Cavendish Update 8/6/21: Construction/Covid/News/Updates
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8/6/21
1. RT 131 Construction/Bridge @ Exit 8 Update from VTrans 8/5/21
2. Cavendish Info
3. Pollard Teenage Pharmacist
4. Covid update
5. Events
1. RT 131 CONSTRUCTION/BRIDGE @ EXIT 8 UPDATE-8/5/21: Please direct questions and concerns to Natalie Boyle at Vtrans802-855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com The updates below are from Vtrans:
Rt 131: Placement of curbing will continue next week. The roadway has been paved with the intermediate course of asphalt and temporary markings have been placed. Traffic speeds have picked up with the smoother surfaces. Please be advised that the work zone speed reduction is still in place. Guardrail work to continue next week. Roadway ditching operations will continue next week. Adjustments to drainage structures is scheduled to begin next week.
Bridge @ Exit 8: Approach work continues on the south end of the bridge, and has started on the north end of the bridge as well. Remaining F-barrier on the bridge is scheduled for installation next week. Next week crews will work on forming and placing the northern approach slab. Substructure repairs on the piers under the bridge will continue throughout the week next week. Formwork on the concrete rail on the south approach slab is tentatively scheduled for next week.
2. CAVENDISH INFO
• Fire in Proctorsville: In the early hours of Tuesday, Aug 3, there was a motor vehicle fire in front of the Pollard Block (7 Depot St). While it was brought under control quickly by the Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Dept., the cause of the fire is suspicious and being investigated by VT State Police. Anyone with any information is asked to contact PFD Chief Glidden at 226-7281 or contact VT State Police.
• Water Testing: Water testing on the Black River showed much lower levels of e-coli levels this Wednesday, and is safe for recreating. Note that there was a problem with the Cavendish Gorge sample and consequently, there is no data for that swimming hole this week. It is recommended to stay out of the water for 24 hours after a heavy rain or any time it appears cloudy. Test results are posted to Is it Clean?
• Concerts on the Green: Last concert on the Green is Aug. 11 and will feature Dr. Tom’s Band, a roots-rock band with a bit of jazz on the side. Concerts start at 6 at Svec Park (Proctorsville Green) with a rain location of Gethsemane Church, just off Depot St. Concerts are free and open to the public. Wearing masks at the concert and physical distancing are required for those who are not vaccinated. The Green is large and the band will be loud enough to be heard throughout, so please spread out and maintain distancing. Thank you CCCA, sponsors, and Sharon Huntley for another great concert season
3. POLLARDS TEENAGE PHARMACIST: The Pollard general store, operated in Proctorsville for approximately 100 years, selling a wide variety of products, including window shades, glazed windows, tobacco, sugar, medicines, footwear, shawls, rope, carpets, petroleum products, and food products.
Serving both humans and animals, Pollards provided a “compounding” pharmacy service, which made customized medications.
Dan Churchill, the owner of “Commercial Radio,” wanted to be a pharmacist as a kid. Around the age of 12-13, he started hanging out at Pollard’s Store and it wasn’t long before he was employed in the pharmacy department. The longer Dan worked for Park Pollard, the more he turned over the day to day operations to him.
The same year Dan headed off to college, 1955, Park Pollard died, and with it the pharmacy service.
While Park was able to become a pharmacist under the apprentice system, by 1948, the American Council on Education declared that the pharmacy degree should be a 6-year program. Without the funds for such an education, Dan had to opt for “plan B” and went into electrical engineering.
However, Dan never lost his interest in pharmacy and when given the opportunity by the Pollard family, he took part of the store’s apothecary section along with the books of prescriptions.
On Sunday, August 15 at 2 pm, Dan will be speaking at the Cavendish Historical Society Museum, 1958 Main St (Route 131) in Cavendish about his experience being a teenage pharmacist at Pollard’s store. This program is free and open to the public. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com or 802-226-7807
4. COVID UPDATE: We received a lot of questions this week and have tried to answer as many as possible in today’s Update. Please keep in mind that as the virus changes, so does data, information and recommendations. Questions can be e-mailed to cavendishconnects@gmail.com.
Is the Delta Variant Responsible for Rises in Vermont Cases?: Yes. 93% of the state’s July samples were positive for the Delta variant.
