Cavendish Update 5/27/22: Memorial Day/Concerts/Tag Sale/News
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Milling has begun on 131 and will continue from the NH/VT line to 106/131 (Downers). Expect delays by the entrance to 91. Drive Safe this holiday weekend.
5/27/22
1. Memorial Day/Weekend Activities
2. 2022 Cavendish Summer Concert Series
3. Town Wide Tag Sale
4. Cavendish Info
5. Covid update
6. Events
1. MEMORIAL DAY/WEEKEND: While many view Memorial Day as the start of the summer season, it was first observed May 30,1868 to honor those who died in the Civil War.
We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” James A. Garfield, Arlington National Cemetery.
Originally called Decoration Day, over the years the last Monday in May includes visiting cemeteries and laying wreaths on the graves of loved ones, military or otherwise.
In Cavendish, the CTES 6th graders have visited all of the town cemeteries, placing flags on veterans’ graves and doing a general clean up. They will be cleaning gravestones in early June.
Below is a list of those from Cavendish who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Revolutionary War: While many Patriots are buried in the town cemeteries, particularly the Revolutionary Cemetery, the only ones who died while serving in the war, are buried in unmarked graves in the Coffeen and possibly the Revolutionary Cemetery. They were most likely not from Cavendish, but died on the Crown Point Rd, which was close to both cemeteries.
Civil War: Of the 173 names appearing on the Cavendish Civil War Memorial: 10 died in battle, five from wounds received in battle, 4 in prison, 9 while in the service (diseases like typhoid) and one was lost at sea.
- Joseph Ashley: Killed in Action (KIA) Gettysburg
- Zaccheus Blood: KIA Windchester
- Henry G. Fillebrown: KIA Petersburg
- J. Quincy French: KIA Wilderness, he was 19
- Hial W. Holden: Lost on steamer “north America,” off Cape Hatteras.
- Lowell Paine: Lost on steamer “north America,” off Cape Hatteras.
- Wesley Sheldon: KIA Cedar Creek
- John Smith: KIA Petersburg
- Henry C. Spaulding: Died in Andersonville Prison
- Josiah Dana Thompson: Died from service related consumption
`. - James Webster: KIA Cold Harbor
Spanish American War (1898): Six men served from Cavendish, with one person killed in battle-Ernest. C. Grout
WWI: Cavendish sent 57 men and one woman. Of the four who died, three died from disease (most likely flu related)-George Dixon, Winthrop Hoyle (he was only 16), Truman McNulty and Francis Wallace
WWII: One hundred and sixty-eight men and one woman served in the war. Six men were killed in action- Theodore Berg; Harold C. Davy; Duane G. Hodge (killed in an airplane crash in Labrador, brother of Kenneth); Kenneth D. Hodge (Corregidor); Morris Percy; Edward Sherer; and H.W.A. Spaulding
Korea: 55 served, no deaths
Vietnam: 60 served, no deaths
Memorial Day Weekend Activities
• CHS Annual Plant Sale: As always, there will be an “early bird special” on Friday, May 27 from 5-7 pm and continues on May 28 (Saturday) from 9-noon. The sale takes place in front of the Cavendish Historical Society Museum. There are lovely hosta, container veggies and herbs, geraniums and a variety of perennials. The CHS Cares Closet will be open, where books, puzzles and whatever else is free. KN95 masks, adult and children sizes, plus hand sanitizer will be available for free. Moonlite Meadows will have their free range/grass fed beef for sale.
• Ludlow Memorial Day Events: Parade, 9 am on Main St; Veterans Park Ceremony will follow the parade. Click here for more information.
• VT Open Studio: May 28 (Saturday) and 29 (Sunday) from 10-5 is the VT Crafts Council’s 30th Anniversary VT Spring Open Studio Weekend. Chris Wuttke of Mason House Pottery, 384 Atkinson Rd in Cavendish will be open.
Cavendish will not be holding any formal Memorial Day activities on May 30 due to continuing Covid-19
2. CAVENDISH 2022 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA), on behalf of the Town of Cavendish, is putting together a terrific lineup of talented, popular, local musicians for the Wednesday evening Summer Concerts on the Green series. The music starts this year on July 6th at 6:00 pm, and as always is held on the Svec Memorial Green in Proctorsville. While the lineup is still under construction, the first concert will be played by perennial local favorite Gypsy Reel who play high energy, stirring music rooted in the Celtic tradition but garnered worldwide.
