Cavendish Update10/23/09H20/News/350/Green/Calendar

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 10/23/09Cavendish Update Contains
1. Special Notice-Cavendish Municipal Water System.
2. Cavendish Related News
3. Ringing of Gethsemane Church 350 Times on Oct. 24 350 Day (International Day of Climate Change)
4. Take the LPCTV Survey
5. Select Board 10/5 Meeting On-line
6. Cavendish 2010 Calendar Now on Sale
7. Annual Halloween Party
8. Weekly Green: If You Don’t Want to Pay It, Save It!

1. Special Notice-Cavendish Municipal Water System
According to a Notice sent on Oct. 20, by the Town Office, the iron and manganese removal system is working and meeting or exceeding target levels. In addition, an underwater cleaning contractor cleaned both the Cavendish and the Proctorsville water tanks. This means that town wide flushing will occur on Monday, October 26 through Wednesday, October 28, between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. Users are advised to take the normal precautions with regard to use of municipal water while flushing. Users are advised to avoid drinking the water or washing clothes (particularly whites) while discoloration is evident. A copy of the Notice is on-line at http://cavendishvt.blogspot.com/2009/10/special-notice-cavendish-municipal.html
FMI: 226-7291

2. Cavendish Related News
Economy Sends Many to Ski Areas in Search of Jobs

Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas Schedule Work Day

Swine Flu Clinics at Local Schools

Swine Flu Widespread in Vermont


3. Ringing of Gethsemane Church 350 Times on Oct. 24 350 Day (International Day of Climate Change)
On Saturday, October 24, people around the world will take a stand for a safe climate future. Called 350 Day, it was founded by Vermont author Bill McKibben, author of one of the first books on global warming for the general public, and a team of university friends. Together, they ran a campaign in 2007 called Step It Up that organized over 2,000 rallies at various places in all 50 states. These creative actions - from skiers descending a melting glacier to divers hosting an underwater action - helped convince many political leaders, including then Senator Barack Obama, to adopt our common call to action: cutting carbon 80% by 2050.

350 was selected because it is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. We’re already past that number—we’re at 390 parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere. This is why the Arctic is melting, why drought is spreading across the planet, why people are already dying from diseases like dengue fever and malaria occurring in places where they’ve never been seen before.

As part of 350 Day, the Gethsemane Church bell will be rung 350 times, beginning at 1pm to raise awareness. The Church is located on Depot Street in Proctorsville, close to Crows Corner Bakery. Everyone is welcome, especially children. Bell ringer volunteers are also needed. Those that are interested, should assemble at the church around 12:45.
FMI: 226-7187 or barbara_dickey@hms.harvard.edu

To learn more about 350 Day, and see other activities being planned around the world, go to www.350.org To learn more about activities planned in Vermont go to http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20091022/NEWS01/910220378/1002/NEWS01

4. Take the LPCTV Survey
LPCTV, community television for the Black River Valley, is conducting a survey and we want to hear from you! If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to complete this brief survey. We need to hear from people regardless of whether or not they have cable TV or even whether or not they know who we are.

The survey can be found on the homepage of our website - www.lpctv.org. It will pop-up in a separate window in your web browser. If you have any questions, feel free to call or email for help.

The input you provide is very valuable to us. It will help steer our organization in the direction it needs to go as we strive to meet community needs. FMI: 226-8808 or pcody@lpctv.org

5. Select Board 10/5 Meeting On-line
The Select Board’s October 5 meeting is now on-line

6. Cavendish 2010 Calendar Now on Sale
The 201- Cavendish Community Calendar is now available for sale at $12 a copy. With wonderful photos by our local residents showing the landscapes and character of our environment and community. Quantity is limited so be sure to purchase your copy earlier. The Calendars are available at Crows Bakery and Singleton's store. All proceeds benefit the CCCA.

The winning photos from this year's contest will be hung at the Cavendish Town Office during the month of November.

7. Annual Halloween Party
The town’s annual Halloween Party will be held on Oct. 30 from 6-8 pm at the Proctorsville Fire Hall. Contributions and volunteers are needed for this event. Please contact Shelia Roby at lance282006@yahoo.com for more information or to arrange for a donation.

8. Weekly Green: If You Don’t Want to Pay It, Save It!
Materials from the recent Button Up Vermont Workshop are available in the Redfield Proctor Room at the Cavendish Library. Included are free DVDs pertaining to weatherization.

Find out how you are using energy by borrowing a Watts Up Meter from Efficiency Vermont for three weeks. It’s free. Call 1-888-921-5990

FREE WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY
• Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms
• Turn thermostat down in winter and up in summer . In the winter set daytime temps at 68 degrees, 55 at night or when away for the day. During the summer, set temps at 78 degrees or higher.
• Lower the water heater thermostat to 120-130.
• Turn electrical equipment off at the socket. Unplug seldom-used appliances.
• Unplug chargers when not in use
• Use a microwave instead of the range or oven
• Set refrigerator temps to 38-48 degrees Fahrenheit. Set freezer between 0-5 degrees.
• Don’t preheat or peek inside the oven more than necessary.
• Take showers instead of baths
• Wash full loads of dishes and clothes; use cold water to wash clothes and air-dry instead of using the drying cycle on your dishwasher
• Reduce or eliminate your dryer by use drying racks and/or an outside lines
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after each use. Dry heavy and light fabrics separately and don’t add wet items to a load that’s already partly dry.
• Unless in use, keep fireplace damper closed
• Keep refrigerator and freezers full, using jugs of water where there is space
• Set Computers to Sleep and Hibernate: Enable the "sleep mode" feature on your computer, allowing it to use less power during periods of inactivity.
• Reduce Reuse, Recycle
• Walk, ride a bike or carpool

FOR LESS THAN $10
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
• Use your own shopping bags.
• 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 Swiffer pads.
• 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.
• Cloth napkins instead of paper.
• 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, 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 quick 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.
• Things do go bump in the night, so replace your night with an LED light.

PAY A LITTLE MORE BUT SAVE A LOT
• Purchase Energy Star Appliances and take advantage of rebate offers.
• Replace tube lighting with LED tube lighting
• Have an energy audit of your home and modify based on recommendations made.
• Use small renewable energy adaptors to power your cell phone, iPod or other portable electronic devices.