Cavendish Update 1/15/21: News/Produce Box/Talk/Covid
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CHS Cares Closet
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If you are interested in running for a town elected position-selectmen, school board etc.- unlike in previous years, candidates do not need to collect signatures. Instead they need to complete a Candidate Consent Form and return to the Cavendish Town Clerk, Diane McNamara by 5:00 pm on January 25, 2021. See the Dish for open positions. For more information, call the town office at 802-226-7291.
1/15/21
1. Cavendish Info
2. Talk: Epidemics/Pandemics
3. Produce Boxes Available
4. Covid update
5. Events
1. CAVENDISH INFO
• WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY: In effect from 1 am Saturday (1/16) to 4 pm Sunday (1/17). Snow expected with a total accumulations of 6 to 8 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
• SCAM ALERT: Scammers are calling Green Mountain Power customers and claiming that they will cut off power immediately unless payment is made. Hang up! Do not provide payment or personal information. If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a utility disconnection call, hang up and contact your utility company directly, using contact information you know to be valid. Please help stop these scams by sharing the information with someone you know. Learn more about this scam on the CAP Connection blog. If you have questions about this scam, or have lost money to this scam, please call the Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424.
• Transfer Station Closed Early Sunday Due to Full Compactors: The Cavendish Transfer Station had to close on Sunday 1/10/21 at 3:30 because all the compactors were full. Reminder-if you don’t have a Cavendish Transfer Station sticker for your car, you can now pick them up at the Transfer Station.
• TRSU board approves 14% budget increase: The Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) board unanimously approved a budget of $6.548 million, which taxpayers in the SU’s two districts will see as assessments in the district budgets for the 2021/22 school year. The spending plan included an overall increase of $807,764 — 14.07 percent — over last year’s budget of $5.74 million. While spending in some areas declined or only rose in small amounts, the vast majority of the increase – $644,060 – came in special education. Chester Telegraph
• CHS Cares Closet: Lots of new items, particularly in the craft, game, and puzzle chest. If you haven’t replaced your cloth mask in a while, please consider doing so as they are only good for up to 15 washings. Cloth and disposable masks are in the upper left hand shelf. The CHS Cares closet is located next to the steps of the Museum-open 24/7 and free.
• Independent school named Expeditionary School at Black River
2. TALK: EPIDEMICS/PANDEMICS: All of this has happened before and will happen again. As noted by Marcus Aurelius,—the same plot from beginning to end, the identical staging. However, when you are in the midst of a pandemic, it feels as if it’s never happened before (it most likely hasn’t happened to you before) and it provokes fear, civil unrest, as well significant changes following the event.
Okemo Valley TV and the Cavendish Historical Society are jointly sponsoring a zoom talk on Jan. 27 (Wed) at 7 pm, which will cover the origins of pandemics/epidemics, their impact on history, including Vermont’s, common characteristics, and the lasting changes that have occurred with past events. Note that this will also be streamed live to the OVTV’s uTube page. To obtain the Zoom information, you will need to RSVP at the OVTV website.
3.PRODUCE BOXES AVAILABLE: Chester Helping Hands, in conjunction with Katsiroubas, offers a low-cost produce and fruit box, available on Saturdays via contactless drive thru in Chester. Available to the Cavendish Community, this is an order on line, pick up service, with payment due at pick up or when ordering.
How it Works:
- Go to Katsiroubas Cares Box website and place your order. You must order by Wednesday midnight for Saturday delivery.
- On Saturday, go to the Chester Andover Elementary School (72 Main St) and pick up your order by the first initial of your last name: A-L ( 8:30-9:30 am) M-Z (9:30-10:30 am)
In addition to the produce/fruit boxes, there is a Saturday “curbside market” that features local farms, restaurants etc. To take advantage of these services, you will be placing orders via “sign up genius.”
Vendors at the “Curbside Market” change weekly so the best way to take advantage of the market is to request membership at the Chester Helping Hands Facebook page.
4. COVID UPDATE: With a total of 9 cases, there was one new case in Cavendish the week ending Jan. 6. Unfortunately, VT is experiencing a surge from the holidays and records are being set for hospitalizations as well as new cases. More important than actual numbers is the fact that Covid is wide spread throughout the state, including Cavendish, and a more easily transmitted variant strain is occurring in surrounding states. Bottom line please be vigilant in prevention protocols.
