Cavendish Update 4/22/16 Wi-Fi Calling/Tag Sale/Volunteers

4/22/16 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Improve Cell Coverage with Wi-Fi Calling
3. 6th Annual Town Wide Tag Sale-7/30/16
4. Volunteers Needed
5. Events
 
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
CORRECTION: Last week we reported thatProctorsville resident Jace Provance took the bronze at Nationals for Skiercross. He actually took the gold!!!
 
Thank a firefighter today! For the last three days, Cavendish and Proctorsville Fire Departments have been battling one brush fire after another. Fortunately none have been in Cavendish. Please honor the red flag warnings –no burning-and dispose of cigarettes properly and not thrown from cars. For a report on the most recent fire see the Eagle Times.
 
Congratulations to Lisa Marks on Another Successful Marathon: Proctorsville resident Lisa Marks once again completed the Boston Marathon running as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) team. Since 1990, DFMC has raised more than $74 million, resulting in improved survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients everywhere. The largest charity group in the Boston Marathon, the 2016 DFMC team aims to raise $5.4 million in pursuit of the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.
 
April Showers Bring Construction Season: Various projects taking place late spring and through the summer could impact travel in and around the area, including: Springfield; I-91 Bridge Brattleboro; and other parts of Vermont (Check the VT 511 Online Map for roadwork, closures, obstructions, detours etc.)
 
House Asks Federal Government to Audit VTel Wireless Project: Fifty-one lawmakers are calling on federal regulators to conduct an audit of a $116 million telecommunications project that started in 2010. Five senators and 46 representatives have signed on to sponsor concurrent resolutions in the Senate and House asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine VTel Wireless’s performance in building out wireless broadband infrastructure. The identical resolutions ask the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service to also do a financial audit of the grant and loan that VTel received and to require VTel to finish building three remaining towers on the project. VTel was awarded an $81.7 million grant and a $35.2 million loan in 2010 to run fiber-optic cable to households and major institutions in the Springfield area and build 119 towers and antennas to set up a system of wireless broadband in the state’s most rural areas. VT Digger
 
Flu Season Not Over in VT: Health officials say the flu is unpredictable, and that's definitely been the case this year. Typically by now the flu season is certainly winding down, but we had a late start to the flu season, but it's just one of those years where it started later and it's continuing on. WCAX
 
New Rules Would Lower Rates for Net Metered Power: The Public Service Board is taking public comment on proposed rules that would lower the reimbursement rate utilities pay for net-metered power. The scheme also incentivizes development in preferred locations, and subsidizes projects that keep renewable energy credits in-state. Utilities and state officials say the new rules will tie net-metered power prices closer to the market rate. Net metering customers who sell energy to utilities get reimbursed at a particularly high rate, in order to subsidize development of small-scale (fewer than 500 kilowatts) renewable-energy projects. Currently, net-metered customers get paid 19 cents per kilowatt-hour for whatever they produce in excess of what they use. The wholesale market rate for power purchased by utilities runs as low as 6 cents per kilowatt hour. Utilities say “under ideal circumstances,” power companies could still pay up to 20 cents per kilowatt-hour for some projects. Most net-metering customers, however, would get a significantly reduced rate under the proposed rules. The Public Service Board is taking public comment until May 12. The board will convene public meetings May 4 and 5. VT Digger
 
2. IMPROVE CELL COVERAGE WITH WI-FI CALLING
In continuing to look for solutions to the reduced cell coverage in Cavendish due to the G4 upgrade, check and see if your iPhone or smart phone has Wi-Fi Calling capability.
 
Instead of relying on the cellular phone network, WI-FI calling and texting uses an available Wi-Fi network to place your call over the Internet. This can be very handy when there isn’t a signal or it’s spotty at best-perfect for our rural area. It can also work if you are traveling in other countries. In fact for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile & Sprint there is free international Wi-Fi Calling services via iOS 9.3 update for iPhones.
 
Wi-Fi calling is not new as apps like Skype, Google Hangouts FaceTime, Google Voice, Line,  and WeChat allow users to make voice and video calls and send text messages over the Internet and forgo mobile networks altogether. As this option has become increasingly more beneficial to users, cell carriers have shown increasing interest in adopting Wi-Fi calling themselves. Whether it's because they want to bolster their network coverage or improve user experience, but it’s looking more and more like the next cellular upgrade (G5) will be via the Internet. However, G5 isn’t expected until 2020.
 
Read the full article, which includes how to check your phone for this feature, at The Dish. Note that one resident has already commented about her experience with Wi-Fi Calling, At one point AT&T provided free Microcell units that did a very good job of boosting cell signals. Our unit ceased working but happily it's no longer needed as WiFi Calling provides a great connection.
 
3. 6th ANNUAL TOWN WIDE TAG SALE 7/30/16
While the Cavendish Town Wide Tag Sale is three months away, now is a good time to decide if your community group wants to have vendor space on one of the village greens and/or you would like to be listed under “Places to Shop & Eat.” There are a few changes this year. We will be allowing vendors from other towns on the greens for a fee. This will help to increase shoppers. For more information on the Tag Sale, please go to the link that has been set up for this purpose at The Dish.
 
4. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Cavendish Historical Society (CHS), the town and the 6th graders at Cavendish Town Elementary School on May 3 (Tuesday) will spend the day going to all seven of the town’s cemeteries, to lay flags on Veterans’ graves, clean headstone and help to clean up from the winter storms. Drivers and assistance with food for the kids and volunteers is needed. If you can help out, please contact Margo at margocaulfield@icloud.com (yes it’s a new e-mail address) or 802-226-7807.
 
5. EVENTS
APRIL 22 (Friday): Passover; Earth Day
APRIL 29 (Friday): Murder Mystery Dinner at the Golden Stage Inn, 7 pm. Tickets are $25 and include dinner. Benefits Cavendish Library
 
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.