Cavendish VT Blog

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

The Dish and Cavendish Connects Now On-line

Over the next few months, the Cavendish VT blog is being phased out and "The Dish," which is part of the new Cavendish Connects website, will now contain the Cavendish Update and other articles originally posted here.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Cavendish Update 8/1/14 News/Events

The 8/1/14 Cavendish Update Contains:

1. Cavendish related news

2. Proctorsville Concerts Continue with Voodoo Alien Blues Band

3. The Vermont Movie Part 5: Ceres’ Children

4. New Floor at the Cavendish Library

5. TRSU and Cavendish Department of Recreation open new summer camp

6. Cavendish Energy Committee to Hold Solar Forum

7. BRGN Initiates Back to School Support

8. Events

9. Support Cavendish Connects

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Flash Flooding: On Monday, July 28, Cavendish and the surrounding areas were hit with a very intense storm. While Proctorsville Fire Department responded to a Cavendish residence that was struck by lighting, other than an electrical component, there was no damage to the home. Chester was hit by flash flooding causing road closures and damage to homes. PFD provided mutual aid to Chester, checking on residents in the flooded areas.

Market Basket Open But Little Food: Workers at Claremont’s Market Basket don’t have to worry about returning to their jobs on Monday, they never stopped working. Paul Ritz Grocery Manager for the store says they rally during their time off. Ritz estimated that there are about 40 employees outside rallying for the return of Arthur T including a customer and says they have received an outpouring of customer support.. “We truly believe Arthur T. Demoulas will get control of the company,” said Martin. Claremont’s Market Basket employees have been protesting the firing of Arthur T. Demoulas for weeks, along with most of the company’s 25,000 other employees at the 71 stores in three states.

VT Yankee Emergency Planning Changes Detailed: The last day of operation of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant will be Dec. 29, 2014. Cavendish has been approached by the Red Cross about providing shelter in the event an accident occurs during the decommissioning phase. Brattleboro Reformer

2. PROCTORSVILLE CONCERTS CONTINUE: VOODOO ALIENS

The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) invites the Cavendish community and all of its neighbors to the Proctorsville Green on Route 131 for the next to last concert of this year’s Cavendish summer music series on Wednesday, August 13^th at 6:00 p.m. to listen to the Voodoo Alien Blues Band. This concert is sponsored by the Cavendish Recreation Department. The Rutland based all star rhythm and blues band is led by local blues legend Steve Audsley and appears regularly at a variety of Vermont venues. As always, the concerts are free and open to everyone. FMI: Robin at 226-7736 or Summer Concert Series

3. THE VERMONT MOVIE PART 5: CERES’ CHILDREN

The Cavendish Historical Society will show part five of the Vermont Movie: Ceres’ Children on Sunday, August10 at 2 pm. Part Five takes a deeper look at some of Vermont’s cherished traditions: participatory democracy and the conservation ethic, from the ideas of George Perkins Marsh, one of America’s first environmentalists, to contemporary volunteer groups and activist movements. The film captures 21st century debates over natural resources, then circles back in time to show how these concerns originate in the ethics of farmers, who depended on the natural world for their survival. The disappearance of dairy farms has raised a tough question: how big is too big? How can Vermont survive in a world economy? Can Vermont be a model for small, local and self-sufficient farming? FMI: 226-7807 or margoc@tds.net

4. NEW FLOOR AT THE CAVENDISH LIBRARY

The Cavendish Fletcher Community Library will be closed the week of August 18 in order to replace the carpeting to a commercial grade flooring, which looks like wood. The remodeling should be finished by Tuesday, August 26. We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause. You will still be able to access free WiFi outside of the building.

5. SUMMER CAMP AT CTES

The Two Rivers Supervisory Union and the Cavendish Recreation Department are excited to announce the opening of the Cavendish After School and Summer Rec Program. Beginning August 11th, Cavendish parents will have the ability to send their son or daughter to camp right in town. Sponsored by an after school grant from Afterschool Inc, the CDD, and the newly formed recreation department of Cavendish, camp will operate from 8:30-4:00 pm until August 22nd.

Camp will follow a high energy schedule that includes academic enrichment, recreation, team sports, hiking, local field trips, and snack. Open to students going into 1st-7th grade, this is the first summer program held at CTES in recent history. We hope to meet the needs of working families by providing a quality program where kids are bound to have lots of fun and meet friends. Residents of Cavendish will pay a weekly fee of $70, while outside residents can attend camp for $85. As a licensed child care program we accept child care subsidy from the state of Vermont, all qualifying families can then attend camp for free. We also have daily and drop in fees.

