Cavendish Update 4/20/20: Internet/Knapp Pond
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Jeremy wondered whether the grownups were watching scary sci-fi or the news. Jane Hart
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4/20/20
1. Internet
2. What’s Been Happening
3. Cavendish Community Fund Postpones Deadline
4. Events
Yesterday was a beautiful day and it wasn’t long before the health officer and town manager started receiving complaints of people crowding Knapp Pond, standing shoulder to shoulder and not practicing social distancing. Further, residents were not happy with people speeding and tearing up the road, which is still muddy in parts. One resident commented, I just went up to my property across Knapp. So many more vehicles than I had seen in the past 15 years that I have owned my property. There were a bunch of people within the 6 foot rule. You can’t see the people congregating because they are over the bank. NEVER this many cars there. Silly people.
Okay we get it that it’s a beautiful day, the pond has been freshly stocked with fish and other recreational areas have been closed to avoid this type of situation. We know your tired of staying home, I’m not so wild about it myself. However, Covid-19 is very real, still with us, and unfortunately no one is invincible.
At the request of our town’s health officer, a notice about the lack of social distancing at Knapp Pond was posted to the Cavendish VT Facebook. To say there was blow back is putting it mildly.
Many believe that social distancing was taking place, and it well may be that many were, but unfortunately others were not. Note this comment posted to Facebook this morning, I've been up there twice this year so far. Most people there have been pretty good about keeping distance. You don't want to be too close when fishing anyway. However there were definitely a few groups that were not adhering to social distancing (one of which drove off in 4 different cars so most likely not living under 1 roof).
The town manager visited Knapp Pond as did the game warden. The decision about whether the pond will remain open will be up to the state. In the meantime, please no more shooting the messenger.
Today begins the reopening of Vermont. On Friday, the Governor announced “I want to be clear, we’re not declaring victory because we’re not out of the woods yet, but we are seeing daylight.” Two people will be allowed to return to work at the offices of low-contact professional services, e.g. realtors, appraisers, municipal clerks and attorneys, along with two-person crews of property management and construction firms. Everyone must practice social distancing-6 feet apart wearing a cloth mask. In addition, Farmer’s Markets could begin operation on May 1, with guidelines being announced at a later date. Garden and construction supply stores will be allowed to reopen next week, but only with phone and online ordering, curbside pickup, and minimum staffing.
Yup, people are protesting and feel their rights are being violated. Don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the New Hampshire protestors sign “Live Free or Die, Reopen.” A dead economy can be revived. Humans can’t be.
The Governor and his team are watching what has happened in other countries that have opened too quickly, only to have a second wave of Covid-19 over whelm them, causing a return to lock downs. Until there is an effective treatment and/or vaccine, our new normal is going to be some combination of what we’re already doing.
As I mentioned last week, actual news is slowing down so we’re cutting back to Monday and Friday Updates with day to day activities on Facebook. If something emergent happens, we will respond accordingly.
If you can’t find TP, masks, hand sanitizer or need help with shopping, please call 226-7291 or 7292. You can also e-mail cavendishconnects@gmail.com
1. INTERNET: One of the more challenging aspects of the “Stay at Home” order has been having sufficient bandwidth for remote learning, telecommuting and telemedicine. Cavendish has two landline carriers, TDS and Consolidated Communications. The latter offers no Internet service and is limited to the northeastern section, Knapp Pond/lower Tarbell Hill area, of town.
TDS has recently upgraded in the Cavendish service area, with the exception of one small stretch on Center Rd. Unfortunately, they haven’t done the best job of alerting customers to the change, and while some have received new modems others have not. If you are a TDS subscriber, and want to take advantage of increased speeds, you will need to call 866-571-6662. In some cases, your upgrade may require a visit from the technician.
Note that during the pandemic, TDS was the first Internet provider to offer free installation and service for those without Internet and having remote learners for two months. That offer ended on April 16.
Comcast is available in various parts of the TDS area. Checking with your closest neighbor to see if they have service is the best way to determine if Comcast is available where you live. It’s generally available in both villages, out to Prior Rd in Cavendish and on Twenty Mile Stream, past Heald Rd and part way up Heald. Comcast provides the fastest speeds locally and also offers hot spots.
