Cavendish Update 1/23/15 News/Solar/Warnings
/The Cavendish Connects Pinterest site has recently added two new boards-Digital Cavendish and Starting a Home Business in Cavendish.
THE 1/23/15 EDITION OF THE CAVENDISH UPDATE
1. Cavendish Related News
2. CTES School Board Member Needed
3. Annual School Meeting Warnings -CTES and GMUHS
4. Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting of Solar Array
5. Community Luncheon-Note date change
6. Events
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish Accident: On 1-17-15 at 11:23 PM the Vermont State Police received multiple reports of a motor vehicle accident on Route 103 in Cavendish. While en route Troopers were advised that the male operator of one of the vehicles, James Pollner Age 18 of Fairfield Ct was running around the scene naked. Investigation found that Pollner was driving a 2009 GMC Yukon at a high rate of speed southbound on Route 103. His vehicle slammed into the rear of Thomas Gill's, 21 of Cavendish, vehicle, a 2004 Chrysler Sebring. Gill told Police that he was driving at fifty miles per hour. The extensive damage that Gill's car sustained shows that Pollner was travelling at a very high speed. Pollner admitted to Troopers that he had consumed LSD and marijuana prior to the accident. He was transported to the Springfield Hospital for evaluation. Pollner was issued a citation to appear in Windsor County Superior Court Criminal Division to answer to the charge of Driving under the influence. Pollner offered no explanation as to why he was naked. There were no serious injuries. Ludlow Police, Proctorsville Fire and Ludlow Rescue assisted at the scene. VT State Police Press Release
Problems with TDS E-mail: As more TDS Internet subscribers are having their e-mail moved from Google to the new TDS platform, various problems have been occurring. There have been periods, up to 12 hours, where users have not had access to their e-mail. Select Board member Wendy Regier has recommended that those who are having difficulties with TDS services attend the February 9 Select Board meeting when TDS representatives will be attendance.
PVFD Receives Hydraulic Rescue Tools: Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept. (PVFD) now has a second set of Hydraulic Rescue Tools (Jaws of Life). For the last 18years they have operated on crash scenes with only one set of tools limiting capabilities. Thanks to Chief Ed Pospisil of Cornish NH and his connection to surplus fire equipment, we have added a set of Hurst (Jaws of Life) Hydraulic Rescue Tools to our arsenal, consisting of 1 cutter, 1 spreader, 1 combi tool (cutter & spreader), and 1 ram. All of the tools are different sizes than the tools we already had. This greatly increases our ability to provide faster and more challenging extrications. Thank you Chief Pospisil, We are very appreciative, and those we serve will benefit greatly.
VELCO Highlights Potential and Challenge of Statewide Fiber Optic Broadband: VELCO, which reaches nearly 70% of VT towns including Cavendish, has more than 1,300 miles of fiber that could be used to get high speed broadband to Vermonters. VPR
Local Network Responds to Obama’s Community Broadband Proposals: The White House says more than 30 percent of Vermonters did not have access to high download speeds in 2013 – that’s one of the highest percentages of any state in the nation. The president says one way to close that so-called “digital divide” is through community broadband. Irv Thomae chairs ECFiber, a community broadband network operating in central Vermont, and he spoke to VPR about the president’s proposals on how to improve access here. VPR
Should VT Collect More Money From Ski Resorts?: A new report from Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer questions whether the state should be collecting more money from the seven VT ski resorts on public land, one of which is Okemo The leases date back to the birth of the ski industry more than 70 years ago. The report says the partnership has been successful, but suggests it's time to re-examine the terms of the leases to see if taxpayers are getting their money's worth and if the state is giving these resorts an advantage over others. Download the full report.
2. CTES SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER NEEDED : School Board Member Needed. - Brenda Gregory, a current School Board member, is not able to continue in that capacity beyond her term that expires on March 3. We are therefore looking for someone to run for the position. If you are interested, please feel free to contact George O. Thomson, Principal and/or pick up a petition to run as a School Board member from the Town Office. The petition needs to have a minimum of 12 signatures of registered town voters so that it can be accepted and your name can be put on the ballot for town voting on March 3. Unfortunately, there is urgency to this as completed petitions need to be turned into the town office by Monday, January 26 by 5 pm.
There are a number of petitions for various elected positions (e.g. Select Board) that are still in need of signatures by registered Cavendish voters. You have until Monday at 5 pm to sign these petitions, which are at the town office.
3. ANNUAL SCHOOL MEETING WARNINGS : The January 21 Vermont Journal contains legal notices of warnings for the following:
• Cavendish Town Elementary School District: Informational meeting on Monday, March 2 at 7 pm. Voting on the budget and electing a school moderator will take place by Australian ballot the following day, March 3, from 10-7 at CTES.
• GMUHS: Warning of Annual Meeting on Feb. 24, 7 pm at the school to enact articles pertaining to elected positions (moderator, clerk, treasurer, budget committee member); fix salaries of school board directors and other business. Voting on the GMUHS budget will take place on March 3 by Australian ballot, from 10-7 at CTES.
4. GRAND OPENING OF SOLAR ARRAY: The Town of Cavendish has discussed “Going Solar” for several years and has finally reached the turning point. After much planning and discussion, and after much very hard work, the town-owned solar array has gone on-line and is now feeding electric power into the grid to support Cavendish municipal buildings and facilities.
To celebrate this watershed event, the town will hold a Grand Opening Celebration and ribbon cutting at the new Cavendish Municipal Solar Array on Monday, February 9, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. All citizens and residents of Cavendish are invited to attend. The ceremonies will begin at the Solar Array site, which is located off Power Plant Road next to the wastewater treatment plant. After the ribbon cutting and remarks by the assembled dignitaries there will be a reception with light refreshments at the Cavendish Town Offices, 37 High Street in Cavendish.
The solar array is designed to produce 148 kW of ac solar power as a net-metered system. The array feeds all electricity that it generates into the electric grid, and Green Mountain Power offsets that generated electricity against the electricity used by the Town offices, the transfer station, the water filtration plant and the wastewater treatment systems.
For more information about the celebration or about the Cavendish solar array, please contact the Cavendish town office at 802-226-7291. For planning purposes the town requests that if you plan to attend please rsvp to Cavendishsolar@CavendishVT.org.
5. COMMUNITY LUNCHEON-NOTE DATE CHANGE : Tuesday, February 3, Gethsemane Church will host a community lunch beginning at noon. Note this is a change to Tuesday from the last lunch, which was on Wednesday. We made the change so as not to conflict with luncheons in other towns. The menu will include lasagna, salad, and dessert. There will also be a gluten-free main course. A suggested donation is $3.
6. EVENTS: For upcoming events, go to