Cavendish Update Special Post for 8/12/13

Due to some confusion in the Cavendish Update on 8/9/13, the following information is being provided:

• Tonight Monday, Aug 12 is the Select Board meeting. An agenda was not received for this meeting, but in talking with the town office, this meeting, which starts at 6:30 pm at the town office, at the town office will include: Updates on paving; discussion of upcoming hearing on Chubb Hill; various environmental projects (Zero Sort, Solar, PACE); the burned property on Mill Street and the 911 Number Signage.

• Chubb Hill Site Visit/hearing is August 19 For more information

• Cavendish Communication Meeting: In our ever growing “information age” people have their own preference for how they wished to be reached. Since the Cavendish Update (CU) was started, we’ve consistently added new approaches to help foster communication and to reflect the changes in social networking. From a weekly e-mail, it’s now grown to include a blog, a very active Facebook page as well as interactions with other sites. Recently, Facebook, blog and e-mail were all utilized to help solve who had been robbing Black River Good Neighbor. This blog post alone had over 5,000 users.

While the CCCA (Cavendish Community and Conservation Association) has been a consistent sponsor of the CU, and through their support, has made select board meeting coverage possible, three quarters of the work involved in the CU has been volunteer. Note that the Town does not financially support this effort.

As the community and technology evolves, along with the digital age, requests are being made for new and different services. When will Twitter be available? What about an on-line calendar? There is also on-going discussion about establishing a Cavendish Lotsa Helping Hands page  to help coordinate volunteers and help where it is needed.

In September, there will be a meeting to discuss how to make the CU fiscally solvent and what new services should be added. If you are interested in participating in this meeting, or have suggestions on this topic, please e-mail margoc@tds.net

Cavendish Update 8/9/13 New/Events/Chubb Hill Hearing

Information can also be posted on the Cavendish VT Facebook Page 

The Cavendish Update for 8/9/13 Contains the Following:

1.  Cavendish Related News

2. August 12 Select Board Meeting/Chubb Hill Site Visit & Hearing

3. Lyme Disease and the Barberry Plant

4. Free Cooking Class on Aug. 28

5. Accordionist Brent Buswell Concert Aug. 18

6. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

CHS Summer Newsletter On-line: The Cavendish Historical Society's Summer edition newsletter-Scribbler II-is now available on-line. 

Water at Greven Field Being Tested Weekly: Thanks to the Black River Action Team (BRAT) and the Cavendish Recreation Department there is now weekly testing of the “beach” area at Greven Field. The results for Aug.7 show safe limits for swimming and boating. Testing will continue through the remainder of the summer season and will soon be posted in the beach area.

Region’s First Weekend Morning Newscasts: WPTZ News Channel 5 and WNNE News Channel 31 are now offering region’s first weekend morning newscasts, News Channel 5 Weekend Today, airing Saturdays from 5 – 7 a.m. and Sundays from 6 – 8 a.m. VT Digger 

VT Disaster Relief Fund: The Vermont Disaster Relief Fund (VDRF), founded after Irene,  plans to stay active for future disasters. The primary goal is to provide aid to people who have already sought help from other sources such as FEMA, but still need financial assistance to make their homes habitable. The average grant from the VDRF is about $10,000. There are no income eligibility requirements, but if someone has flood insurance or has other financial resources or is eligible for a loan then they may not be eligible for VDRF funding. NPR 

State Looking for Input on Implementation of Recycling Mandate; The state is looking for public feedback on how to implement new recycling mandates set to go into effect over the next few years. Vermonters will no longer be able to throw recyclables (by 2015), yard waste (by 2017) and any compostable organic material (by 2020) into the trash. A new draft report  Systems Analysis of the Impact of Act 148 onSolid Waste Management in VT  released by the Department of Environmental Conservation looks at the different ways we can implement the mandate passed by the legislature in Act 148—and what it’s likely to cost state taxpayers. The report has just been released and the Department is asking for public comments through August 30th. NPR 

VT Monarch Butterfly Population Dwindles: Monarch butterflies have been scarce in Vermont this summer due to larger forces that have caused a 90 percent drop in the population. NPR 

2. AUG.12 SELECT BOARD MTG/CHUBB HILL SITE VISIT & HEARING

Prior to Monday night’s monthly select board meeting, The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Cavendish will meet to conduct a site visit of the lower portion of Chubb Hill Road to examine the old highway and a proposed new section of that town highway at 5 PM on Monday, August 12, 2013. Immediately following the site visit, the Selectmen will travel to and reconvene their meeting at the Cavendish Town Office Meeting Room for the purpose of conducting a hearing and to consider:

• Discontinuance of the old section of Chubb Hill Road beginning at the existing intersection of the Chubb Hill Road with Vermont Route 131 by the Davis Homestead and extending approximately 487' up the road.