For those who like knowing the numbers: as of 1/14/21, VT has had 9,573 cases, reaching the 9,000 cases mark on Monday 1/11/21, with 162 deaths total. There are currently 44 Vermonters in hospital, eight of whom are requiring ICU care.
Modeling: The state’s modeling, as of January 12 shows a17% increase in new Covid cases in the Northeast region. Note there was a significant increase in testing following the holidays, so it’s helpful to look at the positivity rate, which is declining regionally from about 11% down to 7%, which is still well above the 5% threshold. VT’s new cases has shot up, adding 1,000 new cases in just 6 days. VT saw more cases in five days than they did during the five months bridging spring, summer and autumn. The seven day test positivity rate is currently 2.9%. VT currently has the lowest positivity rate and hospitalizations in the country, and ranks 2nd for cases and 3rd for fatalities. If trends continue, VT could start seeing more than 300 cases a day. However, it would take 14 straight days of close to 350 cases per day to exceed the state’s ICU capacity.
Vaccines: As of Tuesday about 24,800 people have now been vaccinated in Vermont (4% of those 16+) , including 1,781 who have received both doses. “When is it my turn to be vaccinated?” is a question many have. That will be the focus of today’s Governor’s press conference at 11 am. What’s been stated this week is that VT wants to continue to roll out a vaccination schedule in 5 year increments starting with those 75+ and/or with serious underlying conditions. VT is choosing this approach as they want to ensure that everyone who gets a first dose can get the second one. Federal health officials are urging states to vaccinate all Americans over age 65 and those ages 16 to 64 who have a documented underlying health condition.
VT teachers will not be prioritized, as teachers have a low rate of infection. Their positivity rate -- the percentage of those tested who are positive -- is one-tenth that of the statewide population
Please note that as soon as we know appointment scheduling, we will start posting that information to Facebook and the other Cavendish Connects venues.
Not Sure About the COVID-19 Vaccine? Get the Facts, Then Decide: There is a lot of misinformation out there about the vaccines. This blog post from The Michigan Health Lab (Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan) can help you sort fact from myth. If you have questions about the vaccine, please speak to your health provider and work with them in deciding what’s right for you.
VT AstraZeneca Vaccine Trail Leader Optimistic, Analysis Expected within a Month
The New U.K. Coronavirus Variant Is In The U.S. Here's How Fast It Could Spread
Local PSAs: Thanks Red Vault and dG Bodyworks for making public service announcements to help our community in staying safe.
• “We Hear You” VT Skiing PSA from Proctorsville Red Vault Productions
• DG Bodyworks: Straight talk, no shame, about Denise’s experience with Covid and how to do the right thing.
Local Resources: If you need to quarantine either from exposure or because you have Covid, local resources are available to help you:
- CHS Cares Closet: Masks (cloth and disposable), books, toys, craft supplies. Open 24/7. All free. Located next to the steps of the Cavendish Historical Society Museum.
5. UPCOMING EVENTS:
JANUARY 15 (FRIDAY): Municipal Utility Payment Due
JANUARY 18 (MONDAY): Martin Luther King Day Town office closed
JANUARY 27 (WEDNESDAY): Pandemic/Epidemic talk, 7 pm via Zoom, sponsored the Cavendish Historical Society and Okemo Valley TV. This will also be available at the OVTV UTube channel. RSVP to the OVTV website for Zoom information.
FEBURARY 3 (WEDNESDAY): The Cavendish Fletcher Community Library's Spoilers Club. will meet via zoom on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:00 to discuss the modern western "Yellowstone" starring Kevin Costner. All three seasons of which are available to borrow from the library. FMI: 226-7503
FEBRUARY 15 (MONDAY): President’s Day, Town Office Closed.
CA❤︎ENDSH-A SAFER SIX COMMUNITY
Covers mouth & nose
Always masks in public & washes hands
Vermonters keep each other safe
Elbow coughs
Never socializes with those outside their immediate household
Disinfects common surfaces
Is alert for symptoms
Stays at least 6 feet apart from others
Has respect for personal space