Cavendish Update 1/9/15: News/Election/Events
/Thank you to all who donated to the Cavendish Connects December fundraiser.
THE 1/9/15 EDITION OF THE CAVENDISH UPDATE
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Petitions for Town Elected Positions Need to be Filed by Jan. 25
3. Cavendish Q and A: What to do with Christmas Trees
4. Adult Reading Program at the Cavendish Library
5. Black River Produce Donate Land to BRGN
6. Events
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish Solar Power is Contributing to the Grid: According to town manager Rich Svec, the town’s solar project was installed and operational by Dec. 31 thereby making it possible for the town to receive maximum incentives. A full report on the solar project will be available shortly.
Cavendish Trees Fund Cavendish Shelter: The Cavendish Fire Department (CFD) is working to strengthen the emergency sheltering capabilities within the town by raising money to purchase an emergency generator for the Cavendish Baptist Church building, which costs approximately $10,000. “Thank You!” to the Cavendish Fire Department and all the individuals who purchased their Christmas tree from the Department. The current balance of the Emergency Shelter Initiative fund is $668 – a good start! To learn more about this initiative and how you can help, go to The Dish.
Area Fires: The Proctorsville Fire Department has recently responded to local fires in Ascutney/Weathersfield (Green Dragon Farm-131 and S. Mountain Rd) and to 83 Main Street in Ludlow (corner of Commonwealth Ave and 103) for an explosion. The latter occurred on Jan 3, around 9:30 pm. There was no fire . The origin of the explosion is from a Bock oil fired water heater. While the exact cause of the explosion is unknown, it is not considered “suspicious.” Vermont State Police Press Release
PVFD Totals 85 Calls for 2014: The Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Department has posted their total number of calls (85), man-hours (1,581) and other information for 2014 available at The Dish. *None of theses stats account for the hundreds of hours our Firefighters train, provide fire safety education at CTES, fund raise, and volunteer extra time to the community such as filling the Greven Field Ice Rink etc. through out the year. This has been the busiest year in our 181 year history. We operate as a true volunteer fire dept. as none of our members collect any kind of pay. Thank you to the volunteers of PVFD for making the difference in our community.
Flu is Now Widespread in Vermont and in Cavendish: The flu is now considered "widespread" in Vermont and several local residents have been diagnosed with Type A flu. If you experience flu symptoms -fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches- see your medical provider as soon as possible for medications that can reduce symptoms and avoid complications. Note that nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can occur but are more common among children than adults. For tips on reducing your risk of flu, go to Don’t Have Time to Be Sick: Flu Prevention
JC Penney at Rutland Mall Closing: J.C. Penney confirmed the store will be closing in early April. The mall's Sears store closed just last month. WCAX
2. PETITIONS FOR TOWN ELECTED POSITIONS: If you are interested in seeking an elected position for the town, you need to complete a petition (available from the Town Clerk) and file it, along with a minimum of 11 signatures of registered Cavendish voters, with the Town Office, by Jan. 26 (Monday), 5 pm. Elected positions, which will be done by Australian Ballot on Tuesday March 3, include:
• Town Moderator 1 year
• School District Moderator 1 year
• Selectman: One 3 year term and 2 positions for 1 year terms
• Town Agent 1 year
• Lister 3 years
• Auditor: Terms for three, two and one year terms
• Library Trustee: 1 year
• Trustee of Public Funds: 1 and 3 year terms
• Town Grand Juror: 1 year
• First Constable: 1 year
• Cemetery Commissioners: 3, 4 and 5 year terms
• Town School Directors: One 3 year term and two 1 year terms
• GMUHS Director: 1 and 3 year terms
3. CAVENDISH Q AND A: What to do with a Christmas Tree.
Q: How/where should I dispose of my Christmas tree? Are there any options other than the transfer station?
A: Real trees are biodegradable, which means that can be easily reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes. Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high content of flammable turpentine oils. Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup and risk a chimney fire. According to Mary O’Brien of the Southern Windsor/Windham Solid Waste Management Christmas trees make excellent habitat for birds and other wildlife if left outside after the holidays. If you have land enough, leave your tree out to decay naturally over time. If you know anyone with goats, talk to them--goats love to eat Christmas trees! More ideas for recycling your Cavendish Christmas Tree.
4. ADULT READING PROGRAM AT THE CAVENDISH LIBRARY: Looking for a way to beat the winter blahs? Reading is a great way to do it. Starting January 12 and running until April, the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library will be running a reading program for adults only. Loosely modeled on the Summer Program for children, the program is designed to encourage reading during those cold dark months of winter. Simply check out a book from the library and your name will be entered into a weekly drawing for a small prize. All of the entries will then be entered into a grand drawing in April for a grand prize.
Each month the library will feature different genres and themes. These will include survival, relationships and crime. The program will culminate with a Dinner and a Murder event, where participants play a role in solving or perpetrating a murder (not a real one, honest!) while enjoying some great food.
This program is free and open to any members of the community 18 and older. For more information, please contact Kata at 226-7503.
5. BLACK RIVER PRODUCE DONATES LAND TO BRGN: The Board of Directors of Black River Good Neighbor Services in Ludlow has announced the receipt of a major gift from Black River Produce of North Springfield. The owners of BRP, Mark Curran and Steve Birge have given the Ludlow based food shelf the land on which BRP first ran their wholesale business in the late 1970’s.
Black River Good Neighbor Services operates a food shelf at 37B Main Street in Ludlow to serve the towns of Ludlow, Cavendish, Mount Holly and Plymouth. They have partnered with Black River Produce for many years to help feed the hungry and this latest gesture of generosity is most appreciated.
“This is quite overwhelming,” said Peter LaBelle, President of the Good Neighbors’ Board. “We are truly grateful for the kindness that Mark and Steve have shown to the people of Ludlow, and especially to our clients.”
Black River Produce began the wholesale distribution of produce from an old barn in the lot off Pleasant Street in the late 1970’s. They moved their operations to Proctorsville in 1989 when they outgrew the barn, and then moved to North Springfield in 2005, but still remember their roots in Ludlow. “We believe in giving back to the community that has been so good to us,” said Steve Birge. “Black River Produce is all about food and we hate the thought that there are people who cannot afford to eat. We just wanted to help Good Neighbors in some way.”
5. EVENTS: Monday, Jan. 12 begins the Adult Reading program at the Cavendish Library as well as the Cavendish Select Board meeting, the agenda of which has been posted to The Dish. Tuesday Jan. 13 is the local beekeepers meeting and Friday Jan 16 is the CTES Bake Sale. For more information on these and other upcoming events, go to: