Cavendish Update 7/24/20: SB Mtg/Market Rpt/News/Events
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In the pandemic, the Hutchins’ cat seemed a little more confused than usual. Jane Hart
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ROUTE 131 AND DEPOT STREET BRIDGE PROJECTS ARE STATE, NOT TOWN. Therefore, direct your comments to the state. Weather permitting, the Depot St. Bridge should be striped today. Do not have an opening date yet. There will be no dedication at this time due to Covid.
7/24/20
1. Cavendish SB Mtg 7/13/20
2. Cavendish Info
3. Latest Spigot Turn: Covid-19 Update
4. Market Update by Mark Huntley
5. Events
1.CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 7/13/20: Minutes from the Select Board Meeting are available at the town website. This meeting was held via Zoom
At the recent meeting, the following actions/discussions took place:
• Town office continues to operate by appointment only but could change with an executive order from the Governor. Transfer Station & Highway Dept operate with Covid protocols in place
• Approved lowering speed limit to 25 on Tierney Rd
• Approved the request for termination of utility service at 143 Greven Road
• Adopted the “Local Emergency Management Plan”
• Discussed the formation of a Cavendish Village Revitalization Committee
• Depot St construction should be completed very soon-Note, today they are supposed to be painting the strips on the roadway.
• Culvert near Glimmerstone will be replaced in August, causing the road to be closed for several days. Note that will be Aug. 8-11
2. CAVENDISH INFO
Black River Water Test Results: This week’s water samples were drawn on July 22. The EPAs limit for safe swimming is 235 Cfu. It is recommended to stay out of the water when it appears cloudy and within 24 hours of a heavy rain.
• Cavendish Gorge: 11 CFU
• Greven Field Proctorsville 57 CFU
• Buttermilk Falls, Ludlow 11 CFU
• Little Ascutney RD, Weathersfield 490 CFU Unsafe
• Tolles Power Dam, Perkinsville 31 CFU
• Twenty Foot Hole, Reading VT:16 CFU
• West Hill Road Rec Pond Ludlow, VT 6 CFU
Thank you Black River Action Team and volunteers.
• Town Wide Tag Sale: The Tag Sale is tomorrow. All vendors and shoppers are required to wear masks, social distance of six feet or more, make frequent use of hand sanitizer stations and stay home if sick. Please observe the rules and help keep Cavendish safe. For list of vendors, check out the Tag Sale webpage
• Aug. 5 Concert: Gypsy Reel will be playing the 6 pm concert in Svec Park (Proctorsville Green). Please observe social distancing and mask requirements.
• Cavendish Municipal Water Report is now available at the town website.
• GMUSD Board Discusses Re opening Schools Most of the Green Mountain Unified School District board meeting on Thursday, July 17 was taken up with discussing how district schools will reopen for face-to-face learning late next month. Efforts being considered include outdoor classrooms, which take an interesting twist in Cavendish due to the Cavendish Library. After an incident, it was agreed that the front of the school would not be used by students for safety reasons. However, there is now a new principal and superintendent (Lauren Fierman), plus Covid, which could change this discussion, particularly since the Library has had a tent set up outside for their summer program. Chester Telegraph
• Epidemics/Pandemics: What they have in common: As a follow up to the recent Cavendish Historical Society talk on Epidemics/Pandemics, an article has been posted to the CHS blog on the common characteristics to these events.
• Construction underway on $150M Expansion at DHMC
• Vt. health insurers ask state regulators for rate hikes: Blue Cross Blue Shield and MVP, two of Vermont's largest private health insurance companies, are looking to raise premiums next year,
• Vermont's primary election is Tuesday, August 11! Here's what you need to know.
3. THE LATEST SPIGOT TURN: Covid Related Info: There is some good news
- No outbreak in Manchester: The “outbreak” in Manchester turns out to be a problem with the antigen test being used. Maine has dealt with similar issues. Part of this could be where you are in the infection cycle as a delay between initial antigen test and PCR could create differences. The research for antigen testing has been on symptomatic patients and many at the Manchester Medical Center (MMC) were asymptomatic. At the end of the day, Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D. reported on Tuesday 1,613 people were tested through various sites in the area last week by the state. All but 5 were negative. A PCR test, which is recommended to confirm the antigen result, has been conducted for 52 of the 65 individuals so far. Of those 52 people, 48 tested negative. Four people tested positive and are considered confirmed COVID-19 cases. VDH is working with the CDC to help determine why there were so many false-positives.
