Cavendish Update: 2/6/15 Contest/News/Events/Solar

There is lots of snow in the forecast, so Cavendish Connects is introducing something new and entertaining. Combine your love of puzzles and Cavendish by taking the monthly Cavendish Puzzle Challenge, which will appear on the first Friday of the month on the Cavendish Connects blog. 

 Submit your answers by Friday, February 26th at 5 p.m. via e-mail or snail mail.

E-mail: cavendishconnects@gmail.com

Mailing address: Cavendish Connects | PO Box 3 | Cavendish, VT 05142

 The winners will be posted in The Cavendish Update and on the blog, March 6th. With that announcement we will also be posting the March puzzle. One lucky winner's name will be drawn at random and will receive a free entry into the Cavendish Connects "All Things Cavendish" Raffle, which will take place on Saturday, December 5th at the 2nd Annual Abundance Swap. 

 This month's puzzle is a crossword created courtesy of Cavendish resident Kem Phillips.

 You may either print the crossword out, complete it, and mail it or scan it and e-mail it to us. You can also email us your answers numbered (ex. 1, 2, 3, etc.). 

 Download the puzzle and enjoy!

 2/6/15 EDITION OF THE CAVENDISH UPDATE

1. Cavendish Related News

2. Becky & the Murphy Boys Raise the Roof

3. Solar/ Energy Workshop for Ludlow Electric Customers

4. Events

 CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

How Much Energy is the Cavendish Solar Array Producing?: You can monitor the energy being generated by the Cavendish Solar project by going to the Solrenview website. Please note that the dedication of the solar array, planned for Monday, Feb. 9, has been rescheduled to April 20th due to the continuing snow forecast.

Thanks to Our Volunteer Firemen and Women at Least One Homeowner has Lower Insurance: Bill Hallowell posted the following to the Cavendish VT Facebook page. I just heard from my homeowner's insurance company that my rates will decline by 33% because the insurance industry rating assigned to our Volunteer Fire Department has improved dramatically in the last few years. Thank you volunteer firefighters!!!!!!!

 Having issues with TDS?: On Monday night, Feb. 9, representatives from TDS will be attending the Cavendish Selectmen’s monthly meeting to discuss Cavendish’s telecommunication issues. If you are experiencing a problem, you can now try checking Down Detector to see what the problem might be.

Concerned about Measles Outbreak?: With the current news about the measles outbreak in various parts of the country, there is widespread agreement that Vermonters are less likely to be vaccinated than almost anywhere else in the country. Be advised that recent state data  shows that approximately 99% of the students at GMUHS and CTES are vaccinated against measles. In fact, vaccination rates at both schools are in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control standards.

GMP Launches a New App: Green Mountain Power has launched a new mobile app to help customers better track their energy use in real time, monitor outages and manage their account. The convenient app will allow customers to access their accounts and pay their GMP bills from their phones or other mobile devises. The app is free to download and is available for both iOS and android. In addition to the new app, GMP offers many products and services for customers to access technology and save time and money. Our new heat pump and heat pump water heater service is an affordable way for customers to be more comfortable in their homes while using less energy. To learn more about these products and services, call 888-835-4672. Customers can sign up for text service to report outages and get updates by texting REG to 46788 or GMPVT, or sign up online. You can also sign up for paperless e-billing at https://wss.greenmountainpower.com/customers/my-account/login/ Press Release 

Under New FCC Standards, 30% of Vermonters Now Lack Broadband: Last week, the Federal Communications Commission significantly raised the bar on what constitutes high speed broadband. In doing so, it created and even greater challenge to delivering broadband to rural customers, including those in Vermont. The old definition of broadband set a standard of 4 megabits per second (Mbps) download and an upload speed of 1 Mbps, or 4/1. The standard approved last week by the FCC is a significant jump – to speeds of 25 Mbps down and 3 up, or 25/3. Note: Given Cavendish’s telecommunications issues, considerably more than 30% of the community is not served by broadband.  VPR 

2. BECKY & THE MURPHY BOYS RAISE THE ROOF: On Sunday February 15 Becky & the Murphy Boys will light up Gethsemane Church in Proctorsville for the last Raise the Roof concert of the season. A musical family from southern Vermont that is well known on the concert and contra dance circuit, they are a rich musical mix of fiddle, piano, guitar, mandolin, French Canadian style foot percussion and vocals. Becky Tracy and Keith Murphy are dynamic performers of traditional music from Newfoundland, Quebec, Ireland, France and beyond. Between them they have been part of the bands Nightingale, Childsplay, Assembly and Wild Asparagus, and have each recorded their own solo albums. Keith, a native of Newfoundland, is an accomplished composer whose work was recently featured on the Ken Burns documentary about the Roosevelt’s. Becky, who has fiddling in her blood, is classically trained and later studied Irish and French Canadian fiddle styles with some of the masters. She was the featured soloist with the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra in their performance of Evan Chambers' Fiddle Concerto. For their special performance in Proctorsville they will be joined by their 13 year-old son Aiden, a budding fiddler. Gethsemane Church is on Depot St. next to Crows Bakery Cafe. The concert begins at 4:00 p.m. and admission is $10 at the door. Spice up your late winter afternoon with a concert that promises to be a foot tapping, shimmy shakin' good time.

3. SOLAR/ENERGY WORKSHOP FOR LUDLOW ELECTRIC: A solar/energy workshop is being held for Ludlow Electric customers on Feb 27 (Friday), 7 pm at the Ludlow Town Hall. The program will include money and energy saving tactics for your home and/or business.  Learn about rooftop and community solar, solar heating and weatherization techniques.  Also learn about the first Community Solar Project on the Ludlow Electric Grid.  Financing options discussed as well.  Presenters include:  Tesha Buss (The Good Farm Community Solar), Dave Bonta (USA Solar Store/Sundeavor), and Bruce Whitney (NeighborWorks HEAT Squad).  Have questions?  Call Tesha at 802-245-4746 or email teshabuss@gmail.com

 4. EVENTS: On Monday (2/9), the dedication of the Cavendish Solar Array has been rescheduled for April 20th. However, at the monthly Select Board meeting, TDS will be present to talk about telecommunications in Cavendish. Other activities this coming week include: Cavendish Fire District # 2 Annual Meeting (Tuesday); Solar Workshop for Businesses (Wednesday); Heat pump Workshop (Thursday); Family Movie Night at CTES (Friday). Don’t forget to purchase your Mardi Gras tickets for the Feb. 14 bash featuring fine food and the Cajun/Zydeco band Yankee Chank.  For more information about these and other upcoming events, go to: Cavendish Connects Calendar or Okemo Valley Calendar 

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