particular saw the biggest school increase recommendation from nearly $1.6 million to over $1.8 million, up 15.36% from last year. One key factor in the increase was the recommendation to return to a sole principal for Cavendish rather than the shared administrative model used since the resignation of former CTES principal Deb Beaupre at the end of 2020. Chester Telegraph VT Journal

2. COVID UPDATE: For local information on testing, vaccinations, boosters, notifying contacts as well as other local resources, please see the Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide.  

WEEKLY DATA:

Cavendish & Surrounding Towns: The VT Dept of Health issued town data for the past week, minus one day due to the holiday. Cavendish with 7 new cases (69 total), Chester 24 new cases (263 total) and Springfield 90 new cases (850 total) all set records for number of new cases in a week. Ludlow had 4 new cases for a total of 145.

Schools: The VT Dept of Health’s school report for Nov. 29 reports CTES had no new case in the past week and list 2 cases total. Green Mountain has 5 cases for the past week, for a total of 8.  Ludlow Elementary had no new cases for a total of 8 cases, while Chester Andover Elementary had 2 new cases (14 total).  There were 183 cases last week in Vermont schools and 2,244 cases since the start of the school year.  Note Springfield Elm Hill School has been closed this week due to a Covid-19 out break.

State: According to Commissioner Pieciak, Tuesday’s Modeling data is skewed because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Testing was down by 32% this past week. VT cases decreased 12% over the last seven days and decreased 16% over the last 14 days. The state now has had over 50,000 cases

Those not fully vaccinated were 13.5 times more likely to require hospitalization in November compared to those fully vaccinated and boosted. While Covid cases have been increasing over the last three months, the number of deaths has declined from 50 in September, 46 in October and 34 in November.

The best indicator of what’s going on is the number of hospitalizations. There has been a 12% increase in the 7 day hospitalization average over the past week The unvaccinated accounted for  71% of hospitalizations over the last seven days. There has been a 31% increase in the 7 day ICU usage, with 81% being unvaccinated. VT reached a record high on Tuesday with 84 patients in the hospital, 22 of which were in the ICU.

The demand for ICU beds is such that UVM is converting operating room space, postponing elective surgeries in order to set up five more ICU beds. Dartmouth has also stated they will pause or limit surgeries that weren’t immediately required in order to free up space for Covid patients.

Seropositivity (percent of test that are positive) has increased significantly from a low of 3.8% just before Thanksgiving to a record high of 5.2% yesterday. Vt now has had 51,134 cases of Covid, with yesterday setting a new daily record with 604 cases. There are currently 76 people in the hospital, 23 of whom are in the ICU.

OMICRON: The newly detected Omicron COVID-19 variant may be highly infectious and less responsive to available vaccines than other variants, but it is too early to know how it compares to the Delta variant, top infectious disease official Anthony S. Fauci, MD, said on Tuesday.

On Thursday, data from South Africa showed that Omicron was now the most dominant strain and is driving a sharp increase in new infections. Some 11,500 new Covid infections were registered in the latest daily figures, which is a sharp rise over the 8,500 cases confirmed the previous day. By contrast, daily infections were averaging between 200 and 300 in mid-November. People previously infected with other variants of coronavirus do not appear to be protected against Omicron but vaccines are still believed to protect against severe disease, according to top scientists from the global health body and South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Though South Africa alerted the world to Omicron, it appeared earlier in The Netherlands, France and Japan. It is unclear when or where this new variant arose but it’s been in circulation for weeks now. The United States announced its first case on Wednesday and as of last night, the variant has been detected in five states, with five cases in New York. No cases have been found in Vermont.

In the next few weeks more will be known about this new variant, including how much protection the current vaccinations provide; if it is more transmissible than the Delta variant and what type of severity is associated with it.

Regardless of what the data ultimately shows, we have the ability to reduce its impact with vaccinations/boosters; wearing a mask indoors; handwashing & sanitizing; testing and staying home when sick.