• Acceptance of a new section of Chubb Hill Road, which would begin at a point on Route 131, 420' east of the old intersection and would extend approximately 200' north to join the existing Chubb Hill Road.

For more information on the site visit and hearing

The regular agenda will be posted to this blog as soon as it’s received.

3. LYME DISEASE AND THE BARBERRY PLANT

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is pretty, there’s no doubt about that: interesting leaf pattern, lovely foliage, and bright red berries.  Researchers in Connecticut have discovered that tick populations are exponentially higher where barberry is present, linking the plant directly to a spike in cases of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Barberry was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as an attractive landscape feature; it’s still sold at nurseries and installed by landscapers at homes and businesses around the country.  Garden clubs plant it in public green spaces.  However, birds and other animals eat the berries and deposit the seeds in the woods where the plant has grown to form dense thorny thickets.  Some eight feet tall, the thickets are impenetrable fortresses ideal for mice to hide from predators – and mice are the primary host for ticks.

Recently, Kelly Stettner of Black River Action Team (BRAT) led an invasive species tour on the Greven Walking path. Barberry was growing in several locations. The Cavendish Recreation group, with the help of students, did an excellent job of removing invasive plants, this past Saturday, at Greven Field.

Go to http://cavendishvt.blogspot.com/2013/08/lyme-disease-and-barberry-plant.html to learn more about the barberry plant, what it looks like and how to deal with it if you have it on your property.

4. FREE COOKING CLASS ON AUG. 28

The theme for the August 28th Free Cooking Class is SOUP!  Ingredients will include fresh, local ingredients and also canned and boxed ingredients from the grocery store. Class begin at 5:30pm with cooking and then eating to follow! Homemade bread and dessert are provided.  Cooks of all levels are welcome to come. Free childcare is available. We'll be cooking in the downstairs kitchen of the Cavendish Baptist Church, 2258 Main Street in Cavendish, VT. For more information, call (802) 226-7131.

5. ACCORDIONIST BRENT BUSWELL CONCERT AUG. 18

All are welcome and invited to attend an amazing musical performance on Sunday August 18 at 10:00am.   Accordionist Brent Buswell will delight people of all ages in a live performance at the Cavendish Baptist Church, located at 2258 Main Street in Cavendish, VT. 

Brent Buswell enjoys playing a wide variety of music, including: jazz, polkas, Scandinavian, marches, Christian, and American standards. He especially enjoys playing the music of great composers such as Pietro Frosini, Charles Magnante, Pietro Deiro, and many others.  He will also be performing some Christmas favorites!  

"Extraordinarily talented accordionist Brent Buswell has played piano since age three, when he performed with his grandfather in Ludlow,Vermont, and at the State House in Montpelier. At age twelve his grandfather gave him his first accordion, and he immediately played what he heard on the Lawrence Welk Show... Brent plays a unique, top-of-the-line Italian accordion... Brent's infectiously joyous playing has already attracted many fans; his future is bright." — Nils O. Lundin, Norwell, MA, June 10, 2000.

Since 1998 Brent has been guest performer with the Grammy-winning "Polka King" Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra. In addition to other television appearances, Brent has been featured on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show. 

For more information, please call (802) 226-7131. There is no charge for admission, but a free-will offering will be received. 

6. EVENTS

Monday night is the monthly Cavendish Select Board Meeting. This coming Wednesday, Aug 14, is the last of the CCCA concerts on the Proctorsville Green for the season. Starting at 6 pm, the concert will feature Rick Redington. This event is sponsored by Black River Produce. Thursday is “Rec Night” at Greven Field.

