Cavendish Update: 9/8/17: News/Hydrant Flushing/Fit/Events
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Thank you Svetlana & Kem Phillips for the lovely fall reminder in front of the Museum. Wondering where the Museum sign went? It had an altercation with a loose trailer.
9/8/17 Cavendish Update
1. Cavendish Related News
2. Cavendish Fall Hydrant Flushing
3. Getting Fit Cavendish Style
4. Cavendish to Host Composting Workshop
5. Events
1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
Card Skimming in Southern VT: The Vermont Fuel Dealers Association has issued a warning to gas pump users in Southern VT as credit card skimmers were found last week in Bennington County. If you or anyone you know has been to a gas station in the area, you’re encouraged to check your financial accounts immediately. A skimmer is an electronic magnetic or hard-wired device, covertly placed, that is capable of stealing banking information encoded on credit/debit cards. Please use the VFDA website to know what to do if you find a skimmer. VFDA Fuel Line Newsletter
Cavendish Resources for Addiction: All three parts of this series are now available the Cavendish Update website: Part I: Tobacco Part II-Alcohol Part III Drugs. You can also link to them via the section Health and Senior Resources under the Mental Health Section
Car Accident in Proctorsville: On 9/2/17 at 11:57 Vermont State Police investigated a car vs. motorcycle crash on RT 103 in Cavendish. Bessie Sheehan of Cavendish was traveling south on RT 103 in a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. She used her left turn signal and stopped to turn left onto Greven Road. Alan Braga was traveling behind her on a 2016 Harley Davidson. He did not see her stopped and crashed into the rear end. He was transported by ambulance to the Springfield Hospital for a leg injury and possible other non-life threatening injuries. VT State Police Report
Gathering for Doug Haskell: The family of Douglas Haskell would like to thank friends and the community for their outpouring of support over the past three months. We will be celebrating Doug’s amazing life on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Sitting Bull Lounge at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow. We would love to have Doug’s friends, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances stop by to remember him, share memories, stories and laughter. There are lots of stories out there! Thank you all again for your ongoing support. Doug will be missed but never forgotten.
Minutes from August CTES Board Meeting and Agenda for September Meeting: The unapproved minutes from Cavendish Town Elementary School’s (CTES) August board meeting are available at the Dish along with the agenda for the September meeting.
Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) Meeting: The voters of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester approve the Act 46 merger plan to form one school district with one budget, one tax rate and one board of directors. They also voted in representatives from their respective towns for the GMUSD board. On Sept. 12, 2017, at 6 p.m. Vermont Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe will convene the first assembly of the voters of all four towns, meeting in the Green Mountain Union High School (GM) library, to officially open and organize the new district, elect an interim chairperson, a moderator, a clerk, and a treasurer and to swear in the 11 member GMUSD board. During the coming transition year, the towns’ school boards will continue to serve in that capacity. By July 2018, the GMUSD will be fully operational and these boards will cease to function.
Paying for College: Never Too Soon or Too Late: $37,000 is the national average for the amount of debt last year's college students graduated with. To help Cavendish kids pursue college or post secondary education without assuming debt, Cavendish Connects has a special post that provides information about a variety of ways to significantly reduce costs and/or eliminate them altogether.
Medicare Prescription Coverage Explained: Open enrollment for Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage, occurs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This is the time to compare and/or change your current Medicare prescription plan. On Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. Pati Kimball, coordinator, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Senior Solutions Council on Aging of Southeastern Vermont, will be at Fletcher Memorial Library, 88 Main Street, Ludlow to answer your questions. She will also discuss state programs, which offer assistance with the cost of Medicare prescription plans. To assure all questions are answered, the number of participants is limited to 15. Call the Fletcher Memorial Library, Ludlow at 802-228-8921 to attend. This program is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
Oct 9 (Columbus Day) Proclaimed Indigenous Peoples’ Day in VT: Gov. Phil Scott says that he will proclaim Oct. 9, 2017 as Indigenous People's Day in Vermont. This is the same date on which the federal holiday Columbus Day falls this year. According to his proclamation, Scott says the state will recognize the contributions of Vermont's first residents. "I'm pleased to recognize the historic and cultural significance of the Indigenous Peoples here in Vermont, with an understanding our state was founded and built upon the lands they first inhabited." VPR
State Sending 20,000 Letters to Collect Sales Tax: he Tax Department is sending close to 20,000 letters to Vermonters telling them they may owe sales tax for online and other purchases. The letters say residents have until Oct. 31 to pay without interest or penalties. When a seller doesn’t charge Vermont’s 6 percent sales tax, buyers are responsible for paying what’s known as use tax at the same rate. The tax applies to online, phone or mail-order purchases as well as purchases made outside Vermont where the item is brought back and used in the state. The use tax does not apply to food and most clothing. A list of taxable and nontaxable items can be found here. VT Digger
VT Students Outpace National Averages on ACT: VT students who took the ACT, a college readiness test, in 2017 scored higher than the national average in the four subject areas covered, according to a report released by the testing and research giant. VT Digger
2. CAVENDISH FALL HYDRANT FLUSHING: For those on Cavendish Municipal Water, hydrant flushing will be taking place from Monday, Sept. 11 through Friday, Sept. 15 from 9-5. System users are reminded that:
• Flushing hydrants may cause temporary discoloration and turbidity of the water. We apologize for any inconvenience to our users, however this very important system maintenance procedure must be conducted each spring and fall. The flushing program allows the pipes to be purged and the hydrants checked for proper operation.