- Chester pool visitor retested and confirmed negative for Covid
- A vaccine is possible for the spring of 2021: Two vaccines are in phase 3 trials (if successful the drug will go to the FDA for final approval and then distribution) and eight are in phase 2 (more volunteers than a phase 1 trial but if successful allows phase 3 to occur), with more than 100 in the pipelines
- There have been no deaths from Covid in VT for over a month. Deaths have slowed down due to better understanding of how to treat Covid, availability of new treatments for those who are sickest and better monitoring and intervention in those newly diagnosed. There have been few hospitalizations and those that are don’t need ICU and ventilator level care.
- An inhaled coronavirus drug has shown promise at preventing mild cases of COVID-19 from becoming more severe, according to a small new clinical trial. The interferon beta medication reportedly decreased patient’s chances of becoming severely ill by 79%.
- Several studies suggest that past exposure to common-cold coronaviruses may help protect some people from COVID-19 infection. Six reasons to be optimistic amid COVID-19
- Younger children are unlikely to spread the virus according to a growing body of research. NYT Two pediatric infectious disease specialists at UVM answer questions on this topic. They conclude, “Therefore, serious consideration should be paid toward strategies that allow schools to remain open, even during periods of COVID-19 spread. That noted, data out of South Korea shows that children 10-19 appear to spread the coronavirus as much as adults.
Now for the news to make sure we continue to follow prevention protocols
- People infected with COVID-19 who went undetected or were asymptomatic, presymptomatic, or had only mild symptoms were significant spreaders of the disease. Harvard Gazette
- Immunity in those infected is questionable. While most seem to develop immunity for a few months at least, there are those who don’t mount a very robust response and some have been infected more than once.
Finally, this was Tuesday’s message from the Governor: We’re always keeping a close eye on what’s going on around the country and the numbers we’re seeing are concerning. As we show you each week, our trends in Vermont have held pretty steady. And while, as expected, we’ve seen more cases as we’ve methodically opened back up, we still have a lot to be proud of. The Governor went on to discuss how VT has the lowest, if not the lowest rates in the country.
But looking across the country, we continue to see a forest fire spreading in the south and west and things could shift back towards us. So we have to keep our guard up, because I know every Vermonter wants to move forward, not backward. In order to strengthen VT’s ability to suppress the virus, the state is looking at several strategies, putting a pause on re opening and the possibility of mandatory masking depending on data. More information will be discussed at today’s press conference.
What we’re seeing in some states is a cautionary tale for us here in Vermont. But the smarter we are, the better off we’ll be. That means continuing to follow Department of Health guidelines.
• Outbreaks/Numbers:. As of July 23, VT has had a total of 1,377 cases of Covid with 2 people in hospital. That’s an increase of 59 cases since last week’s report. Since the first cases were reported, 134 people required hospitalization. Of that group, 34% needed ICU care with 16% needing a ventilator. The average length of stay was 9 days. Those 80 and older are more likely to be hospitalized.
• Masks Required: Market Basket. According to VDH’s mask survey, 85% reported always or often to wearing masks indoors and in public
4. MARKET UPDATE BY MARK HUNTLEY: Mark is a Cavendish Vt resident who owns Huntley Financial Services in Ludlow
If you've been watching the market lately, perhaps the first question on your mind is, "Should I make a big change in my investments?" In reality, a volatile market isn't the best time to do a complete makeover of your portfolio, especially if you have long-term financial goals you're trying to address. Even if you feel that your portfolio needs adjusting, maintaining a firm grasp on your fundamental investment strategy can help you be more thoughtful about making any changes.
Think of each investment as a tool in your investing tool kit, and your asset allocation strategy as your blueprint. Some investments are generally designed to pursue long-term growth, others to provide income, and still others to represent stability. Each is valuable in its own way, but it doesn't make sense to use a hammer to remake your portfolio if what you really need is a screwdriver to make minor adjustments. Don't randomly abandon one investment for another unless you know its intended role in your portfolio, whether that role is still appropriate, and the pros and cons of any replacement you're considering.
Remember that diversification can help offset the risks of certain holdings with those of others. When one type of investment is losing ground, another may be gaining or holding steady.
5. UPCOMING EVENTS:
JULY 25 (SATURDAY): TOWN WIDE TAG SALE 9-2
JULY 29 (WEDNESDAY): Gully Boys, 6 pm Svec Park. Social distancing and masks required. Free and open to the public
AUGUST 5 (WEDNESDAY): Gypsy Reel, 6 pm Svec Park. Social distancing and masks required. Free and open to the public
AUGUST 10 (MONDAY): Absentee voter ballots due
AUGUST 11 (TUESDAY): VOTE! Primary Election
CA❤︎ENDSH-A SAFER SIX COMMUNITY
Covers mouth & nose
Always masks in public
Vermonters keep each other safe
Elbow coughs
Never forgets to wash hands
Disinfects common surfaces
Is alert for symptoms
Stays 6 feet apart
Has respect for personal space