To learn more about upcoming events in Cavendish and surrounding towns go to:

-  Events listed by month 

- Events listed by day 

To register an event go to  http://www.yourplaceinvermont.com/central-vermont-event-calendar/community/add/

Lyme Disease and the Barberry Plant

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is pretty, there’s no doubt about that: interesting leaf pattern, lovely foliage, and bright red berries.  Who would imagine this plant is a threat to anyone?  Researchers in Connecticut have discovered that tick populations are exponentially higher where barberry is present, linking the plant directly to a spike in cases of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

How does this happen?  Barberry was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as an attractive landscape feature; it’s still sold at nurseries and installed by landscapers at homes and businesses around the country.  Garden clubs plant it in public greenspaces.  However, birds and other animals eat the berries and deposit the seeds in the woods where the plant has grown to form dense thorny thickets.  Some eight feet tall, the thickets are impenetrable fortresses ideal for mice to hide from predators – and mice are the primary host for ticks. Learn more about the link between barberry and Lyme disease. 

Barberry is also one of many problem plants that can crowd out more beneficial trees, shrubs, flowers, and other vegetation, causing a reduction in the biodiversity of an area.

Got barberry?  Don’t despair! 

~ DO dig or use shears or loppers to cut small bushes from the ground, making sure to bag all berries so they do not re-seed.

~DO cut larger bushes and either treat the stump as directed in the article, watching for “suckers” to sprout from the stump over time.

~DO something with the freshly-disturbed soil where you removed the barberry.  You can either push dirt back into the hole and spread fallen leaves over the site, or replant a beneficial native alternative: the evergreen holly commonly known as inkberry or gallberry (Ilex glabra); arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum); highbush cranberry(Viburnum trilobum); witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana); or elderberries (Sambucus spp.).

~ DO request that your local nursery and landscaper eliminate Japanese barberry from their stock.

~ DO scan for barberry, note its location, and let us know – the BRAT will reach out with information and management strategies, helping to make connections with resources.

The Black River Action Team (BRAT) has identified barberry on the walking path at Greven Field, so it's possible that some might be growing in area gardens and fields. 

BRAT’s goal is to work with landowners to stop the spread of plants like barberry; anything we can do together to help leverage resources, share information, and keep people from feeling overwhelmed.  Join the Plant Partnership; find out more ways you can help us help the Black River watershed!

For More Information: BRAT Website  BRAT Director Kelly Stettner at (802) 885-1533 or blackrivercleanup@yahoo.com.

Cavendish Update 8/2/13 News/Events/Finding what you need

Information can also be posted to the Cavendish VT Facebook Page. 

The 8/2/13 Cavendish Update Contains

1. Cavendish Related News

2. How to Find What You Need in Cavendish

3. Cavendish Concert on the Green with Rick Redington

4. Cavendish Library BBQ

5. BRAT’s 14^th Annual River Sweep Sat. Sept. 7

6. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

WheelabratorIncinerator to Close in Sept: In an unexpected announcement Wednesday, Wheelabrator Technologies said it will shut down its waste-to-energy incinerator on Grissom Lane on Sept. 30 for financial reasons. The facility, which has about two dozen employees, had been a lightning rod for controversy for decades, particularly in regards to pollution from emissions produced by burning mountains of garbage. Valley News 

State Announces Health Insurance plan rates for VT HealthConnect: The 100,000 Vermonters who will be insured beginning Jan. 1 by plans sold on the state’s new online health insurance marketplace can now start studying their options and the prices. Mark Larson, commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access, gave final approval Wednesday to 20 medical coverage plans to be sold this fall on Vermont Health Connect by two insurance companies. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care each have 10 approved plans in the online marketplace known as Vermont Health Connect. Enrollment opens Oct. 1 with coverage taking effect Jan. 1 

- To look at the insurance plansand prices
 

- To see an estimateof your possible premium subsidy 

Burlington Free Press 

GMP Offers New Way for Vermonters toHeat Homes:  Green Mountain Power is kicking off a pilot program that will offer customers a new way to heat their homes. GMP will be installing air-source heat pumps into 200 houses and small businesses. The pumps are commonly used in Europe, but are new to the Vermont. The pumps work by compressing cool air from the outside into a hot liquid, and then blowing that heat throughout the house. GMP officials say they expect the pumps to provide customers a net savings of 20-50 percent for all their heating expenses. The pumps run on electricity at a fraction of the cost of heating fuels. Customers can contract to rent the units from GMP for 15 years at $45-$50 a month. And GMP will pay the $2,000 installation fee. WCAX 

GMP Seeks Rate Increase: Green Mountain Power on Thursday asked the Public Service Board to approve a two-year rate increase package that utility officials say will stabilize costs. VPR 

2. FINDING WHAT YOU NEED IN CAVENDISH

In the past several weeks, we’ve received a number of e-mails ranging from what time the weekly concert starts, directions to various places and “did you know anything about....” To make things easier for people to find what they need, consider the following:

• For municipal information, such as transfer station hours, documents, taxes etc., call the Town Office during normal business hours at 802-226-7291 or 7292. The Municipality also has a website. 

