Cavendish Update 3/18/22: SB Mtg/Tag Sale/Telecommunications
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3/18/22
1. Cavendish SB Mtg
2. Cavendish Info
3. Town Wide Tag Sale
4. Covid update
5. Events
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 3/14/22: Cavendish Select Board (SB) meetings are available at the Okemo Valley TV website. Minutes are available at the Cavendish Municipal website and for this particular meeting, The VT Journal has also filed a report.
Discussed/Action Taken
• Approved the following:
- The use of the town greens for the Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, July 30, 9-2
- Liquor license applications for Singleton’s, Brook Farm Vineyard, Murdock’s, and Outer Limits
• Update on Cavendish Telecommunications: The state considers speeds less than 25/3 Mbgs to be underserved. By that definition, Cavendish would have a relatively small un/underserved population in comparison to other parts of the state- approximately 8% of the town’s 969 addresses (2% unserved and 6% underserved). While TDS, the town’s largest landline carrier, who also offers Internet, is planning to build out their network with fiber, they will begin with the most densely populated areas, waiting for money from the state to reach the area where many of the underserved live. There is currently no plan to reach the unserved, who are primarily in the northeastern section of the town covered by Consolidated Communications, which has provided landline service only to their catchment area. An in-depth report on Cavendish’s Telecommunications is available at the Cavendish Update blog.
• Town Meeting and Report: With a note of thanks to Jen Leak, the town report is completed and will be mailed out shortly. It is now available at the Town’s Website and can also be picked up at the Town office. The hybrid Town Informational Meeting will take place at 7 pm on March 28th-In person at CTES multi-purpose room or via zoom. Voting, by Australian ballot, takes place on March 29th from 10-7 at the Proctorsville Fire Dept.
• Town Office Walkway: A request for proposal (RFP) will be developed this week to begin the replacement of the walkway, which is in serious need of repair.
• Old Town Garage Site: This is a top priority for summer, with work beginning as soon as weather permits. The goal is to turn it into a park. Soil testing will be needed before that can happen and town manager, Brendan McNamara is currently looking for testing funds. The fuel tank is being removed, along with the pole barns, and relocated to the current town garage site.
• Speed Ordinance: McNamara said he will have a draft by the next meeting
• Roads: A paving grant had been obtained and the priority will be Tarbell Hill followed by Whitesville Rd and High St.
- SB member Sandra Russo requested that thought be given to speed limits in the village of Proctorsville. Digital signage has been discussed, but because Rt 131 is a state road, different procedures are required.
- It was suggested that speed tests be conducted in both villages to better understand how fast drivers are going. Again the issue of it being a state road was called into question.
- Concerns were raised about the quality of the sand on the backroads, if it is too fine, it makes the roads “greasy.” McNamara said that they review each batch with this year’s supply being of good quality approximately 90% of the time.
2. CAVENDISH INFO
• The Interstate bridge construction (Exit 8-131 Weathersfield) has recently resumed and is slated for completion October of this year. Periodically traffic on 131 will be one way. There will also be one lane traffic, in either direction, on I-91. Speed limits on I-91 is reduced to 55 MPH with fines doubling in construction zones. There is currently no impact on 131. FMI: Natalie Boyle 802/855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com
• Vermonters urged to remove bird feeders as bears emerge from hibernation earlier than usual
• Weston Playhouse rebrands itself, announces 86th season: With a new logo and an upbeat selection of presentations, the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is rebranding itself as the Weston Theater Company as it enters its 86th season.
• Vt. DMV rolling out new inspection sticker system
• Canada relaxes border testing requirements for Covid: Fully vaccinated travelers will no longer have to take a Covid test before entering Canada starting April 1.
• Why is Russia invading Ukraine? A Resource for Curious Kids: Kids around the world are asking questions about what is happening and what it means for them. NPR has put together a podcast as well as resources to help children and their parents learn more about war and ways families can help.
3. CAVENDISH 12th ANNUAL TOWN WIDE TAG SALE: Once again it’s time to start sorting items for the Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, which will take place on July 30 (Saturday) from 9-2. Space is available for free on both of the town greens for Cavendish residents, property owners and businesses.
4. COVID UPDATE: For local information on testing, vaccinations, boosters, notifying contacts as well as other resources, including for Long Covid, please see the Cavendish COVID-19 Resource Guide.
