Cavendish Update 2/17/17: Fires/News/Updates
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2/10717 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Fires
2. Cavendish Related News
3. Jazz, Blues & Soul Raise the Roof Concert
4. Events
1. CAVENDISH FIRES: On February 15, two fires struck Cavendish. Please note there isn’t an arsonist at work, rather both fires were electrical in nature and were not deemed suspicious.
At 2 am on Feb. 15, fire broke out at the Pollard’s home on Main Street in Proctorsville, next to Singleton’s. Thanks to the incredible response from Proctorsville and Cavendish Fire Departments, assisted by 8 other towns, their home, that’s been in the family since the 1800s, was saved along with pets and family. Unfortunately, the barn was lost and there is significant damage to the house. The fire started in the attic of a breezeway that connected the house to the barn. Because the family does not have insurance, the community is mounting a response to help them as follows:
• Join the Lotsa Helping Hands website that has been set up to help address various needs, such as participating on a work crew, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, providing meal etc.
• Contribute to a Go Fund Me site that has been set up in their name.
• Donate money directly to Pollard LaValley’s account set up in their name. You can do this by credit card and phone (802-228-4665). Ask for Becky.
The second fire occurred just as the fire fighters were sitting down to dinner, around 6:15 pm. This time it was the Town Garage. The town’s oldest truck had an electrical fire in the cab, which spread to the building. While this truck is no longer operational, the other trucks are being used. There is considerable fire, smoke and water damage to the building and a full assessment will not be available until after the insurance adjustors have completed their inspection. Please note that all valuables from the Town Garage have been removed to a secure location.
Our fire fighters have been working incredibly hard this week as not only did they respond to these two fires, there have been medical emergencies as well as alarms going off as well. Keep our fire fighters home or out on the slopes enjoying the fresh powder by doing the following:
• Keep doors closed, particular bedrooms doors as it can keep the fire out. Check out the door in the Pollard House that played an important role in keeping the fire contained until the fire fighters could get things under control.
• If you live near a fire hydrant, please keep it clear by removing any snow and ice; clear a 3-foot perimeter around the hydrant for easy access and clear a path from hydrant to street.
• Check all outside vents and make sure they are clear of snow. Keeping the vents clear so they can function properly is important at any time, but easily over looked when we have mounds of snow as we do this winter.
As difficult as this situation has been, the response from so many has made all the difference. Our fire fighters have done an incredible job under very difficult conditions. Jill Flinn and the staff at Jill’s Place have made their jobs a little easier by providing food-they started cooking at 5 am for the first fire and just as they were about to close up shop, they turned around and stayed open, providing more food and drinks for the “night shift.” Jill was even on traffic detail. When it was suggested she might want to head home, her reply was, “after I make sure my town is okay.” Special thanks to the Golden Stage Inn for housing the Pollard family and to so many who have contributed in helping this family recover from such a devastating loss. What an incredible community we are part of.
Please support the Proctorsville Fire Department firefighters as they take on the Chester Fire Department in two hockey games on Sunday, Feb. 19th. Game 1 is at 10 am at the Chester Ice Rink on Lovers Lane in Chester. Game #2 is at Geven Field Ice Rink in Proctorsville on RTE 103 projected to start around 4 pm. There will be burgers and hotdogs, drinks and baked goods for sale at both rinks. There is no charge to come and enjoy the game and the great community atmosphere. All proceeds from each game will be split between the two fire depts. The hockey tournament is being hosted by the Cavendish and Chester Rec Departments as a way to promote the rinks and to thank the departments for their efforts in supplying water for the ice. Come out and support the home team.
Finally, please note that in times of emergency, the Cavendish VT Facebook page will be providing updates. This site can be viewed by anyone, but you cannot post comments unless you are a Facebook subscriber and “like” the site.
2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Cavendish Fire Dept. Annual Meeting: At Fire District 2’s Annual meeting on Tuesday Feb. 14, a budget of $67,985 (CDL Licensing was eliminated since it is not a state requirement at this time) was approved along with a one time expense of $4,000 for a carport for the utility vehicle. Officers were elected as follows Abe Gross (Moderator); Dave Burgess (Clerk); Stu Lindberg (Prudential Committee Member); Town Manager (Tax Collector); Bob Evens (Treasurer). The position of auditor continues to remain vacant.
Cavendish Warning of Public Informational Meeting: The legal voters of Cavendish are warned that there will be an informational meeting on Article 2 of the Annual Town Meeting Warning, which reads, Shall the legal voters of the Town of Cavendish approve the issuance of a municipal bond in the amount not to exceed $790,000 for the purpose of complete replacement of the Town Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration System. The meeting will take place at the Cavendish Town Office, 6 pm on Tuesday Feb. 28th. Voting on this article will be by Australian Ballot on March 7 between the hours of 10-7 at the Cavendish Town Elementary School. Legal Notices
Five Bridges in Ludlow to be Repaired in 2017: Scheduled projects will begin in February and some will continue through July.