There were 282 cases in the past week compared to 171 in the previous one and from Aug. 2 (Monday)-Aug. 5 (Thursday) there have been 223 cases. Hospitalizations are now starting to rise and on Thursday, the state had rates similar to May-11 cases with 6 in the ICU. According to Tuesday state modeling report, the median age of unvaccinated infections in the last week is 30 years old. Cases are expected to rise and peak in the next 4-5 weeks, with 100 cases a day not being unusual by mid-month.
Vaccinations in VT have increased this past week by 14.6% over the last week, with 84.1% of eligible Vermonters having started vaccination. There are 87,801 eligible Vermonters still unvaccinated.
How many VT cases are “breakthroughs?”: This term is used when people are fully vaccinated and test positive for the virus. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that of 17,104 cases reported in VT from Jan 1 to July 14, 2021, 276 (1.6%) of these cases were among those that were fully vaccinated. Out of 905 hospitalizations for that same time period, 13 (1.4%) were among the vaccinated. However, the Delta variant has picked up speed since this study was done and as noted above, cases are rapidly rising.
A better understanding of “breakthroughs” resulting from the Delta variant comes from a July 30 study from the CDC. Findings from 469 Covid-19 cases that occurred in Barnstable County, MA (includes Provincetown) between July 3 and July 17 found that roughly ¾ of those cases were among fully vaccinated people. While five were hospitalized, four of them were fully vaccinated. No deaths were reported.
How many people have died from the vaccine in the U.S? Over 339 million vaccine doses were given to 187.2 million people in the US as of July 19, 2021. The vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires vaccination providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Only three 3 deaths appear to be linked to the blood clots that have occurred after the J & J vaccine. By comparison, as of July 23, 2021, more than 610,000 deaths have been attributed to the virus in the US alone.
Why hasn’t the FDA changed the emergency use status of the mRN vaccines (Modernia & Pfizer) to approved? According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, about 30% of unvaccinated people say they’re waiting for vaccines to be fully approved by the FDA. As a starting point, the FDA doesn’t have the power to decide on its own to convert products from an emergency-use authorization to a full approval.” Instead, a company like Pfizer or Moderna must first request approval. Pfizer began that process by submitting a biologics license application to the FDA in May, and the agency granted it a priority review. Moderna kicked off the process in June. Reviewing those applications, called BLAs, will take time. On July 16, the FDA accepted Pfizer’s application “under priority review” meaning it will move faster than standard reviews which typically take at least 10 months. There are indications that Pfizer could be approved by Labor Day.
Why Should I vaccinate? According to Health Commissioner, Dr. Levine, “If you are not vaccinated, but could be, you're leaving yourself without protection to an often-serious illness that has actually killed 260 of our friends and loved ones. People who are not vaccinated are the biggest drivers of virus spread, which allows for more mutations like the Delta variant.” Note that the VT Medical Society supports mandated vaccines for all health care workers. At least five hospitals Brattleboro Memorial, White River Junction VA Medical Center, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Southwestern Vermont Region, which offers care through Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, are requiring some or all of their employees to be vaccinated. VT Digger
What will happen with schools this fall?: The state is recommending in person school, five days per week, with universal masking for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. No physical distancing required. Once 80% of the eligible student population in a school (only applies to those 12 and up) has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the guidance for that school can be changed to masking only for un vaccinated individuals. VT’s guidelines differ from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, both of which call for universal mask mandate for everyone in school facilities. Education secretary, Dan French, said the national guidelines do not account for VT’s high vaccination rate. “Vermont is certainly not an island, but Vermonters know vaccines work, and that understanding needs to be factored into our decision making for schools.”
