Cavendish Update 8/9/19 TDS/Property/News/Events
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8/9/19 Cavendish Update
1.TDS Update
2. 71% of Cavendish Property Owned by Non-Residents
3. Cavendish Related news
4. Wednesday Concert: Yankee Chank
5. Events
1. TDS INTERNET UPDATE: We continue to follow up with Scott Brooks, Manager, State Government Affairs at TDS, about the implementation of TDS’s Connect America Funds (CAF) project in our area.
Fiber is being wired to the six cabinets that serve Cavendish and Proctorsville along with the central office (Tarbell Hill, Cavendish Pointe, Center Rd., Twenty Mile Stream, Cavendish Gulf Rd and Chubb Hill) it will be a copper over system to the home from the cabinet. If you are within the 3-mile zone of a cabinet (listed above) you will be able to receive 25/3M with slower speed plans still available.
The Tarbell Hill/Cavendish Pointe cabinets were upgraded two years ago and some subscribers, based on their location to the cabinet, are getting fast speeds. Below are updates on the other areas as of July 31:
• Twenty Mile Stream: Splicing was completed on July 17 and was sent to the deployment team on Monday, July 22. Anticipated completion date for installation is 30 days-end of August, beginning of September.
• Center Rd: The new cabinet has been placed but waiting on it being powered. Once powered, they can install the equipment and configure it. The estimated completion date is Nov/Dec.
• Gulf Rd: Currently with the deployment team, completion is slated for 30-60 days meaning late August to early October.
Read the full report at The Dish.
2. 71% OF CAVENDISH OWNED BY NON-RESIDENTS: An article in VT Digger reports that a real estate company study ranks Vermont as number 2 in the country for the number of vacation homes per capita, behind Maine and before New Hampshire. About 17% of the housing units in Vermont – around 58,500 — are vacation homes. The top three locations within the state for second home ownership were Greensboro with 81%, Quechee with 69% and Proctorsville with 45%.
According to Diane McNamara, Cavendish Town Clerk, the Cavendish Grand List shows that 71% of Cavendish’s property is owned by non-residents. Surrounding areas, appear to be even higher with reports of a 90/10 split in Ludlow and 80/20 in Plymouth. So what impact, if any does this have on Cavendish?
Note that not every property has a second home. Some owners may have land with no development, others will use it for AirBnB or other types of rentals and time shares are popular in various parts of the state.
According to the VT Digger article, second home ownership – and the online vacation rentals that often accompany it – is also seen as one of the reasons for Vermont’s high housing costs. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency says a shortage of available housing has allowed sellers and landlords to charge more, driving rental housing out of the reach of low-income Vermonters.
The average Vermont renter makes $13.40 an hour and can afford to spend about $700 per month on rent, according to a report published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. But the average statewide fair market rent is much higher: $1,184 per month for a two-bedroom apartment and $945 per month for a one bedroom.
Not surprising, the housing shortage is particularly acute in resort areas and Cavendish is no exception. The impact can be seen in smaller school enrollments as young families can’t afford the rents.
One of Cavendish’s issues is the lack of telecommunications town wide. Through the various surveys Cavendish’s Telecommunications Committee has done on this topic, multiple second home owners have stated they’d move permanently to Cavendish but they require sufficient Internet speeds to run their business and/or telecommute. With surrounding towns, such as Chester and Springfield having fiber wired to their homes, thus having very fast speeds, Cavendish can’t compete.
3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
CVFD New Air Compressor Installed: Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Cavendish Volunteer Fire Department, and all those who donated, the new air compressor has been installed at the fire house and once again is available for community use.