Registration is limited to the first 30 campers enrolled. Enrollment forms maybe picked and dropped off at the Cavendish town hall, the Ludlow Recreation Department, or by emailing camp Director Zoe Lirakis at zoe.lirakis@trsu.org. Camp registration will end on August 6th.

FMI: Camp Director Zoe Lirakis at (802)356-4339, or the Cavendish Recreation Director Terry O'Brien (802)738-3215.

6. CAVENDISH ENERGY COMMITTEE TO HOLD SOLAR FORUM

The Cavendish Town Energy Committee has proposed to the Cavendish Select Board that the town establish a solar facility to generate the electricity used by several town departments, and the Select Board has voted to ask the town if they will approve a bond issue to pay for the solar facility. The Energy Committee will hold a public forum to discuss the plan on Tuesday, August 12^th at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Cavendish Town Office meeting room.

The vote will occur on August 26^th when Vermont voters hold primary elections. Particulars of the plan were discussed at a recent Select Board meeting, and a special town meeting will be held on August 25^th to further inform voters on the plan details. However, many citizens have been asking questions, so the committee has decided to hold a less formal forum in addition to the town meeting to answer those questions.

The solar facility would consist of 624 solar panels on an unused parcel of land that is invisible to residents. It will pay for itself with the electrical power it produces and will not be the cause for a tax increase. It will provide cost containment for the town’s energy bills far into the future. For more information on the time and place of the forum, please call the Cavendish Town Office at (802) 226-7291.

7. BRGN INITIATES BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPORT

Black River Good Neighbor Services is initiating a new program to support school children and is requesting donations for back to school needs. Audrey Bridge, Executive Director, said: “Over the years we have noticed that back to school time places a huge financial burden on our clients with children. Back to school supply purchases further stress already tight monthly budgets. When there are several children in a family, equipping them can seem impossible to families in need.”

Specific back to school needs vary with grade level and the school attended. Probably the costliest general requirement is a backpack. Families seeking back to school support can submit an application to BRGNS at 37B Main Street starting immediately. Then, when the schools make known the requirements for each child, families can share those requirements with the staff at BRGNS. BRGNS assists families in Ludlow, Cavendish, Mount Holly and Plymouth.

For a list of items to donate or for an application, please visit our website, or drop into our store at 37B Main Street, Ludlow. For further information, please call (802) 228-3663.

8. EVENTS

The following Cavendish related events are taking place in the coming week:

AUGUST 1 (FRIDAY): Ludlow Farmer’s Market featuring a number of Cavendish vendors, 4-7 pm on the front lawn of Okemo Mountain School, 53 Main Street in Ludlow.

AUGUST 3 (SUNDAY): Cavendish Historical Society Museum Open 2-4 pm.

AUGUST 4 (MONDAY): Yoga with Lydia Ouvaroff: 5 pm at Gethsemane Episcopal Parish Hall off Depot Street in Proctorsville. Cost is a donation. FMI: 802-299-9515 (cell) or 228-3261.

AUGUST 5 (TUESDAY): Bone Builders Bone Builders meeting at the Cavendish Baptist Church each Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 11:30 am. Weighs are used to help build muscle and stave off osteoporosis for both men and women. Exercises also focus on balance. Call Charlotte Snyder at 226-7343 or Dot Ramsdell at 226-7870 or RSVP office at 885-2083. RSVP is the sponsor of this activity.

• MakeYour Own Grassy Head Friend: Fletcher Memorial Library 10:30-11:30.

AUGUST 6 (WEDNESDAY): 1^ST Proctorsville Concert, Yankee Chank sponsored by Black River Produce. FMI: Robin at 226-7736 or Vermont Summer Concert Series.

AUGUST 7 (THURSDAY): Bone Builders Bone Builders meeting at the Cavendish Baptist Church each Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 11:30 am. Weighs are used to help build muscle and stave off osteoporosis for both men and women. Exercises also focus on balance. Call Charlotte Snyder at 226-7343 or Dot Ramsdell at 226-7870 or RSVP office at 885-2083. RSVP is the sponsor of this activity.

AUGUST 8 (FRIDAY): LudlowFarmer’s Market featuring a number of Cavendish vendors, 4-7 pm on the front lawn of Okemo Mountain School, 53 Main Street in Ludlow.

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

9. YES! I WANT TO BECOME A FRIEND OF CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Please complete the form below and send a check, payable to Cavendish Connects and mail to Margo Caulfield, PO Box 3, Cavendish, VT 05142.

Name: ________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________

Phone #: ____________________________ E-Mail: _________________

Enclosed is my contribution of

__ $200 __ $100 __ $50 __ $25 __ Other

__ I wish my contribution to remain anonymous.

This will be a ___ One time donation; ____ Monthly Recurring Donation; ____ Yearly Recurring Donation.

