Cavendish Update 2/13/15 SB Mtg/News/Events
/2/13/15 EDITION OF THE CAVENDISH UPDATE
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting 2/9/15
2. Cavendish related News
3. Ballantine Animal Fund
4. CCCA to Hold Town Meeting Information Forum in Cavendish
5. PAX Searching for Local Host Families
6. Events
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 2/9/15: Select board (SB) meetings are recorded by LPC-TV and are available at their website and on Comcast Television. Written minutes are available at the town’s website.
At Monday night’s meeting, Scott Brooks from TDS was on hand to discuss issues pertaining to ongoing complaints about Internet service and some possible solutions. Town manager Rich Svec informed the board that the Annual Town Report will be ready for distribution at least 10 days before Town Meeting Day. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, there will be an informational forum regarding the upcoming Meeting, hosted by CCCA, at the Cavendish Town Office. It was pointed out by Selectmen Mike Ripley that this forum has been scheduled at the same time as the GMUHS annual meeting, so he and others involved with the school will not be available that night. Svec also informed the board that route 131, which was scheduled for paving from 106 to the intersection of 103, has been postponed until the summer of 2017. The board voted to establish a Ballantine Animal Fund to help with veterinary bills and other costs associated with the care of animals being provided by the Animal Control officer.
A full report on the Select board meeting is available at The Dish.
2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Marks Participates in the Boston Fight for Air Climb: On Saturday, Feb. 7, 2nd Captain Chris Marks of Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept. participated in the Boston Fight for Air Climb. It's an annual benefit for the American Lung Association. Chris climbed 40 floors of stairs in his fire gear and SCBA in just under 10 minutes. Chris was able to raise a few hundred dollars for his efforts to donate to the American Lung Association. Great job Captain Marks, we are very proud of you!!! Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept.
Shell Station in Ludlow Robbed: At approximately 9 p.m. on Saturday night a white male in his late teens or early twenties entered the Shell Gas Station in Ludlow brandishing a small caliber silver semi-automatic handgun and demanded the clerk open the safe. The clerk ran out the back of the store and the subject pursued him to the back room. The subject then returned to the front counter area where he removed a cash drawer and ran out the front door. He was last seen running south on Main Street with an undetermined amount of cash. Vermont Journal
FTC Warns GMP about Renewable Energy Claims: Federal Trade Commission staff cautioned Green Mountain Power to be clear to Vermont consumers about its renewable energy practices in a letter dated Feb. 5. The letter addresses a Petition to Investigate Deceptive Trade Practices by GMP filed in September by the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic at Vermont Law School on behalf of four Vermont citizens and environmental leaders. FTC staff wrote in the letter, “GMP may not have clearly and consistently communicated the fact that it sells renewable energy certificates (RECs) to entities outside Vermont for most of its renewable generating facilities and, as a result, may have created confusion among Vermont electricity customers about the renewable attributes of their electricity.” Press Release
3. BALLANTINE ANIMAL FUND: At Monday's select board meeting, a special fund was established to help with the costs of veterinary bills and other expenses relating to the care of animals that fall under the care of the Cavendish Animal Control Officer. Named in honor of Jim Ballantine, who loved animals and all things Cavendish, contributions can be made to the Ballantine Animal Fund and mailed to the Cavendish Town Office, PO Box 126, Cavendish, VT 05142. The town manager and the Animal Control Officer will administer the fund. FMI: 226-7292
4. CCCA TO HOLD TOWN MEETING INFORMATION FORUM: The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association will hold an informational forum for Cavendish voters on the Tuesday before this year’s town meeting. The forum will be held on Tuesday, February 24th, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Cavendish Town Offices on High Street in Cavendish. The forum will be recorded by LPC-TV and will be broadcast at various times during the week before town meeting. The video will also be available for viewing on www.lpctv.org.
The discussion will address each of the issues on this year’s town meeting ballot, including both the town and the school proposed budgets. Other articles requiring a vote will be discussed, including Article 4 that asks if the voters will approve of taking the town's burial grounds out of the charge of the board of cemetery commissioners and place them under the charge of the selectmen. An affirmative vote on this article will cause the office of the Cavendish cemetery commissioners to terminate. Finally, voters are asked to approve the use of a surplus from 2014 to reduce 2016 taxes. Town and school officials will be present to discuss each issue.
Although there are no contested races on the ballot this year, all candidates are invited to attend and any candidates who are present will be able to make short statements and to answer attendees’ questions. The meeting is open to all Cavendish citizens and residents. For more information, please call Peter LaBelle at 802-376-5648.
5. PAX SEARCHING FOR LOCAL HOST FAMILIES : PAX Community Coordinator Kimberly Eckhardt invites local families to “Share Your America” with a high school exchange student from one of 80 European, South American, Asian, or African countries during the upcoming school year. Sponsored by PAX-Program of Academic Exchange, these students arrive to the U.S. in August, and will be attending school at Green Mountain and Springfield!
PAX students are 15-18 years old, have studied English for at least three years, and are motivated to learn more about the U.S. by attending high school and living with a host family. PAX students are eager to experience American activities—backyard barbecues, birthday celebrations, and holidays—with their host families.
Volunteer host families provide PAX students with a bed, a quiet place to study, a seat at the dining table, a warm and supportive home environment, and encouragement to engage in everyday American life. With their exchange students, host families experience such activities through fresh eyes while also learning about the exchange student’s country and culture. All types of families—single parents, young couples, retirees, and parents with teenagers—are welcome to host.
Founded in 1990, PAX is a non-profit educational organization and one of a select few U.S. Department of State designated Exchange Visitor Program’s chosen to participate in its prestigious U.S. government-sponsored FLEX, YES, and A-SMYLE programs. Each year, more than 1,100 teenagers visit the U.S. as PAX exchange students. For more information, contact Kimberly Eckhardt at 802-824-3792, via email at keckhardt08@gmail.com, or visit www.pax.org.
6. EVENTS: Tonight, Feb. 13 is Family Movie Night at CTES. Saturday is not only Valentine’s Day, but it’s annual Mardi Gras party and fundraiser. As noted above, the coming week is the Annual meeting for GMUHS as well as the town meeting information forum. For more information about these and other upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For events in the area, see the Okemo Valley Calendar.