Does the CDC Mask Guidance Apply in VT?: The CDC recommends that anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who lives where “substantial” or “high” infection rates are occurring, mask when indoors. The CDC’s Covid-19 Integrated County View map identifies counties by low, moderate, substantial or high. In VT, no county is listed as having “low” cases. On Aug. 5, the following Vermont counties are at “substantial”: Bennington; Chittenden; Franklin; Grande Isle; and Orleans. In NH, Belknap; Cheshire; Grafton; Hillsborough; Rockingham; and Strafford are registering “substantial cases.” At this time, VT has no state COVID-19 restrictions or requirements for Vermonters or visitors to follow. Please note this could change in subsequent weeks and some stores and towns have reinstated indoor masking requirements. Masks Now Required in the Following Places Regardless of Vaccination Status: Cavendish Community Library; Ludlow Library Youth library (note the adult library requires those who are un vaccinated to mask); Hanover Coop; the town of Hanover; Dartmouth College; Home Depot
A Doomsday COVID Variant Worse Than Delta and Lambda May Be Coming, Scientists Say: Scientists keep underestimating the coronavirus.…. When the damage from Delta starts to subside, what other variants will be lurking just behind it to pull us back down again? The World Health Organization is already keeping an eye on several: Eta, which is now in several countries; Kappa, which arose in India; Iota, which first popped up in New York City—and especially Lambda, which has torn through Peru and shows signs of having unusual success in infecting fully vaccinated people, according to one early study. It has already spread to Argentina, Chile, Ecuador as well as Texas and South Carolina. Newsweek
Make vaccination a priority! School starts September 7 (Tuesday), that’s sufficient time to vaccinated the 12-17 year old group with the Pfizer vaccine and have them protected by the start of school. Those 18+ can be vaccinated with one dose of the Johnson & Johnson, which provides protection after two weeks. Vaccination is available locally at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Ludlow (228-8477) or Ludlow Health Center (226-8867). Pop up testing sites are listed at the state’s website.
5. UPCOMING EVENTS:
AUGUST 9 (MONDAY): Cavendish Select Board meeting, 6:30 pm at the Cavendish Town Office.
AUGUST 11 (WEDNESDAY): Concert in Svec Park (Proctorsville Green), 6pm, free and open to the public. Artists: Dr. Tom’s Band (Roots/Rock). Rain location is Gethsemane Church, off Depot St.
AUGUST 12 (THURSDAY): 10-5 Pickle Day at the Cavendish Library. Come on in and get pickled. Looking for donations of vegetables or small glass jars that week. Free and open to the public. FMI: 226-7503
AUGUST 14 (SATURDAY): 4-6 PM Ice Cream Social at the Cavendish Library A community get together. See the new layout of the library and get to meet new people now residing in our area or even just to reacquaint with others we haven't seen since the pandemic hit. Free and open to the public. FMI: 226-7503
AUGUST 15 (SUNDAY): What’s in the Cavendish Historical Society Museum’s Medicine Cabinet? We’ve done a study of the potions, notions and medicines that have been in the Museum’s exhibit. Talk begins at 2 pm at the Museum and will feature Dan Churchill who worked at Pollard’s store compounding medicine from 8th-12th grades. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com or 802-226-7807.
AUGUST 18 (WEDNESDAY): 7pm Book Club Evening at the Cavendish Library. Discussion of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Books available at the library or electronically thru Hoopla. This is a free and open event. FMI: 226-7503
AUGUST 21 (SATURDAY: Fletcher Farm Craft Sale. Vendors and volunteers needed. FMI: Festival Director Sue Carey at SueSmyserCarey@hotmail.com.
SEPTEMBER 7 (TUESDAY): First day of school.
SEPT. 11 (SATURDAY): VT Golden Honey Festival 10-4 at the Golden Stage Inn, Proctorsville Depot St. Free
• 20th Anniversary of 9/11: Local remembrance by area fire departments. A march will begin at the Ludlow Fire Station at 12:30 pm and end at Veteran’s Park in Ludlow. A ceremony with guest speakers will take place at 1 pm with lunch to follow. This event remembers those who lost their lives that day as well as those who have died from complications from exposures sustained in rescue operations.
· RiverSweep
SEPT. 12 (SUNDAY): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk. Meet at the Cavendish Historical Society Museum at 2 pm. The tour is about 1 1/2 miles round trip. Walking shoes are recommended. Included in the tour is the site of the accident. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com or 802-226-7807
OCTOBER 3 (SUNDAY): Fitton-the Mill, the Firebug, and Everything in Between. Starting at 2 pm at the Museum, there will be a talk on the Fitton (Spring) Mill, the town that grew up around it-Fittonsville- and the man Robert “Firebug” Fitton who was responsible for its demise and lots of other property in the town of Cavendish. The talk will be following by a walk out to the site where the Mill, boarding house, and other structures once stood. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for walking on uneven terrain. FMI: margocaulfield@icloud.com 802-226-7807
DECEMBER 12 (SUNDAY): Christmas Ghost Walk-Proctorsville. 7 pm, meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial. Free and open to the public. FMI: 802-226-7807.
CA❤︎ENDSH VACCINATES TO PROTECT SELF & OTHERS
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