I want to make this gift in honor or memory of : Name__________________________

Address: _________________________________

E-mail: _____________________________________

Friday, July 25, 2014

Cavendish Update 7/25/14 News/Tag Sale/Events

The Cavendish Connects website now includes much of what was included on this blog as well as a calendar of Cavendish events. The new blog, “The Dish,” includes the Cavendish Update as well as on-going information.

Welcome Riders! This weekend is the HOG (Harley OwnersGroup) rally. Please watch out for bikers who will be in and around our town today and tomorrow.

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

The 7/25/14 Cavendish Update Contains:

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Town Wide Tag Sale is Tomorrow

3. Proctorsville Green Concert Series

4. Cavendish WWII Talks Now On-line

5. Save the Date:15th Annual RiverSweep and Junk Jam

6. Events

7. Support Cavendish Connects

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Whitesville Bridge Dedication: On Thursday, July 24, the Whiteville Bridge on Route 131 was officially opened. Rich Svec, on behalf of the town of Cavendish dedicated the opening of the bridge, which was damaged during Irene, to the Vermont National Guard and in memory of Sgt. Shawn Stocker, of the Air National Guard, who died while on duty during recovery efforts. This bridge replacement is the last major repair project from Irene. While seldom talked about, this is a good time to note and thank Rich Svec and the various town staff for their countless hours working with FEMA, doing road repair etc. After the 1973 flood, the town had to float a 30-year bond to help with recovery. The damage from the 2011 flood was considerably more-estimates are over $4 million. Thanks to Svec and his team, who were willing to spend countless hours on paperwork, a majority of the repairs were paid for by FEMA and the State. While Cavendish had to borrow money, it has been repaid and we have no debt. With only a few projects remaining, it is anticipated these will be completed by Sept. 2015 when FEMA funding ends. Read more about the dedication at the Cavendish VT Blog.

Market Basket in Claremont Caught up in Family Feud: The turmoil hitting the Market Basket chain has reached Claremont, as the Washington Street grocery store location reports it is running low on stock. According to one shopper on Thursday, “All of the essentials are gone, just about.” The store is low on dairy, out of seafood, nearly out of meat, and offered little else besides bananas and the odd melon in the produce section. What started as a Demoulas family feud turned into a full-blown employee revolt when Arthur T. Demoulas was fired last month as president of the grocery store chain by a board of directors led by his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas.

Vermont one of the Best States to Raise Children: The 25^th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book, lists Massachusetts, Vermont and Iowa as the highest ranked states, while Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico were among the lowest. VT ranks number 2 in the country for best places to raise children based on 4 indicators: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.

2. TOWN WIDE TAG SALE IS TOMORROW

The 4^th Annual Cavendish Town Wide Tag Sale gets underway tomorrow, July 26, at 9 am. For those setting up on one of the greens, be sure to bring your own table, chairs and canopy. Please remove trash and anything that doesn’t sell at the end of the day.

In addition to the on-line list of vendors, maps will be available at three locations-Cavendish Baptist Church, Cavendish Historical Society and the Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept. (PVFD) booth on the Proctorsville Green. This year, there will be a benefit car wash-$5- for the Help Jenny Heal Fund-at the Cavendish Fire Department and the Cavendish Library will have a book and movie sale. There are also a group of students who will be on the Cavendish Green raising money for the renovation of the playground on that Green. A number of non-profit groups serving our area will be on the Proctorsville Green and food is available at the Cavendish Baptist Church while the PVFD will be hosting a BBQ on the Proctorsville Green.

Where provided, the on-line information lists various items the vendors are selling. The web site will be continually updated until about 7 am on the 26^th.

It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day tomorrow, so get out there and sell and/or shop!

3. PROCTORSVILLE GREEN CONCERT SERIES

Sometimes the weather just does not cooperate. On Wednesday, July 23^rd, faced with high winds, lightning and downpours, the Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) called off the outdoor concert featuring Sensible Shoes. Rescheduling will extend the concert season as Sensible Shoes will perform on Wednesday, August 20^th . The concert will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be sponsored by the Golden Stage Inn and by Old Cavendish Products.

On August 6^th at 6:00 p.m. Yankee Chank will appear at the Green in Proctorsville. Black River Produce will sponsor this concert. Yankee Chank is a Vermont group that performs traditional Cajun music from the heart of southwest Louisiana.

Why does a Vermont band play Cajun music? Primarily because the French-speaking people of eastern Canada, our immediate neighbor to the north, was the inspiration for the southern Cajuns. Yankee Chank has been performing both Cajun and Zydeco music around Vermont and beyond, using fiddle, accordion, guitar and bass since 1996. The band’s performances offer a distinctive immersion into this unique regional music.