NATIONAL PLAN: President Biden announced his latest strategies yesterday to try and bring Covid under control. The components includes: Mask mandates for airplanes, trains and public transportation; requiring private health insurance to cover 100% of at home tests; all in-bound international passengers must test for Covid within 24 hours of departure, regardless of vaccination status or nationality; and launching a media campaign to encourage booster shots.

NEWS/LIT REVIEW

• Vermont plans to increase rapid and at home Covid Testing options, but supply concerns persist.

 

3. EVENTS

NOVEMBER 28 (SUNDAY)-DECEMBER 6 (MONDAY): HAPPY HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 3 (FRIDAY): On snow volunteer registration for CTES Snow Sports program 4-7 pm at CTES. FMI: Jarrod Harper at 802-770-2892

DECEMBER 4 (SATURDAY): Stuff a Fire Truck Food Drive for Black River Good Neighbors Food Shelf. From 9-5 at Shaw’s Parking Lot. This is being sponsored by Proctorsville and Ludlow Fire Departments.

-       Cavendish Library Scholastic book fair and pirate party. 1-2 pm at the Library. Includes games, prizes and shopping.

-       The Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas Snowmobile Club will be selling Holiday Gourmet Gift Baskets on Saturday, Dec. 4th from 9 am to 2 pm at Singleton’s. Priced at $50, the retail value of the baskets is $120.

-       Registration continues for Snow Sports Program Volunteers for CTES. 9-noon at CTES. FMI: Jarrod Harper at 802-770-2892

DECEMBER 12 (SUNDAY): Christmas Ghost Walk-Proctorsville. 7 pm, meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial. Free and open to the public. Donations welcomed.  FMI: 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com

DECEMBER 23 (THURSDAY)-JANUARY 2 (SUNDAY): Schools holiday break

DECEMBER 24 (FRIDAY): Christmas Eve Town Office Closed

DECEMBER 25 (SATURDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 26 (SUNDAY)-DECEMBER 31 (SATURDAY): HAPPY KWANZA

DECEMBER 31 (FRIDAY) New Year’s Eve Town Office Closed

JANUARY 17 (MONDAY): Martin Luther King’s Day Town Officer Closed

CA❤︎ENDSH VAXXING & MASKING TO PROTECT SELF & OTHERS

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Cavendish Update 11/26/21: Ghost Walk/News/Events

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WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM TODAY TO 1 PM TOMORROW. 2-7 inches of snow and high winds possible. Christmas trees and wreaths are now on sale at the Cavendish Fire Dept.

Town Office is closed today.

11/26/21

1.    Cavendish Info

2.    Proctorsville Christmas Ghost Walk

3.    Covid update

4.    Events

1. CAVENDISH INFO

• GMUSD 11/18 Meeting: Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU)Superintendent, Lauren Fierman, stated at the Nov. 18 Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) meeting that schools will not organize a snow sports programs this year. The exception would be schools with volunteer groups for such purposes, such as the one at the Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES). However, Jarrod Harper posted the following comment, As the coordinator of the program, I'm not sure where this news is coming from. We are still trying to determine if it is possible to have the program. There are many things still to be decided. One of which is the busing situation. Very disappointed about the lack of communication.

 Cavendish Library is making a new budget request for $40,000 to cover costs associated with two full days of programming for students. CTES has not contributed to the librarian’s salary for 24 years and it’s time for the school to “pay its fair share.” VT Journal

• In towns with no zoning, reopened Supreme Court decision has big implications for Act 250: A recent decision issued by the Vermont Supreme Court would change the way Act 250, Vermont’s sweeping land use and development law, functions in towns without zoning and subdivision regulations. If it stands, the decision related to a proposed stone quarry in Cavendish would exempt certain commercial and industrial projects that Act 250 has historically covered, reversing the way the act has been administered for 50 years. VT Digger

• BRGN Holiday Gift Program: Applications for Black River Good Neighbor Services’ (BRGN) Christmas Holiday Gift Program available at the Thrift Store, Food Shelf and website are due by Dec. 1. FMI 802-228-3663.

• Scholastic Book Fair/Party at Cavendish Library: On December 4 (Saturday) from 1-2 pm, the Cavendish Library will be holding a pirate party for the annual book fair. There will be games, prizes and of course shopping.