• The Cavendish VT blog  offers a variety of resources. The Cavendish Update is archived here. In addition, the side bar includes the following types of information:

-  Community Organizations: Lists all of the organizations in town, as well as those serving Cavendish, that have a website, blog or Facebook page.

-  Under Popular Posts.

• The Cavendish Business Directory, which is updated as information is received.  

• Emergency Preparedness Information 

• Getting What You Need in Cavendish: A resource guide for those affected by chronic and/or life threatening conditions as well as seniors. 

• The Visitor’s Guide to Cavendish 

• The Cavendish VTFacebook page  offers daily information about what is happening in Cavendish. Anyone can read the site. However, if you wish to post information or comment, you must be a Facebook subscriber. The photograph album is always changing to reflect Cavendish history, upcoming and current events, etc. In times of emergency, this is a good place to check as users continually provide updates about what is going on in their area.

•  The Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce runs an on-line events calendar for the region. 

3. CAVENDISH CONCERT: RICK REDINGTON

Note: This week’s concert is Sensible Shoes, 6 pm at the Proctorsville Green, which is sponsored by the Cavendish Snow Fleas and Singleton’s General Store. CTES is the rain location

The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association invites everyone to the Proctorsville Green for the continuing summer music series on Wednesday, August 14^th at 6:00 p.m. to hear the rocking good sounds of Rick Redington.

Whether playing an intimate solo acoustic performance in a coffeehouse setting or rockin’ out with his band “The Luv” in a large concert venue, Rick’s performances have something memorable and meaningful for all to share.  No strangers to the Proctorsville Green, Rick and the band have delighted the local Wednesday evening concert goers several times in the past.

Sponsoring the evening is Black River Produce.

This concert will be the last in this year’s series of seven concerts that are held on consecutive Wednesday nights in July and August.  Come and enjoy a warm summer evening with your neighbors and friends in front of the gazebo on the green.  Relax in the grass on your blanket or favorite lawn chair – have a picnic or just listen to the music.

As always, the concerts are free and open to the public.

4. CAVENDISH LIBRARY BBQ

The summer reading program is wrapping up once again, and with that comes the Annual Summer Barbeque. It will be on TUESDAY August 6 at 6:00 at the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library. Once again Tom Joyce will entertain us with his wonderful magic show. As always, the BBQ is free and open to the public. Come by and have a hot dog on us.

5. BRAT’s 14^th ANNUAL RIVER SWEEP SAT. SEPT. 7

For those not familiar with the Black River Action Team, they serve a very important role in the Cavendish community. Not only are they testing various swimming holes in town-most recently the boat launch at Greven Field, but they have done an incredible job in helping our river and adjacent areas as a result of Irene.

On Saturday, Sept. 7, BRAT will once again hold their Annual RiverSweep. Volunteers of all ages turn out to haul trash and collect junk from the bed and banks of our favorite waterway. Discussions are underway to have one of the locations for this year’s RiverSweep be Greven Field.

On Thursday, Kelly Stettner lead a program on invasive species at Greven Field’s ½ mile walking path. She identified plants that are not native to the area, and explained why “invasives” like Japanese Barberry are so dangerous. They can become so thick they push everything else out. Worst of all, they allow the white footed mouse population to increase, which are significant contributors to the spread of Lyme Disease. FMI: http://blackriveractionteam.org/

6. EVENTS

The Concerts on the Proctorsville Green continue on Wednesday at 6 pm. The August 7 concert will feature Sensible Shoes. Thursday is Rec Night at Greven Field.

To learn more about upcoming events in Cavendish and surrounding towns go to:

-  Events listed by month 

-  Events listed by day  

To register an event go to  http://www.yourplaceinvermont.com/central-vermont-event-calendar/community/add/