Cavendish Update: 10/2/15 Telecommunications/SB/News/Events

10//2/15 Cavendish Update Contains
1. Select Board Meeting 10/1/15
2. Cavendish Telecommunications
3. Cavendish Related News
4. Annual Cemetery Tour/Depression and WWII Talk
5. Cavendish Blessing of the Animals
6. Trunk or Treating This Halloween
7. Events
 
1. SELECT BOARD MEETING 10/1/15
At a special select board meeting on Thursday evening, the board approved the purchase of a used Caterpillar 120 motor grader that was previously owned by Burke, VT. This is 2006 model and the cost is $67,500 plus the trade in of the town’s current grader-a 1991 model. Members of the town crew had a chance to try it out and they, along with the Town manager and Assistant Town Manager, who also looked at the grader, encouraged the SB to view this as a good purchase. Funds for the grader will come from the Capital Equipment Fund and it is anticipated that the machinery will serve the town well for the next 5-10 years. A new grader would cost over $300,000.
 
The other item of business was the replacement of the e-waste and universal wastes building at the Transfer Station before “snow flies.” This is actually three buildings strung together and has considerable problems, which the state would like to see replaced. In June the SB voted to have some interim work done, but after talking to contractors it became quickly apparent that it would be “putting a band aid on a band aid.”
 
Assistant town manager, Bruce McEnaney, explained that a replacement building could be moved slightly towards the water treatment plant, thus providing more room for traffic. Using a pre fab 16 X48 pre fab garage from LaValley’s, the cost estimate is $12,300, which does include labor for installation. However, there would be additional costs for wiring and pouring of concrete for both the retaining wall and floor with an overall cost over $20,000.
 
The board requested better pricing and scope of the project at their regular October meeting, which will be on Tuesday Oct. 13.
 
Written minutes of the meeting will be made available at the town’s website.  
 
2. CAVENDISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS
The Cavendish Telecommunications Committee (Margo Caulfield and Katie Hamlin from Cavendish Connects; Rich Svec and Bruce McEnaney from the Town Office; and Ignat Solzhenitsyn, resident) recently met with Comcast and the State’s Public Service Department’s Division of Telecommunications & Connectivity. Key items discussed at these meetings included:
 
Cell Service: The degradation of cell service that has been taking place in Cavendish over the last several months has been brought to the state’s attention. They are in the process of talking to AT&T, Verizon and US Cellular engineers. One possible reason for the change is due to the upgrade to 4G, which may actually have reduced service to our area. If that is the case, the only real solution is for companies to add towers. Note that state has minimal control over what cell carriers can do, and a large part of when and where they will build towers is driven by profit margins.
 
Internet: There are approximately 20 miles of Cavendish, primarily the northern part of the town, that are not adequately covered to meet current acceptable speeds 4/1 Mbgs. Further, the “VTel fix” has not been what is was expected to be and their grant ended on Sept. 30, which means it’s unlikely additional towers will be erected any time soon. Consequently, there are still areas of Cavendish with no DSL service. It appears that certain census tracts within Cavendish now meet the state’s definition for an “underserved” area. Such designation would make the town eligible for state funding.
 
The 2024 goal for Internet speeds in Vermont is 100/100 Mbgs. Given the carriers currently operating in our town-TDS, Comcast, VTel, Fair Point (Reading exchanges) and cell providers-the most likely provider to meet the town’s current and growing needs is Comcast. They not only have the fastest service available but it is the most upgradeable and by 2017, the company plans to have upgraded their entire footprint to 1 GB.
 
Please note that broadband services (DSL, cable modem, dial up Internet, wireless, satellite etc) are deregulated which means the State cannot compel any company to offer broadband services, nor can they regulate how these services are offered or what companies charge for them.
 
Survey: In order to provide the State with sufficient data to help the town qualify for Connectivity funding, Cavendish Connects will be conducting another on-line survey, where it will be important that respondents conduct speed tests. More information on this will be forthcoming in the next few days.
 