• Users are advised to avoid drinking the water or washing clothes (especially whites) while discoloration is in evidence. Following hydrant flushing in your area, users should be run cold water until it clears before resuming normal use. It is also a good idea to flush residential water heaters after the water clears following a hydrant flush in your area. FMI: 226-7291
3. GETTING FIT CAVENDISH STYLE: Now that school has started and the air is getting crisper, consider the following ways to stay fit
• dGBody Works is offering a series of free classes throughout September. In addition Lori Wright of Cavendish is going to be teaching various yoga classes. There are both advanced and beginner Tai Chi classes and of course, Boot Camp with Denise. Check out their class schedule.
• Walk & Talks: The Cavendish Historical Society is offering two “walk & talks.” The first is on Phineas Gage, the famous railroad foreman who had a tamping rod go through his head and lived for 12 more years. This will take place on Sept. 10 (Sunday). There will be a presentation at 2 pm at the Museum (1958 Main St. Cavendish) and the walk will be about 2 miles round trip. It will feature the accident location, the doctor’s home, and where Gage stayed. The second is a “Ghost Walk” in Proctorsville on Oct. 8 (Sunday). Meet at the War Memorial in Proctorsville at 2 pm.
The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) offers a Walk and Talk series and would like your input on ideas of what you’d like to see. If you have suggestion, please contact Robin Timko (226-7736) or any member of the Sustainability Committee-Tim O’Donoghue, Claire Walker and Sarah Stowell.
• Greven Field: The Trail is about ½ mile, less if you omit the side trails. The surface is a combination of grass, dirt and gravel. It’s an easy walk with no steep inclines. Greven Field is off Route 103-a left hand turn after you’ve taken a left at the 103/131 intersection. Look for the flag. If you get to Depot St., you’ve gone too far.
• De Clutter: As you go about your seasonal fall cleaning, check out Using the KonMari Approach for Decluttering Your Cavendish home. Keep in mind that the Black River Good Neighbor's annual fall sale is almost here so this is a good time to sort and recycle. You’d be amazed how much exercise decluttering can be.
4. CAVENDISH TO HOST COMPOSTING WORKSHOP: The Cavendish Energy Committee in conjunction with the Town of Cavendish will host a workshop specifically about composting on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in the town office meeting room, 37 High Street in Cavendish.
Recycling legislation passed by the Vermont legislature affects us all when it comes to recycling food waste. Basically, that recycling involves composting. The rules are mandatory, but what exactly does that mean? And how can we as Vermont residents best comply with the new rules?
The Cavendish Energy Committee has prepared a workshop in which Hamilton Gillett of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission will go over the rules and how they are being implemented. Composting containers are now located at the local transfer stations in this area but Mr. Gillett will discuss how home composting can better meet the state’s mandates.
Also speaking will be Cat Buxton of Grow More, Waste Less – Food Systems Consulting. Ms. Buxton works to connect communities and empower individuals to effect positive food system change. She is also a consultant in compost systems design, instruction and support, dealing with food scraps, organic matter, and yard waste. She will tell us about establishing and improving our recycling systems for organic waste.
At the workshop they will have available Soil Saver composters for residential use. While these bins normally retail for about $125 each, they will be available to workshop attendees for $40. Also available will be Sure Close food scrap pails for $5 each.
The presenters encourage audience questions during the presentation. Residents of Cavendish and any other town are invited to attend. Composting is great for the garden, it’s great for the yard, and it’s now the law. For more information about the workshop, please call Peter LaBelle at 226-7250.
5. EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 9 (SATURDAY): Household Hazardous Waste Collection at the Springfield Transfer station 9-1 pm.
• Honey Festival: Golden Stage Inn off Depot St. Proctorsville. Free and open to the public 10-2.
• RiverSweep: 9-12, Check in at the gazebo in Ludlow.
SEPTEMBER 10 (SUNDAY): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk, CHS Museum (1951 Main St.-route 131) 2-4 pm. Free and open to the public FMI: 226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com
SEPTEMBER 11 (MONDAY): Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm Cavendish Town Office
SEPTEMBER 11-15 (MONDAY-FRIDAY): Fall Flushing for those on Cavendish Municipal Water. See item 2
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.