Cavendish Update 10/17/08

This issue of the Cavendish Update is made possible by the Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA), 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. FMI: PO Box 605, Cavendish VT 05142 or 802-226-7736

The 10/17/08 Cavendish Update Contains
1. Public Notice: Restricting Traffic on Depot Street
2. Cavendish Historical Society Annual Meeting
3. For A Green Cavendish: 10 for Less then 10
4. “The Secret Life of Bees”: Reading Group
5. Green Mountain Parents Group
6. Cavendish Calendar On-Sale

1. Public Notice: Restricting Traffic on Depot Street
The Town of Cavendish has issued a public notice of the ordinance restricting through truck traffic on Depot Street in Proctorsville. In addition, the legal load for the bridge will now be up to 20,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Necessary truck traffic to provide delivery and service to local residents and business may legally travel on Depot Street. This is being done because of the population density on the road, including children, the need for repairs on the bridge, and the frequency of accidents on the road. Many trucks use Depot Street to connect to 103 or 131 respectively. The ordinance will become effective on December 6, 60 days after its date of adoption by the Select Board, unless a petition is filed with the Selectmen by Nov. 20. Copies of the Ordinance are available from the Town Office. FMI: 226-7291.

2. Cavendish Historical Society Annual Meeting
The Cavendish Historical Society’s (CHS) Annual Meeting will be held this Sunday, Oct. 19, starting with a pot luck at 5 pm at the Cavendish Inn (formerly Glimmerstone) on Main Street in Cavendish. This year, CHS will be honoring Linda Welch, author of the “Families of Cavendish” series with the Society’s Life Time Achievement Award. Also being recognized are Carmine Guica and Paul Kingsbury for their efforts in organizing CHS’s new farm exhibit. All are welcome to this free event.

3. For A Green Cavendish: 10 for Less then 10
The September 19 issue of the Cavendish Update provided a number of “no cost” ways to reduce energy and help keep Cavendish “green.” This post contains ten things you can purchase for less than $10.

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). To learn more about them, go to www.newbulbintown.com CFLs are widely available, so look for coupons to make it even cheaper. CFLs can be recycled at the transfer station in Cavendish. Use lighting control devices like dimmers and motion detectors to provide light only when you need it.

• Shopping bags come in a variety of styles and fabrics. They can be purchased for as little as a $1 from Shaws and other grocery stores. Hot and cold bags sell for $2. Canvas bags will last longer than the less expensive ones. Instead of holiday wrap, give your presents this year in reusable shopping bags. Crochet or knit your own “French market bag.” the string tote that can be easily folded and stored in a purse. Stop by Six Loose Ladies, on the green in Proctorsville, for patterns, string and help.

• Install faucet aerators on all faucets.

• Buy reusable not disposable. Some replacements to consider:

• Kitchen towels and clothes made of cotton instead of paper towels

• Microfiber clothes instead of paper towels, dusting wands, and even Swiffer pads. Depending on the quality of the cloth, it can be used to clean windows and other surfaces using only water.
• Safety razors instead of disposable

• Dryer balls instead of sheets

• Stainless steel coffee filters instead of paper

• Stainless steel water bottles instead of plastic bottled water. HSN is currently offering two for $19.95 and EcoCanteen is offering a 26 oz one for $9.99 www.ecocanteen.org With the most recent studies on the dangers of plastics; expect to see more affordable stainless steel water bottles.

• Cloth napkins instead of paper. Purchase napkins when they are on sale and/or make your own. Don’t sew? Cut out napkins with pinking sheers.

• For disposable items like copy paper, household tissues (toilet paper, napkins, facial tissue and paper towels) purchase ones that contain recycled post consumer content. The National Resources Defense Council provides a list of tissue product contents at http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp

• Purchase eco friendly dish and laundry detergents, shampoo, body wash and cleaning products. Consider Castile soap (available at Crow’s Corner Bakery), as it is environmentally friendly and can be used to clean everything from dishes to skin. Buy in bulk when possible and buy concentrates and refills.

• Make your own cleaning products with baking soda, vinegar and other common household products. A combination of baking soda with liquid soap (e.g. Castile soap) mixed together in a paste makes a “soft scrub,” suitable for cleaning bathtubs, sinks etc. Combine 4 spoonfuls of baking soda and a quart of water in a spray bottle, and you can use it to clean almost anything. Make your own cleaning kit by going to http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

• Buy a clothes line and pins and hang clothes outside instead of using a dryer

• Use foam soap dispensers. Foam soap is already activated, goes on easier, rinses off quicker and is environmentally friendlier than other alternatives. Make your own refills for your foam dispenser by mixing one part liquid hand soap (can use Castile soap) to four parts water.

• Add some plants to your daytime environment to boost the oxygenation. Plants release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and other toxins during the daylight hours.

• Make sure all your major electronics are on power strips. Even when they are “off”, stereo equipment and computers continue to draw electricity. Turning off a power strip at night or when you leave the house reduces energy use and saves money. Cost can be: as little as $10.

4. “The Secret Life of Bees”
The Cavendish Library’s Book Club will be reading “The Secret Life of Bees,” which is now available from the library. The tentative date for the Book Club is November 12 (Wednesday) at 6 pm.

5. Green Mountain Parents Group
GM Parents Group meets on Oct. 20 at 6 pm at the Stone Hearth Inn. The Agenda will include: Review of student survey; school website; science fair; auditorium renovations; Rowland Foundation; and PBIS. FMI: SCOTTVIN@VERMONTEL.NET

6. Cavendish Calendar On-Sale
The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association’s (CCCA) First Annual Cavendish Calendar Contest has arrived and is now on sale at the Cavendish Town Office on High Street in Cavendish, at the Opera House Café on Depot Street in Proctorsville, and at other locations in Cavendish. The calendar pictures this year celebrate the beauty of Cavendish and contain a mix of landscapes, wildlife and buildings, all in photographs taken by Cavendish residents. Three categories of photographers, based on their ages, won contest prizes, but all pictures were eligible for inclusion in the calendar, whether the picture won a prize or not.

The CCCA has already announced that they will run the contest again for the 2010 calendar. Since there were so many entries in such a short time frame this year, the CCCA hopes to get a wider selection of places and seasons in the next contest. Therefore all Cavendish citizens are encouraged to take pictures now so that the best shots might grace the 2010 calendar.

Meanwhile, the 2009 calendars make great holiday gifts and are a great reminder of how beautiful the Black River Valley can be at any time of the year. FMI: 226-7736