• Holiday Gourmet Gift Baskets-Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas: The Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas Snowmobile Club will be selling Holiday Gourmet Gift Baskets on Saturday, Dec. 4th from 9 am to 2 pm at Singleton’s. Priced at $50, the retail value of the baskets is $120. Some of the items in the baskets: Hot Cocoa Bombs, Gourmet Chocolate Pretzel Rods, Godiva bars, VT maple syrup, gourmet popcorn, Dilly Beans from Pam’s Delights, Merba Cookies, Sahale Snacks, Biscotti, Wafer cookies, Blake Hill Preserves, Drew’s Salsa, Deep River Chips, Peeled Organic dried fruit snacks, Harry & David Moose Munch, pretzels, Jerky sticks, Lizzie’s Kitchen Spices, a candle, and a gift certificate to one of two local restaurants. Wrapped in cellophane with a bow, they make great gifts for family, friends, or co-workers. Baskets are limited. Contact Frank and Patty Companik (203-710-7358) or (patricia.companik@sbcglobal.net) if you would like to reserve a basket for pick up on Dec. 4th.

• Okemo Opens Today: Note that early season terrain is best suited for intermediate and advanced skiers and riders.

• Okemo Valley Women’s Club Tree of Remembrance

• RT 100 is now open: Work will resume next construction season on the bridge near Plymouth Notch. For now, there are no detours.

• Dollar Tree hikes prices 25%. Most items will cost $1.25

 

2. PROCTORSVILLE CHRISTMAS GHOST WALK: In 2020,  the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) had to cancel their planned ghost walk. In its place, was "A Christmas Eve Ghost Story" featuring both the Golden Stage Inn and its various ghosts as well as some of the local spirits. The story is available on-line at the CHS blog.

On Dec. 12 (Sunday), the 2021 Proctorsville Christmas Ghost Walk begins in front of the Proctorsville War Memorial on Route 131 (close to the intersection of 131 and Depot St) at 7 PM. The tour proceeds down Depot St., and ends at the Golden Stage Inn, where there will be a bonfire. What better place, and way, to learn about one of the most haunted inns in New England.

The tour is free and open to the public, but donations are appreciated. This is an easy walk.  Please dress according to the weather and bring a flashlight. FMI: 802-226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com

 

3.COVID UPDATE: For local information on testing, vaccinations, boosters, notifying contacts as well as other local resources, please see the Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide.  

WEEKLY DATA: In spite of the Governor and his team providing statistics about how VT is leading the nation for vaccinations, lowest hospitalizations etc., Covid remains widespread and at best it will stay at this level or increase in the coming weeks.  Currently, VT ranks 11th in the country for rate of new cases.

Cavendish & Surrounding Towns: Cavendish had 4 new cases this past week (61 total); Ludlow 7 new cases (140 total); Chester 13 (233 total) and Springfield 67 (714 total). Town data is reported on Friday, but is not expected this week due to the holiday weekend.

Schools: The VT Dept of Health’s school report for Nov. 23,   reports CTES had no new case in the past week. However, we are aware of 2 new cases associated with the school, bringing the actual number to at least 4.  Ludlow Elementary had 1 new cases for a total of 8 cases, while Chester Andover Elementary had 2 new cases (12 total).  GMUHS was listed as having 1 new case for the same time period (3 total). There were 281 cases last week in Vermont schools and 2,060 cases since the start of the school year.  The Nov. 15 vaccine clinic at CTES, resulted in 37 students being vaccinated, with 45 vaccines given that day. GMUHS currently has 61% of its students vaccinated.

State: Tuesday’s Modeling shows that VT’s new case have increased by 4% over the last 7 days and increased 20% over the last 14 days.  Week-over-week testing remained stable, with 7-day average increasing 16% this week. The seven day seropositivity rate (the number of tests that are positive) has decreased from a high of 4.4% to 3.8%.

The not fully vaccinated case rate has increased 11.3% in the last 7 days while the fully vaccinated rate has decreased 1.3% for the same period. Hospitalizations of the not fully vaccinated has increased 25% in the last 7 days while the fully vaccinated admission rate has decreased 23% for the same time period.

