Cavendish Update 12/20/19: Explosion/Education/News/Events

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PLEASE NOTE THAT TRANSFER STATION WILL BE CLOSED ON DEC. 25 (WED) BUT WILL BE OPEN FROM 8-5 ON THURS. DEC. 26. Check out the following link to see what seasonal items are recyclable at the Transfer station.

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12/20/19 Cavendish Update

1. Sunday’s Tannerite Explosion

2. Education News

3. Cavendish Related news

4. Events

 

1.SUNDAY TANNERITE EXPLOSION: On Sunday afternoon, around 12:30, many people in Cavendish reported a loud explosion, which shook homes and was unnerving to say the least. Earthquake was one possible explanation suggested on the Cavendish VT Facebook page. One resident was outside and thought they were being shot at. Another reported having various items in their home break from falling off the wall and shelves and now wonders about foundation damage.

The cause was the detonation of approximately 50 lbs. of Tannerite by a resident on Old County Rd. The blast was heard in a 15 mile radius, including Springfield, Claremont, and Chester.

Tannerite is a brand of binary explosive targets used for firearms practice and sold in kit form. Because it is sold as two separate components, it can be transported and sold in many places without the legal restrictions that would otherwise apply to explosives. No charges were filed.

 

2. EDUCATION NEWS: There are a variety of reports on the Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) as well as the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD).

• Auditor: School districts, including TRSU, service providers failed to check child abuse registry: Eleven supervisory districts or unions failed to screen job applicants in 2018 using Vermont’s child abuse registry. The Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) is listed in the state report as not having checked the Child Protective Registry (CPR) at all in 2018. VT Digger

• 2 approaches: Green Mountain, Ludlow-Mt. Holly school boards tackle spending: The two districts that make up the Two Rivers Supervisory Union are wrestling with controlling the spending in their FY 2021 budgets this year as one looks to increase its educational offerings and accommodate more students, while the other tries to manage the Act 46 downsizing that was supposed to result in savings but has not. And both are working with an SU that has been moving to expand its staff and its financial control over several areas. Chester Telegraph

• GM school board, Cavendish library trustees seek solution over safety concerns: Coverage of the 12/12 GMUSD board meeting where the Cavendish Public Library was discussed. Chester Telegraph

• GMUSD Board and Superintendent Meg Powden Wrestle with Trust Issues: Green Mountain Unified School District board members began their Dec. 12 meeting responding to criticism leveled by Superintendent Meg Powden at the recent TRSU board meeting, during which she said that based on several recent GMUSD Finance Committee meetings, “It’s clear to me that the spirit of collaboration is no longer there.” VT Journal

• What’s your experience? Telegraph seeks perspective of special ed. families, teachers: Are you the parent of a current or former special education student within the Two Rivers Supervisory Union?  Would you share your perspective on the education your child received or is receiving? Are you a teacher or a former special ed student who would like to share your unique point of view? In an effort to report on the special education portion of the Supervisory Union budget, The Telegraph is inviting anyone – parents, former students, staff members – to bring their experiences to us to help us get a clear picture of how services are provided. Email scunningham@chestertelegraph.org to get the conversation going Chester Telegraph

3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Violent Ludlow Robbery and Threats Land Cavendish Man in Jail: A Cavendish man was ordered held without bail this week after he allegedly participated in a violent robbery in Ludlow where the victim’s finger was nearly severed and, in a separate incident, where he allegedly brandished a firearm near his ex-girlfriend and her children in Springfield. Stephan Cota, 31, of Cavendish pleaded innocent on Monday to three separate felony domestic assault charges and to felony counts of assault & robbery and aiding in the commission of a felony.  He also pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor charge of petty larceny. HereCast

 Cavendish Fire Dept. donates funds for CTES emergency kits: Cavendish Volunteer Fire Department has come to the rescue of Cavendish Town Elementary School by donating funds to supply 13 emergency kits to be placed throughout the school. VT Journal  

