Letter to Cavendish Connects Users

January 3, 2020:

Dear Cavendish Connects Users

 Happy New Year!

 As we enter this new decade, changes are in order to better serve the users of Cavendish Connects (CC) which includes Facebook page; Website; Blog; Update as well as special projects (e.g. Town Wide Tag Sale).

The roots of CC began in the early 2000s with the Cavendish Update, a free subscribe to e-mail listserv. As new social media platforms became available, these were added. In 2014, the CC was formed to consolidate these efforts as well as provide a stronger web presence for Cavendish.

This has been a volunteer effort on my part, with any funds received for CC being used for web hosting, studies, projects and operational expenses.  Moving forward it’s important to understand how the community is using CC, where gaps exist in our community that could be met by CC, and the best use of my time.

Then and Now: Many of today’s news outlets and social media platforms didn’t exist when the first updates were e-mailed. With sites like the Chester Telegraph, The Vermont Journal, and VT Digger, all of which have paid staff, there is less need for me to cover local news. In addition, there are numerous Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds to say nothing of Front Porch Forums.

How CC is Being Used: The most frequently used CC component is Facebook, with around 2,500 users daily. The least used is the Cavendish Update, which has had little to no growth. Mail Chimp data shows that most weeks only about half of the subscribers actually bother opening it. These statistics are not surprising since  many follow Facebook daily,  and by the time the Update is sent on Friday, they figure they pretty much know what it contains. Note: Utilization of the Update is much higher in times of emergency.

Facebook has its fans as well as detractors. However,  this is a multi-administered and monitored site and we delete comments and ban those who misuse it. Fortunately, we rarely need to do that. It’s set up as a community page so those who aren’t Facebook subscribers can read it. If you do wish to comment, you must be a Facebook subscriber and “like” the page.

Many start their day checking Facebook. Therefore, every effort is made to have news, weather bulletins, events and other information posted in a timely manner. It continues to be a very effective way to keep the community informed, particularly during emergencies.

CHANGES

• Cavendish Update will be limited to:

-       Emergent & urgent situations

-        Issues not being covered by other outlets, e.g. lack of high speed Internet in Cavendish

-       The third Friday of each month will contain a summary update (instead of once a week, it will be once a month, unless circumstances dictate more frequent posts as noted above).

• The  Cavendish VT Facebook page will continue to function as usual. Expect to see more “event” posts and, with time and volunteers, we will consider hosting “Facebook Live” of important meetings.

• Website/Calendar/Blog:  Continue as usual

• Town Wide Tag Sale: Cavendish Connects will once again sponsor the 10th anniversary tag sale this summer on Saturday July 25.

• High Speed Internet: We continue to work at addressing the lack of high speed Internet town wide. This is challenging problem. However, we recently helped Twenty Mile Stream TDS customers reach speeds of 25/3 Mbps.

• Cares Project: With Cavendish’s increasing aging population, along with requests about how social media can be used to connect the community to support those in need, a planning effort will begin this spring for a “Cares” program. Note: There are now many digital technologies to help people remain independent. As part of this new initiative, CC will provide a new resource “Tech Options for Aging in Place.”

OTHER SOURCES OF LOCAL INFORMATION

• The Town’s Municipal website includes Meeting agendas, minutes, notices, & calendar. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page you can subscribe to the Town’s news feed that is e-mailed on Fridays.

• The Vermont Journal: Articles pertaining to Cavendish will be posted to Facebook. Note that the Journal now has an e-mail service in addition to their print publication, website and Facebook page.

• The Chester Telegraph: Articles pertaining to Cavendish will be posted to Facebook

• Okemo Valley TV Includes video coverage of Select Board and School Board meetings as well as Town Meeting. Relevant Cavendish videos will be posted to Facebook. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Volunteers are needed for the following:

• Maintain Instagram and Pinterest sites

• Planning the 10th anniversary Town Wide Tag Sale

• Assist with the planning of Cavendish Cares

• Donate

If you would like to volunteer or  have questions, e-mail cavendishconnects@gmail.com or call 802-226-7807