Over the last 7 days, cases have increased by 1% for ages 0-24 (highest incidence group is the 5-11 year olds); 13 % for ages 25 -49; and 4% for ages 50-64. The. 65+ age cohort, continuing the trend from the week prior, has decreased by 14% this past week. Overall VT cases trended toward the lower end of last week’s forecast.

No data is being provided over the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the state website, On Monday, Nov. 29, case counts for each day from Wednesday, Nov. 24 through Sunday Nov. 28 will be reported, along with the cumulative case total. In the last three weeks, Vermont has seen an average of 400 cases per day from Wednesday to Sunday. Given these recent averages, case counts from these five days could add up to a total case count of 2,000, which would be reported on Monday. The last of reported data was Wednesday. To date, there have 48,120 cases of Covid in Vermont. Currently 64 people are in the hospital, with 17 in ICU. Six more deaths occurred in the past week, bringing the total to 406.

TESTING: In the past week, almost 10% of the state’s population, 70,000 people, were tested. Testing is being ramped up and it is anticipated that the availability of rapid antigen testing (RAT) will be quadrupled in December.

A new technology is being used called “Lamp Testing,” (Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification), which provides a molecular test that uses real-time loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) technology to detect the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. It’s just as accurate as a PCR test and is still administered through a nasal swab. However, results come back in under an hour and they don’t have to go to a lab. These are being used in schools.

TOWNS CAN NOW  ISSUE MASK MANDATES: The VT Legislature approved a bill on Monday that authorizes municipal governments to enact local masking ordinances. Governor Scott signed the bill on Tuesday morning.  Local mask requirements can apply to “locations open to the public,” but leaves it to local leaders to define what those public locations should include. In Cavendish, mask mandates are in place for the school and library. The municipalities’ authority to institute mask mandates will expire on April 30, 2022. Brattleboro has already adopted the mask mandate. Other towns considering adoption include: Bennington, Burlington, East Montpelier, Montpelier, Waterbury, Wilmington and Winooski.  It’s unclear how many towns and cities will avail themselves of their new powers. The Cavendish Select Board will have the option to discuss the issue of mask mandates for the town.

 

4. EVENTS

NOVEMBER 26 (FRIDAY): Town office closed

DECEMBER 4 (SATURDAY): Stuff a Fire Truck Food Drive for Black River Good Neighbors Food Shelf. From 9-5 at Shaw’s Parking Lot. This is being sponsored by Proctorsville and Ludlow Fire Departments.

-       Cavendish Library Scholastic book fair and pirate party. 1-2 pm at the Library. Includes games, prizes and shopping.

-       The Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas Snowmobile Club will be selling Holiday Gourmet Gift Baskets on Saturday, Dec. 4th from 9 am to 2 pm at Singleton’s. Priced at $50, the retail value of the baskets is $120.

DECEMBER 12 (SUNDAY): Christmas Ghost Walk-Proctorsville. 7 pm, meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial. Free and open to the public. Donations welcomed.  FMI: 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com

DECEMBER 23 (THURSDAY)-JANUARY 2 (SUNDAY): Schools holiday break

DECEMBER 24 (FRIDAY): Christmas Eve Town Office Closed

DECEMBER 25 (SATURDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 31 (FRIDAY) New Year’s Eve Town Office Closed

JANUARY 17 (MONDAY): Martin Luther King’s Day Town Officer Closed

CA❤︎ENDSH VAXXING & MASKING TO PROTECT SELF & OTHERS

    IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

 

 

 

 

 

Cavendish Update 11/19/21: Construction ends/News/Covid/Events

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

CHS Cares Closet (next to the steps of the Museum, 1951 Main St.) is continually being restocked with surgical masks. Lots of new books, creative coloring books for adults, games and more. Free for the taking and open 24/7.