WEEKLY DATA:
Cavendish & Surrounding Towns: Week Ending March 9. No new cases in Cavendish (178 total) or Ludlow (333). Chester had 7 cases (646), while Springfield dropped significantly to 8 cases (2,045 total) and Weathersfield had 1 new case (267). Note that the state is discontinuing town counts.
State: According to the March 15 state modeling, Case and hospitalization metrics across the region and nationally improved this week. National forecasts anticipate these trends will continue in the coming weeks. CDC modeling predicts US COVID-19 fatalities will keep falling as these favorable trajectories persist.
The state is moving into a new phase of Covid-19-learning to live with the virus. According to Commissioner of Health Dr. Mark Levine, “I want to emphasize that the virus is still here, and frankly will be with us for some time to come.” On Monday, new guidance went into effect, which includes:
• masks are optional, including schools, but with the exception of health care and public transit settings;
• if you test positive, isolate for five days;
• if you have symptoms get tested;
• close contacts who are not boosted should get tested around day five; and
• get vaccinated and boosted.
Levine introduced new testing strategies on Tuesday, The state-run PCR testing clinics will begin to ramp down, and starting this week, Vermonters can make an appointment with the state to pick up either a rapid antigen test, or an rapid at-home PCR test, called a LAMP test. Learn more about the new testing program at the State’s website. Note that you can now get up to four free rapid take home tests for each appointment but only one LAMP per appointment.
As this week’s modeling report also noted, Global cases are up 11% this week, primarily driven by confirmed infections in Europe and Asia. These case increases are possibly due to a combination of factors, including low rates of immunity (Hong Kong, China), the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, and the lifting of COVID-19 mitigation measures.
Wastewater in the United States, including Vermont, is showing an uptick in Covid-19. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged the increase after Bloomberg reported that a third of the agency’s wastewater sample sites showed a rise in Covid cases from March 1 to March 10. That was double what it was from Feb. 1 to Feb. 10, when the highly infectious omicron variant that had roared across the country during the holiday season was starting to wane, the Bloomberg analysis of CDC data found.
While numbers have continued downward, Wednesday and Thursday, March 16 and 17, saw an uptick in cases, 377 new cases in the last two days (114,709 total). There have been 3 new deaths, the first since March 7 (611 total). Hospitalizations have increased to 17 with 5 in the ICU.
Flags will be flown at half-mast on Saturday, March 19, to mark the second anniversary of the first Covid related in death in Vermont. Bob Kirkbride was a much loved member of the Okemo Valley community.
OTHER
• Vermont pharmacies aren’t likely able to participate in test-to-treat after all
• The White House says it's running out of money to cover COVID tests and vaccines
• COVID Surge in Western Europe Puts US Health Experts on Alert: Infectious disease experts are watching BA.2, the Omicron subvariant that appears to be more transmissible than the original strain. BA.2 is fueling outbreaks across Europe and is growing in dominance across the U.S.
5. EVENTS
MARCH 26 (SATURDAY) Noon-2pm at the Cavendish Library. The Senior Solutions team will be holding ‘open hours’ to answer any questions residents may have related to the 3SquaresVT food benefits and Fuel Assistance
MARCH 27 (SUNDAY): 1-2 pm Visit with an author: Howard Coffin, at the Cavendish Library. FMI: Kata at 802-226-7503
MARCH 28 (MONDAY): Hybrid Town Informational Meeting; 7 pm. In person at CTES multi-purpose room or via zoom.
MARCH 29 (TUESDAY): Cavendish Voting Day by Australian Ballot. 10-7 at the Proctorsville Fire Department.
APRIL 1 (FRIDAY): Cavendish Dog License renewal due
APRIL 5 (TUESDAY): Registrations for Free Easter Dinner due today. Call Angela at 802-356-3823 to reserve your free dinner(s).
APRIL 15 (FRIDAY): Town Office closed for Good Friday
APRIL 15 (FRIDAY)-APRIL 23 (SATURDAY): Passover
APRIL 16 (SATURDAY): Easter Jazz Concert at St James United Methodist Church Main St Proctorsville at 6PM.
APRIL 17 (SUNDAY): HAPPY EASTER
MAY 2 (MONDAY): Grant applications for the Cavendish Community Fund are due. FMI: Douglas McBride at 226-7142 or Peter LaBelle at 226-7250.
JUNE 1 (WEDNESDAY): CCCA’s Cavendish Calendar Photography Contest photographs are due today. FMI: cavendishcommunityconservation@gmail.com.
JULY 30 (SATURDAY): Cavendish’s Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, 9-2.
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