Windsor man charged with poaching, fleeing from game wardens: It happened in Cavendish Saturday. Authorities say Robert Hagar, 48, fired a gun from the cab of his truck at a deer decoy after legal shooting hours and then led game wardens on a pursuit. Officials say he caused at least one vehicle to go off the road during the chase. They eventually tracked Hagar to a home in Weathersfield where they arrested him and seized his truck. Hagar was charged with attempting to elude, being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking big game in a closed season and shooting from a public highway. He pleaded not guilty on Monday and is due back in court on January 21. WCAX

Outer Limits Brewing lures après-ski crowd to outer limits of southern Vermont: Opened in July in a striking, brick 1850s woolen mill located on the similarly fetching village green in Proctorsville, a hamlet in the Windsor County town of Cavendish. Ski towns and breweries seem like a perfect match for the après crowd, and Outer Limits is less than a 10-minute drive from Ludlow's Okemo Mountain Resort. Burlington Free Press

Despite Bogus Claims From Carriers, Feds Won't Help Boost Cell Coverage In Vermont: The Federal Communications Commission has scrapped a grant program aimed at boosting cell coverage in underserved areas. The news is disappointing for Vermont officials, who spent months last year proving that the carriers' claims of coverage were false. VPR

Okemo upgrades focus on base areas, uphill capacity: Okemo to set receive upgrades as part of Vail Resorts, Inc.’s $215 million investment for 2020 across its resorts. This investment builds on the approximately $190-$195 million that Vail Resorts had planned to spend on capital improvement projects in calendar year 2019. The majority of the new investment at Okemo will be in lift, lodge and dining updates. Changes will increase uphill capacity, improve circulation across the resort, enhance dining options, and make it easier for guests and families to access services, further enhancing the resort’s emphasis on providing superior customer service. Mountain Times

Airbnb announces new policies, party house ban: Airbnb has announced three forward steps in protecting hosts, guests and communities, including a new party house ban, guest standards and dedicated line of communication for  town officials to reach Airbnb in 2020. Mountain Times  

4. EVENTS

DECEMBER 21 (SATURDAY): Winter Solstice

DECEMBER 22-DECEMBER 30 (SUNDAY-MONDAY): HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 24 (TUESDAY); Christmas Eve

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS (Town Office & Transfer Station Closed.)

DECEMBER 26 (THURSDAY): HAPPY KWANZAA

• Cavendish Transfer Station open from 8-5

JANUARY 1 (WEDNESDAY): HAPPY NEW YEAR (Town Office Closed)

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Cavendish Update 12/13/19: GMUSD, SB, News, Job, Events

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CHECK THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE DAILY FOR THE LATEST NEWS You don’t have to be a Facebook subscriber to see this page.

12/13/19 Cavendish Update
1. GMUSD Board Meeting 12/12/19
2.Cavendish Select Board Meeting 12/9/19
3.Cavendish Related news
4.Immediate Job Opening
5. Events

1. GMUSD BOARD MEETING 12/12/19: At last night’s Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) board meeting, various members responded to Twin Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) superintendent, Meg Powden’s, recent criticism of the of the Financial Committee, (the entire board), saying they were not collaborating with administrative initiatives. Cavendish representative, Kate Lamphere, was quite clear that the board takes its oversight role seriously and did not appreciate Powden’s comments. Other members commented that the budget proposed by the TRSU for GMUSD, almost $1.3 million over last year, was something the communities couldn’t afford and the voters wouldn’t support.

Item #7 on the agenda, identified as “CTES Library,” was a primary concern for many in attendance. As Cavendish rep Doug McBride pointed out, it’s not CTES’s library but rather a public library, which CTES has the good fortune to use. As it is, CTES only contributes approximately 2% (approximately $2,000) to the Library’s budget of $100,000. McBride also noted that the library trustees own the building and its contents and have a 99 year lease on the ground it sits on. In short, the board can’t just dictate to them.

Both the library trustees who were present, and GMUSD board members agreed the best effort was to work together. Board chair Joe Fromberger summed up the situation -a patron was openly carrying an unloaded gun in the library when the school was closed-by saying it was being blown out of proportion.

Lamphere, who has a child at the school, felt that everything should be done to protect the safety of the students, and basically, if it cost an additional $50,000 or more to ensure students safety, that would be worth it. However, as other members of the audience noted, the school has many other vulnerabilities that have nothing to do with the library. In fact, Lamphere did note that maybe the issue should be addressed at the community level.