All concerts are free and open to the public, so grab your lawn chair, a picnic and a cold drink, and join your friends and neighbors to enjoy plenty of rollicking good music from the gazebo. Murdock’s Restaurant, Singleton’s Market, and Outer Limits Brewery each serve takeout food, so please support your local businesses. Wearing masks and physical distancing is encouraged. Please spread out and maintain distancing. FMI: CavendishCommunityConservation@gmail.com
3. CAVENDISH INFO
• Request for Concerns Regarding the Recent Teacher Arrest and how it was handled: The Chester Telegraph has posted the following request for information regarding the recent arrest of GM teacher Norman Merrill for child pornography. A number of parents seem to have concerns about how this was handled by the TRSU. Please email me with those concerns. We would like to have the TRSU address those concerns in a follow up article. cprairie@chestertelegraph.org
• Merrill Pleads Not Guilty/Ordered to remain in custody: GMUHS middle school language arts teacher, Norman Merrill pleaded not guilty to 3 charges of “sexually explicit conduct.” Chester Telegraph
• GMUSD board meeting coincides with news of Merrill’s arrest
• Fired by GMUSD board, Merrill awaits trial in jail: After a 58-minute executive session last night, the Green Mountain Unified School District board voted to dismiss Norman Merrill II, who has taught middle school at Green Mountain High for many years. Merrill is in jail in northern Vermont awaiting trial on a three-count federal indictment involving the creation of child pornography. Chester Telegraph
• The Ludlow Rotary Club is continuing its annual scholarship awards to graduating high school students who reside in Ludlow, Mt. Holly, Plymouth and Cavendish. https://www.chestertelegraph.org/2022/05/25/ludlow-rotary-offers-scholarships-to-area-graduating-seniors
• Shred event at Shaw’s in Ludlow: AID-Certified SecurShred will be accepting paper shredding on June 4, 2022 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Shaw’s Plaza. This event is sponsored by Mary W. Davis Realtor & Associates and is free. Look for the Mary Davis Tent on the day of the event.
• Vermont officials say tick season is now all year
4. TOWN WIDE TAG SALE: Just about two months from now, the Cavendish Annual Town Wide Tag will be held July 30 (Saturday) from 9-2. If you haven’t registered for a place on one of the town greens, and/or want to promote your sale, do so by e-mailing cavendishconnects@gmail.com or calling 802-226-7807. The more information you can provide, the more we can post at the Cavendish’s Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, 9-2.
5. 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.
TRSU SCHOOL NUMBERS: Cases have been reported from May 19-May 26 as follows: Chester/Andover Elementary-3; Ludlow Elementary School-7; Mt Holly Elementary-1. No cases reported for CTES or GMUHS.
STATE: According to the May 25 Surveillance Report, Statewide community levels are high but not as high as they have been. They’ve dropped by 23% in the past week. New hospitalizations, while dropping slightly continue-down to 9 admissions per day versus more recent 17 admissions per day. According to VT Digger there is an issue with the state’s database that might be resolved this week. As it is, there isn’t reporting on numbers in hospital, ICU or new cases in this Wednesday’s report.
While Springfield is the closest town to Cavendish monitoring wastewater for indications of Covid, data has yet to be provided. Some of the Vermont monitoring sites show slight decreases, other towns, Essex Junction and Troy/Jay, are reporting an increase in viral levels.
At many Vermont hospitals, ‘COVID never left’
6.EVENTS
MAY 27 (FRIDAY): 5-7 pm, Early Bird Cavendish Historical Society plant sale in front of the Museum
MAY 28 (SATURDAY): 9-noon: CHS Plant sale continues in front of the Museum
MAY 28 (SATURDAY)-MAY 29 (SUNDAY): VT Open Studio tour. See item 1 for more information.
MAY 30 (MONDAY): Memorial Day. Legal holiday. Town Office Closed
JUNE 1 (WEDNESDAY): CCCA’s Cavendish Calendar Photography Contest photographs are due today. FMI: cavendishcommunityconservation@gmail.com.
JUNE 21 (TUESDAY): Last day of school
- 1st Day of Summer Happy Solstice
JULY 4 (MONDAY): Happy 4th of July. Town Office Closed. Fireworks in our area will be as follows:
JULY 30 (SATURDAY): Cavendish’s Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, 9-2.