11/19/21

1.    Cavendish Info

2.    Cavendish Holidays

3.    Covid update

4.    Events

 

1. CAVENDISH INFO

• Rt 131/Bridge Construction Final Update: The following is from VTrans. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Natalie Boyle 802-855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com.  Pike has finished the work on the project. Construction signs are being removed and final punch list work is being performed. Final inspection is being scheduled. Thank you for your patience and cooperation throughout construction. This will be the final regular update for this project. For the I-91 Bridge Construction: Work on this project has been completed for the year and both Northbound and Southbound barrels of I-91 have been opened up to two lanes of traffic. Work to restart in the spring of 2022.

• Jeff Gilcris: It is with sadness we report the unexpected passing of Proctorsville resident Jeff. Glcris. Calling hours will be held Friday, Nov. 19 from 6-8 at the Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield. The memorial service will be at St. James Methodist Church on Saturday, Nov. at 11 am. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

• Congratulations to Lorien Strange: Once again Cavendish resident Lorien Strange has captured a writing award for her ghost stories. She won first place in the high school category of the Saugus.net 24th annual Halloween ghost story contest with her story “Aos Sì.” Lorien is no stranger to Cavendish as she is the author of the Cavendish Historical Society’s Escape Room.

• Okemo Delay in Opening: Okemo will not be opening as scheduled on Nov. 20 due to lack of snow.

• Gotta Love Ludlow Petitions for Retail Cannabis Revote

• Ludlow Village  Festival of Lights

• VT Climate Assessment-Climate Change is here: Key findings include, VT is getting warmer (snow season is shorter) and wetter (more rain is leading to flooding).

 

2. CAVENDISH HOLIDAYS: While Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday shopping season, many have already begun and have found empty shelves and longer waits for items from places like Amazon. No worries as there are a number of artists, organizations and businesses in town that can provide the perfect gift. Buy local and support our community. Use the Cavendish Business Directory to arrange for gift certificates for goods and services. Happy shopping

Recycling Christmas Cavendish Style: When you shop for gifts, food, and all the holiday trimmings, think ahead about what can be recycled and composted.

 Donations for CHS Cares Cabinet: If you have gently used toys, art supplies, craft projects, games, puzzles, books etc., and would like to donate them to the CHS Cabinet, please e-mail margocaulfield@icloud or call 802-226-7807 to arrange for a drop off/pick up.

 

3 .COVID-19 UPDATE: We’re making some changes in the reporting of Covid news. Two new handouts are now available and will be continually updated.

• Cavendish Covid-19 Resource Guide: This includes local information on testing, vaccinations, boosters, notifying contacts as well as other local resources. It will be updated as resources, mandates and information changes.

• How to Notify Contacts if you Test Positive for Covid: On November 13th, the Vermont Department of Health issued the following statement, Due to the large volume of COVID-19 cases, we are asking Vermonters who test positive for COVID-19 to isolate at home away from other people and begin reaching out to close contacts immediately. The Health Department will prioritize contact tracing to people at higher risk.  You may not receive a phone call from a contact tracer, but you still need to stay home and away from others, and follow steps on our website to stop further spread: healthvermont.gov/covid19positive.

This How to Notify handout will help you inform contacts should you test positive for Covid.

Instead of repeating weekly information about where to get boosters/vaccines, check the Cavendish Covid-19 Resource Guide.

WEEKLY DATA

Cavendish & Surrounding Towns: Cavendish had 4 new cases this past week (61 total); Ludlow 7 new cases (140 total); Chester 13 (233 total) and Springfield 67 (714 total). Because town reporting is based on mailing addresses, the actual number of cases in Cavendish is potentially higher. Town data is reported on Friday, which is posted to the Cavendish VT Facebook page.

Schools: The VT Dept of Health’s school report for Nov. 15, showed that CTES had another case in the past week for a total of two cases.  Ludlow Elementary had 3 new cases for a total of 7 cases, while Chester Andover Elementary had 1 (10 total).  No cases were reported for GMUHS for the same time period.  There were 256 cases last week in Vermont schools and 1,768 cases since the start of the school year.  The schools in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union (includes CTES and GMUHS) are now offering the “Test to Stay” program, which allows students exposed to Covid to be tested daily using a rapid antigen test (RAT).