Vtel Wireless, Dish, Verizon Cell, Hughes Net are all options being tried in the northeastern section of town with limited success. We are currently working with the Vermont’s Division of Telecommunications and Connectivity to come up with interim and long term solutions for this area. Thank you to those who completed survey, which has been forwarded to the state and we hope to have some answers from them this week about interim measures.
Free Wi-Fi: There is free Wi-Fi at the Library in Proctorsville. Comcast has made their hot spots public.
2. WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING
• Vermont State Colleges recommends closing three campuses; The plan would close down Northern Vermont University, which has campuses in Lyndon and Johnson, and consolidate Vermont Technical College’s operations onto its Williston campus. The latter would deliver its programming using low-residency, regional delivery and distance learning methods. The system’s residential, liberal arts programs, including many currently offered at NVU, would be delivered at Castleton University. Voting was to take place today but the VT State College System (VSCS) Board of Trustesses has decided to delay it, and opting to listen to information only at the meeting. The VSCS says, every two weeks, it spends approximately $6 million between payroll and expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in the VSCS anticipated operating deficit to as much as $7 – $10 million this fiscal year, including $5.6 million in costs for student refunds for room and board due to moving students off-campus and shifting to remote instruction. The System could run out of operating funds by mid-June, forcing it to begin spending its already low reserves.
• 'Words Can't Do Justice To The Challenge': Vt. School Funding In A COVID-19 Economy: Schools are funded by a mix of statewide consumption taxes and local property taxes. Brad James, finance manager at the state Agency of Education, points out that about 70 towns collect their tax payments quarterly, so they don’t yet have all the money in for their schools. “So there’s some concern that the towns will not have the money to pay them,” he said. “[The] statute says if a town does not collect all the education funds by the end of the fiscal year, they have to borrow money to make the school district whole. That’s still in statute; that’s not changed.”
• State issues $1,200 checks to thousands with unresolved unemployment claims: Vermont’s Department of Labor says that it cleared tens of thousands of backlogged unemployment insurance claims over the weekend. But the state is making good on its promise Monday to send checks for $1,200 to the remaining 8,384 Vermonters who still haven’t been able to resolve problems with their claims.
• Canadian Border restrictions have been extended for another 30 Days
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock takes stock of COVID-19 crisis, eyes future afterward: Amid increasing signs that a surge of COVID-19 cases may not hit the Twin States, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health plans to resume some medical procedures that had been delayed by the pandemic, according to hospital officials. Officials in both New Hampshire and Vermont last week said the daily number of new cases is starting to “plateau” thanks to social distancing and stay-at-home orders, and that New Hampshire had seen a relatively constant number of patients requiring hospitalization — 85 on Saturday — from the new coronavirus. Valley News
3. CCF POSTPONES DEADLINE: The Cavendish Community Fund announced in March that it would accept grant applications for spring 2020 awards until April 25th. Because most activities have been put on hold during the pandemic, the Fund will extend the deadline until the end of June. Applications can be made by letter that describes the organization that is applying, the project proposed and the overall budget, including the amount requested. It is important to describe how the project will benefit Cavendish. Applications, including instructions, can be obtained by emailing CavendishCommunityFund@gmail.com. Applications should be sent to Cavendish Community Fund, P.O. Box 154, Proctorsville, VT 05153, or can be emailed.
Projects, programs or events must directly benefit the Cavendish community in some way. Each grant will depend primarily on the number of applications received and the amounts requested. If you have a project in mind to benefit Cavendish and you need financing, contact the Fund to discuss your idea.
For further information on applying, on eligibility, on any other aspect of the grant program, or for help completing an application, please call Peter LaBelle at 226-7250 or Douglas McBride at 226-7142.
4.. UPCOMING EVENTS: Go to dgBody Works for classes that are being posted via Facebook live. Take a new one, do an old one. Stay fit and healthy.
MAY 1 : Farmer’s Markets open for the season.
Staying home for Patty; Bob Kirkbride; Singletons; Dave Norton; Deb Hryckiewicz; Ludlow Ambulance Service; the Cavendish Water/Waste Water Treatment Team; Rocky and the Cavendish Transfer Station Crew; Cavendish Town Crew; Mt. Ascutney Hospital; Cavendish/Proctorsville firefighters & first responders; Mack Molding employees; Shaw’s Ludlow employees; and the healthcare workers who have died of Covid-19.
Have a Heart -stay home or 6 feet apart wearing a cloth mask or scarf.
Stay healthy to protect yourself and Cavendish.