In the event of rain on Aug. 6, there will be a Cajun dance party, complete with instructions, at 6 pm at the Cavendish Town Elementary School. With any luck, there might even be some gumbo.

All concerts are free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome. FMI: Robin at 226-7736 or Vermont Summer Concert Series.

4. CAVENDISH WWII TALKS NOW ON LINE

In June, three of Cavendish’s WWII veterans-Carmine Guica, Jim Hasson, and Seymour Leven spoke to the sixth graders about their experiences during WWII. All three served in the Pacific theater in different branches of the military -Leven was a tail gunner on a B-29; Guica was an Army cook, spending almost a year sleeping in a foxhole in places like Okinawa, and Hasson was a Seabee, entering military service at 17. ’You can watch Leven and Hasson on UTube.

5. SAVE THE DATE: 15^TH ANNUAL RIVERSWEEP & JUNK JAM

The Black River Action Team (BRAT) invites volunteers of all ages to lend their time and elbow-grease to the 15th Annual RiverSweep! Held on the Saturday after Labor Day Weekend (this year on September 6th), RiverSweep is a trash-gathering extravaganza aimed at the bed and banks of the Black River in Windsor County, Vermont.

Stop in at one of two headquarters after 8AM on September 6th: in Springfield at the Citizens Bank drive-up by the footbridge in the Shopping Plaza on the Chester Road, or in Ludlow at the gazebo on the town green in Veterans Park by the Fletcher Memorial Library. Sign in, pick up a little light refreshment, work-gloves and garbage bags. Pick a place to look for trash, and set off. Bring back your "haul" by 11AM so BRAT can take inventory and photos; clean up and enjoy some lunch donated by area business-folks.

In recognition of this being the 15th RiverSweep, pick a piece of trash to "play" in the first-ever "Junk Jam" -- a spontaneous music-making event in the spirit of The Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay. Cleaning up is important, but it can also be creative and fun to repurpose our junk!

RiverSweep and Junk Jam will wrap up by noon. Please contact BRAT Director Kelly Stettner for more details or with any questions: blackrivercleanup@yahoo.com or (802) 885-1533.

Donations are gratefully accepted sent either directly to BRAT (101 Perley Gordon Rd, Springfield VT 05156) or to BRAT's fiscal agent, Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District (made out to ONRCD with a note of "BRAT" on the check, mailed to ONRCD, 28 Farmvu Dr, WRJ VT 05001).

6. EVENTS

The following Cavendish related events are taking place in the coming week:

JULY 25 (FRIDAY: Ludlow Farmer’s Market featuring a number of Cavendish vendors, 4-7 pm on the front lawn of Okemo Mountain School, 53 Main Street in Ludlow.

JULY 26 (SATURDAY): CAVENDISH TOWN WIDE TAG SALE 9-3

JULY 27 (SUNDAY): The Cavendish Historical Society Museum is open from 2-4 pm.

JULY 28 (MONDAY): Yoga with Lydia Ouvaroff: 5 pm at Gethsemane Episcopal Parish Hall off Depot Street in Proctorsville. Cost is a donation. FMI: 802-299-9515 (cell) or 228-3261.

• Summer Story Hour at Fletcher Memorial Library: 12:30 -1:15

JULY 29 (TUESDAY): Bone Builders Bone Builders meeting at the Cavendish Baptist Church each Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 11:30 am. Weighs are used to help build muscle and stave off osteoporosis for both men and women. Exercises also focus on balance. Call Charlotte Snyder at 226-7343 or Dot Ramsdell at 226-7870 or RSVP office at 885-2083. RSVP is the sponsor of this activity.

JULY 30 (WEDNESDAY): Proctorsville Concert, Chris Kleeman 6 pm. FMI: Robin at 226-7736 or Vermont Summer Concert Series

• Free Community BBQ at the Cavendish Library: 6 pm, 50/50 Raffle. Magic Show by Tom Joyce.

JULY 31 (THURSDAY): Bone Builders Bone Builders meeting at the Cavendish Baptist Church each Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 11:30 am. Weighs are used to help build muscle and stave off osteoporosis for both men and women. Exercises also focus on balance. Call Charlotte Snyder at 226-7343 or Dot Ramsdell at 226-7870 or RSVP office at 885-2083. RSVP is the sponsor of this activity.

• Annual Tie Dye Day at the Cavendish Library: Bring a T-shirt, pillowcase or even socks and make them bright and beautiful.

AUGUST 1 (FRIDAY): LudlowFarmer’s Market featuring a number of Cavendish vendors, 4-7 pm on the front lawn of Okemo Mountain School, 53 Main Street in Ludlow.