Cavendish resident starts Au Jus: The small community of Windsor got a new restaurant last week when Nate Rose and Josh Martin opened Au Jus at 131 Main Street. Rose and Martin, who are both in their thirties, had been working together in the kitchen of Neal's Restaurant & Bar in Proctorsville. One busy shift, Martin recalled, they looked at each other, and "Nate said to me, 'Why not do this for ourselves?'" Rose, who is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, lives in Cavendish. Menu items range from classic barbecue to New England regulars such as baked haddock and even a lobster roll. Seven Days
Green Mountain Care Board approves insurance price hike: Starting January 1st, 2020, more than 73,000 Vermonters will see a double-digit price hike in their health insurance. Green Mountain Care Board approved the increase. It approved a 12.4% price hike for Blue Cross Blue Shield Vermont, and MVP Health Care will get a 10.1% hike. Those increases are a little less than the insurers requested. VT Digger
Rabies Bait Drop Starts in VT Next Week: The annual effort to stop the spread of rabies among wild animals in Vermont kicks off next week.The state is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute about 450,000 rabies vaccine packs in rural areas of nine Vermont counties. The bait will be dropped from planes or brought to residential areas by hand. The vaccine is a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks. The bait packs are not poisonous, but officials ask that you don't touch them. If your pet eats a bait or a child brings one home, officials say call the Vermont Rabies Hotline at 1-800-4-RABIES or call the number printed on the bait. WCAX
4. CAVENDISH CONCERT: YANKEE CHANK The Town of Cavendish presents another in its continuing series of Wednesday evening concerts on August 14th at 6:00 p.m. when Yankee Chank will appear on the Svec Memorial Green in Proctorsville, weather permitting.
Yankee Chank is a Vermont group -fiddler Bob Naess is from Cavendish- that performs traditional Cajun music from the heart of southwest Louisiana. The French-speaking people of eastern Canada, our immediate neighbor to the north, were the inspiration for the southern Cajuns and thereby inspired Yankee Chank. The band has been performing both Cajun and Zydeco music around Vermont and beyond, using fiddle, accordion, guitar and bass since 1996. The band’s performances offer a distinctive immersion into this unique regional music.
As always, the concerts are free and open to everyone. Rain dates will be announced on the Cavendish Facebook page. For more information please call Robin at 226-7736.
5. EVENTS
AUGUST 10 (SATURDAY): The Cavendish Fletcher Community Library is pleased to invite the public to a Free BBQ at 6 pm. Hot Dogs and chips with all the fixin's will be offered. Tom Joyce, the magician will be performing and kids of all ages will be amazed! The winner of the summer reading program will be announced and the grand prize will be awarded.
AUGUST 11 (SUNDAY): Guided Walk to a Heron Rookery. See checkered Rattlesnake Orchids, Porcupine dens, maple sugar borers and more. Join Pieter van Shaik and Eric Krasnauskas on an easy terrain walk on Pieter’s proposed trail on conserved land in Cavendish. Meet at Crows Bakery at 9:15. RSVP to Robin at 226-7736. Call early as this free Walk and Talk, sponsored by CCCA is limited to 15 people.
AUGUST 14 (WEDNESDAY): Concert at the Proctorsville Green, 6 pm. Free and open to the public. Yankee Chank (Cajun/Zydeco dance band) sponsored by Murdocks
AUGUST 15 (THURSDAY): GMUSD board meeting, 6 pm. Chester Andover Elementary School Library. Agenda can be downloaded here.
AUGUST 17 (SATURDAY): The Annual Chrome & Craft Festival at the Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts on Route 103 in Ludlow. From 10-4 (rain or shine).
AUGUST 21 (WEDNESDAY): Concert at the Proctorsville Green, 6 pm. Free and open to the public. John Sullivan and Friends sponsored by DG Bodyworks.
SEPTEMBER 14 (SATURDAY): VT Golden Honey Festival. 10-4 Part craft fair, part food festival, the VT Golden Honey Festival is a community favorite. Located on the lawn of the Golden Stage Inn, 399 Depot St. in Proctorsville. Proceeds of this event will benefit VT Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth (Ludlow and Proctorsville. For vendor and other information: vtgoldenhoneyfestival@gmail.com or 802-226-7744 (Julie).
SEPTEMBER 18 (WEDNESDAY): 2-6 Pm Hazardous Waste Collection at the Springfield Transfer Station. For a printable list of what to bring and what not to bring, click on the Southern Windsor/Windham Counties Solid Waste Management District. The next collections will be in the spring of 2020. FMI: 802- 674-9235
For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.