State: Tuesday’s Modeling shows that VT’s new case average has risen 16% in the past week and 64% in the past two weeks. The prediction is for VT cases to stay flat or increase in the coming month. Currently VT has the 6th highest case rate in the nation.

The not fully vaccinated case rate has increased 39% in the last 7 days while the fully vaccinated rate has increased 23% for the same period. In the last 30 days, new cases for those 0-24 has increased 74% (primarily in 5-11 year olds); increased 57% for ages 25-49 and increased 63% for ages 50-64. The one group that has decreased, by 2%, is those 65+, which is attributed to the effectiveness of the booster shots. Over 55% of those 65+ have received them.

Sadly, yesterday VT reached the mark of 400 total deaths and once again exceeded 500 new cases for the day. The seven day seropositivity rate (percent of positive cases of those tested) is 4.2%. This figure indicates that Covid is wide spread in the community. There have now been 45,985 cases of Covid in VT. Currently 62 people are in the hospital, with 13 in ICU.

PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING: VT’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Mark Levine, has outlined ways to prepare for Thanksgiving:

-       Vaccinate/booster for Covid and vaccinate for flu (takes two weeks to be effective).Note anyone 18+ can now receive a booster. See the Resource Guide for vaccination/booster clinics.

-       Talk to those you plan to gather with about their vaccination/booster status

-       Keep it small, the more people the higher the chance of exposure

-       Test. Get a free PCR test no later than Monday. See the Resource Guide for nearest test sites.

-        “Stock pile” rapid antigen tests (RAT) for Thanksgiving. These tests are sold through pharmacies and on-line. However, they sell out quickly. Learn more about RAT testing Preparing for the holidays? Don’t forget rapid tests for COVID-19

-       If you don’t feel well, “make the hard but right choice to skip dinner and stay home.”

-       Get tested 5-7 days after the holiday gathered, even if you’re vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

At Tuesday’s press conference, there was more discussion about the role of antigen testing and how it will be more frequently used in VT in the weeks and months to come.

TOWN MASK MANDATES The legislature will meet on November 22 in a special session to clear the way so municipalities can institute limited mask mandate. These mandates would need to sunset by April 30 and would require a municipality’s governing body (Cavendish’s select board)  to extend any mask policy on a month-to-month basis. In his letter to the legislature, the Governor wrote, “I offer this as a compromise — not because I believe mandates are the right approach under current circumstances. Therefore, I want to be very clear, should the Legislature propose any additional restrictions or mandates on a statewide or municipal basis, I will not support them.”

NEWS/LITERATURE REVIEW

• Fauci says 3-shot vaccine should be 'standard,' warns of winter 'double whammy'

• Experts call for continued use of personal protective and social measures alongside Covid-19 vaccination Several personal protective and social measures, including handwashing, mask wearing, and physical distancing are associated with reductions in the incidence COVID-19 and should be continued alongside vaccination, suggest experts after reviewing the latest evidence in British Medical Journal

• Mask-Wearing Cuts New COVID-19 Cases by 53%, Study Says: When people wear face masks to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the number of new COVID-19 infections drops by 53%, according to a new study published yesterday in the British Medical Journal. Social distancing and handwashing were also effective at lowering the number of cases, but wearing masks was the most effective tool against the coronavirus.

 

4. EVENTS

NOVEMBER 19 -21 (FRIDAY-SUNDAY):Okemo Ski & Swap, Round House at Jackson Gore Inn. Friday 4-7 pm; Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 9-1.

NOVEMBER 25 (THURSDAY): HAPPY THANKSGIVING Town Office Closed

NOVEMBER 26 (FRIDAY): Town Office closed

DECEMBER 4 (SATURDAY): Stuff a Fire Truck Food Drive for Black River Good Neighbors Food Shelf. From 9-5 at Shaw’s Parking Lot. This is being sponsored by Proctorsville and Ludlow Fire Departments.

DECEMBER 12 (SUNDAY): Christmas Ghost Walk-Proctorsville. 7 pm, meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial. Free and open to the public. Donations welcomed.  FMI: 802-226-7807.

CA❤︎ENDSH VAXXING & MASKING TO PROTECT SELF & OTHERS

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