3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish Emergency Preparedness: It is unclear if Hurricane Joaquin will present a problem for our area. If you haven’t done so in a while, familiarize yourself with Cavendish Emergency Preparedness information. For up to date information on the hurricane, go to the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center . You can also register with the state’s VT Alert Program, which e-maisl regarding emergencies. 
 
Windsor & Windham County Residents Falling Behind Economically: Local survey data paired with new census reports say many Windham and Windsor county residents, like many Americans, are falling behind economically. SEVCA (Southeastern Vermont Community Action) has seen a large percentage of local workers’ incomes go down or remain the same over many years. From 1979 until 2013, U.S. per capita gross domestic product grew 73 percent while labor productivity rose 62 percent. But the bottom 90 percent of wage earners saw their total annual pay rise by only 15 percent. Those gains, were largely the result of households putting in more hours at work. They were not being paid more per hour. The “working poor” are keeping two to three jobs but cannot keep pace with the cost of living. VT Digger
 
4. ANNUAL CEMETERY TOUR/DEPRESSION & WWII TALK
The Sunday of Columbus weekend, this year Oct. 11, is always the Cavendish Historical Society’s (CHS) Annual Cemetery Tour. This year CHS  will be doing something slightly different.
 
Starting in February, CHS has serialized Coming Into Cavendish: Memoirs of Philip Tiemann on their blog. Tiemann was born in New Jersey in 1900. He moved to Brook Road in Cavendish, VT from Chatham, New Jersey with his wife Isabel (Carr), and three children Wyeth, Ann and Joyce in 1933. Naming the property Windy Hill, Tiemann wrote of the family’s early years in Cavendish during the Depression through his service in WWII. The memoir was written in 1966, after his wife had died (1958) and just a few years before his own death in 1969. 
 
This year the cemetery tour will be to the Cavendish Center Rd cemetery where the Tiemanns are buried. Prior to the tour, there will be a talk at the CHS Museum about life in Cavendish during the Depression and WWII eras.
 
This program begins at 2 pm at the Museum on Sunday, Oct. 11, and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margoc@tds.net.
 
5.CAVENDISH BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
On Sunday October 4 the Gethsemane Episcopal Church in Proctorsville will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals to honor of the love and compassion that St. Francis felt toward all creatures on this earth.  Pastor Todd McKee will personally bless each animal brought to the event, be they furry, finned or feathered.  It will be a time to celebrate the bond between humans and animals as well as the value that pets bring into our lives.  The event will be held at 1:30 at Gethsemane Church on Depot St., rain or shine.   Dogs should be leashed, cats in carriers and fish in their bowls. 
 
6. TRUNK OR TREATING THIS HALLOWEEN
A safe and fun way to celebrate Halloween in Cavendish for both kids and adults!  Adults can be Trunk-or-Treaters! Bring your car, decorate the trunk with a theme and hand out candy Kids can be Trick-or-Treaters!  Come in costume, collect candy and vote for the best decorated trunk.
 
Trunk or treating will take place at the Cavendish Town Elementary School Parking lot. Set up is at 4:30 pm on Halloween (Saturday) with Trick-or-Treating and voting from 5:00 to 7:00pm
 
Guidelines for Trunk-or-Treaters: No scary decorations please. Be as creative as you'd like – pick a theme from books, movies, games, hobbies, sports, history, or a friendly Halloween theme. There are lots of ideas online to start your brainstorming. You can even wear a costume to go with your theme! Bring enough treats for approximately 100 kids. FMI: Amanda 226-8113
 
7. EVENTS
Upcoming events for Cavendish include:
• Oct. 3 (Saturday): Annual Blessing of the Animals at Gethsemane Church in Proctorsville. 
• Oct. 8 (Thursday): Compost workshop at the Cavendish Town Office.  
 
For more information on these and other events, go to the Cavendish Connects October Calendar. For regional events, check out the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce Calendar.