Lamphere’s comment may be more accurate than people realize, as one of the most effective programs in the world in stopping shootings and other types of violence, is Cure Violence. This program uses disease control methods to stop all forms of violence by: detecting and interrupting conflicts; identifying and treating the highest risk individuals; and changing social norms. It may make the most sense if community, library trustees and school work collectively in adopting this type of approach.

2. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD SPECIAL MEETING 12/9/19: Cavendish SB Meetings are videotaped by Okemo Valley TV and available at their website. In addition, minutes are available at the Cavendish Municipal website.

At the December meeting, Tierney Rd once again dominated. This time the Tierney Road Residents Against Quarry came to rebut Maureen Savages’s Letter to the Editor. The comments & concerns of this group are outlined in a Letter to the Editor as well as in the VT Journal’s article Cavendish Select Board meeting continues to discuss Tierney Road quarry. Note: Letters to the Editor reflect the views of the writer only.

Items Discussed/Voted on:
• Approved Cooperative Agreement between the State of Vermont ANR Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation and the Town of Cavendish. (Proctor Piper Trail Project)
• Approved a Special Event Permit for a three year anniversary celebration at DG Bodyworks in Proctorsville for Dec. 14th from 5:15-9:15.
• Approved note in the amount of $195,000 for 24 months at a rate of 2%, to account for Fire Districts tax rate calculation shortfall.
• Heard from external organizations requesting funding for the FY2019-2020 budget. Decisions on amounts of funding take place during the January budget hearings, the first meeting takes place on January 7, Tuesday at 6 pm. Other budget meetings will be held on January 9th, 13 and 16.
• The town health officer, Doris Eddy, has written an emergency health order to Mr. Gattorna whose rental property at 1052 Main St. has no water due to frozen pipes.
• The Town has hired Ron Davis as the assistant water/waste water operator.

3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
TRSU superintendent criticizes GM board budget decisions: Two Rivers Supervisory Union’s Meg Powden used her superintendent’s report at Thursday’s board meeting to chastise the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) Board of Directors for what she said was its attitude toward a number of administration initiatives. Referring to a recent GM finance committee meeting in which the panel (made up of the entire board) opted not to fund several administration priorities, Powden said it was clear to her that the spirit of collaboration is no longer there. The TRSU is pushing for consolidated food and transportation services. Chester Telegraph

Senior Solutions Programs: Vicki Mastroianni, Cavendish resident, was recently videotaped by Okemo Valley TV discussing the various programs for seniors as well as volunteer opportunities for our area. You can watch the video by clicking here.

'Worse For Care': Elder Abuse And Neglect Is A Well-Kept Secret In Vermont: Vermont families who rely on eldercare homes often know little about their track records, despite state inspections that document problem after problem. Families make crucial care decisions in the dark. Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) publishes its citations in inspection reports online, but the reports are uploaded in no particular order on a hard-to-find page. Seven Days and Vermont Public Radio found that one in five of the inspection reports was missing from the state's website. And although the state's eldercare homes must post their most recent inspection reports inside their facilities, the documents can be overlooked and hard to interpret. They also do not make note of previous citations. VPR The joint VPR/Seven Days investigation "Worse for Care" looked into the indignities, injuries and deaths at Vermont eldercare facilities.

4. IMMEDIATE JOB OPENING: Driver/helper 15-20 hours per week. Call 802-226-8131

5. EVENTS
DECEMBER 14 (SATURDAY): Christmas Tree Sale at Proctorsville Fire Dept. 9-4, Santa arrives at 10 with free coffee and homemade doughnuts!

DECEMBER 15 (SUNDAY): Christmas Tree Sale at Proctorsville Fire Dept. 9-4

DECEMBER 21 (SATURDAY): Winter Solstice

DECEMBER 22-DECEMBER 30 (SUNDAY-MONDAY): HANUKKAH

DECEMBER 24 (TUESDAY); Christmas Eve

DECEMBER 25 (WEDNESDAY): MERRY CHRISTMAS

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

LTE: Response to Savage Letter

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Please note that Letters to the Editor reflect the writers’ views only.