• Gate House and Red Bridge Dam on Red Bridge Road will begin in February.
• Pleasant Street Ext. bridge April 3 to May 5. The bridge will be completely closed for approximately 30 days. Suggested alternate route is Pleasant Street.
• Branch Brook bridge at the Junction of routes 103 and 100 North May 15 to May 25. Alternate route includes Buttermilk Falls Road and Rod & Gun Club Road.
• Walker Bridge on Main Street in Ludlow will be closed for 30 days for complete replacement, starting June 9, and will reopen in July. The main detour for local traffic will be High, Depot, and Pleasant streets. Trucks will be diverted using routes 11, 100, 155, and 103.
• Culvert at the intersection of Hemingway Hill on Andover Street will be replaced in July. Andover St. Will remain open during construction.
Animal Hospital Fire Started in Crematorium: The fire that gutted the Springfield Animal Hospital in late January started in the vent of the facility’s crematorium, according to Springfield Fire Chief Russ Thompson. Eagle Times
New Security System at BRGNS: The Black River Good Neighbor Services thrift store and food shelf has installed new electronic surveillance equipment due to shoplifting and items being left outside after hours. VT Journal
ACT 46-Green Mountain RED Moves Forward; Ludlow Mt. Holly Reject Plan: On Monday night, school merger study committee representatives from Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester who are working to form a Regional Education District heard from Mount Holly and Ludlow reps that those towns will not participate in the RED – even as a fallback position in their Act 46 deliberations. The RED group then moved forward on articles of agreement on a tight schedule that would put the plan before the voters of the four towns in April. The main source of contention is around the Black River High School. The committee recommended its closure as to keep it operational would add a significant tax burden-as much as 20% increase-for the towns that do not use the high school. Cavendish representative Doug McBride noted that it would be “poisonous” for a committee to close another town’s school and hoped that Ludlow could “fix the problem” and continue to have a high school in its community. It was decided at the Jan. 31 meeting that the new entity would be called the Green Mountain Unified School District. There will be a full meeting of the TRSU Act 46 Study Committee at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at Chester-Andover Elementary School, 72 Main St. in Chester. It will be preceded by a RED sub-committee meeting at 6 p.m. Chester Telegraph
I-91 Bridge in Brattleboro Opening in March: According to a schedule submitted to state legislators, two northbound lanes on the new I-91 bridge in Brattleboro are expected to open March 13. One southbound lane will be available in late April, the state Agency of Transportation says. And all four lanes finally will be open in mid-June. VT Digger
3. JAZZ, BLUES & SOUL RAISE THE ROOF: On Sunday March 5, Proctorsville’s Raise the Roof winter concert series will resume with astellar performance by the beautiful Wanda Houston, known for her soulful singing of blues, funk, jazz and dusky romantic standards. Performing since third grade and trained in opera, Houston has sung and acted her way across theater stages, on film, in cabarets, recording studios and large concert halls. She can belt out the blues, move your spirit with gospel and stir your soul with timeless romantic standards. A critic for Time Out magazine in New York wrote, “The mega voiced Wanda Houston blows the roof off!”
Houston will be joined on stage by the renowned Eugene Uman on keyboard and Dave Picchi on acoustic bass. Uman is the musical director of Brattleboro’s Vermont Jazz Center and Picchi teaches and performs his blend of pop, soul, jazz and rock in northern Massachusetts. The convergence of talent that Houston, Uman and Picchi bring to the stage will create a remarkable afternoon of music in a tiny church with big acoustics. Because of their huge success last year, this will be the trio's second performance in the series.
The concert is at 4:00 at Gethsemane Church on Depot St. Admission is $10 at the door, a small price to pay for a memorable performance of terrific live music in an intimate venue. Put it on your calendar!
4. EVENTS
FEBRUARY 17 (FRIDAY)-20 (MONDAY): Black River Good Neighbor’s furniture store (105 Main Street, Ludlow) will be a special President’s Day Sale with prices cut by as much as 60%. This is a “cash and carry” sale. Store hours are 10-4. FMI 802-228-3663.
FEBRUARY 19 (SUNDAY): Fire Department "Friendly" Hockey Match between Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept. and Chester Fire Dept. Cavendish and Chester Rec departments are sponsoring a home and home away hockey match for bragging rights on the ice! The first game will be held at Chester's Lover's Lane Rink at 10:00 a.m., followed by the second game late afternoon (game time is a “soft” 4:00) at Greven Rink. Come on down to both venues to cheer on our hometown heroes and support your Firefighters! All proceeds from concessions, puck shooting contest, raffles and donations go directly to the two Departments. If you would like to sponsor your team, please contact Terry O'Brien at 802-738-3215, dthuskies@hotmail.com, or at Cavendish Rec Facebook page.
FEBRUARY 20 (MONDAY): President's Day, schools,Town Office closed. Schools closed for the week for winter break.
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.