This is in response to Maureen Savage’s December 6, 2019 letter in the Cavendish Dish about the Savage’s proposed quarry on Tierney Road.


Tierney Road is a mile-long, dead-end, unpaved Class 3 road, serving an area identified on Cavendish Town Maps as “rural residential”, “forest”, or “deer wintering”, and the Town Plan states that rock quarrying must take place in a location “sufficiently distant and isolated from residential properties.”


When the Savages decided to buy their 177 acres at the top of Tierney Rd in the spring of 2016, they were living in Chester. They had to have known that Tierney Rd residents, who have owned their homes there for two and some for almost three decades, went through litigation led by the CCCA over a proposed McLean quarry in early 2000’s. Cavendish residents, supported by the Planning Commission and the Select Board, eventually prevailed in March of 2006.


Almost immediately after the Savages bought the property, they started making plans with Jason Snow to operate a quarry on under an acre of their land and got into a joint venture contract. On 03/04/2017 they promised to present a written disclosure about the proposed quarry operation, but never did.
At the 06/12/2017 SB meeting Justin Savage agreed that the Savages and Mr. Snow would be willing to provide info on the proposed quarry. This “informational meeting” was held on 06/26/2017, but did not provide any information, as the Savages did not speak and Jason Snow did not show up.


On March 15, 2018 The Purchase and Sale Contract between the Savages and Jason Snow was modified to address the concerns of the District Coordinator.” This contradicts Maureen’s statement that she and her husband “have been fairly quiet, letting Jason Snow take responsibility of the legal charge.” “Quiet” means quietly modifying the contract to enable Jason Snow to file an appeal, taking us on a long and expensive path of litigation.


Mrs. Savage states that “It is important to understand how and when Snow will remove the stone, which is in the same manner as he had done with the Cavendish Gulf Rd, where no objections or issues from the town or neighbors were raised.” In fact, Cavendish Gulf Road is a sparsely settled, wooded area, and there are only two homes on the road to the so-called Graham quarry, one “the castle” at the top of the hill, which is for sale, and the other on a dead-end offshoot, immune to traffic. The closed Graham quarry, while not dangerous, has hardly been restored to its natural, pristine state, as a drive-by or Google Map search will show.


For the Tierney quarry, according to Mrs. Savage, the stone would be “remove(d) and split by hand”. The only equipment she mentions is a “Ford F550 (landscaping truck).” She does not mention the 16 yard dump-truck with trailer, the Cat 312 Excavator, the Kubota mini-loader, or blasting equipment noted in Mr. Snow’s testimony at the May 17, 2018 Vermont Superior Court Environmental Division hearing. Note that this equipment will not pass by the Savage’s house, but will pass all of the rest of us when driving or being transported on Tierney Road, and the sounds of drilling and blasting will not be confined to their property.
Mrs. Savage states that “Shortly after acquiring the property, Jason Snow, of Snowstone, contacted us.” It was a bit more complicated. According to the transcript of the May 17, 2018 Vermont Superior Court Environmental Division hearing, Page 43, Mr. Snow learned of the quarry from Michael O’Neil of M&M Excavating, and we would like to know what M&M Excavating might have to do with this enterprise.
Mrs. Savage states that “It’s clear the assessor was lied to by Mr. Watson and took his word as fact without confirming…” This not the only place Mrs. Savage accuses Mr. Watson of lying. If it is true that Mr. Watson lied, Mrs. Savage ought to be able to prove it, but she gives no actual evidence for this libelous charge. The statement also implies that the assessor was less perceptive than she appeared to those who met her.
Mrs. Savage states that “Mr. Snow set up two meetings with the neighbors to describe his operation in 2016. Bruce Watson, who lives at the beginning of Tierney Rd, never attended either meeting.” She neglects to say that Linda Watson did attend at least one of those meetings, and that Bruce Watson attended the meetings of the SB mentioned above. Note that Mr. Snow did not attend and Mr. Savage was silent at these SB meetings.
But, speaking of statements that may diverge from the truth, consider this: As above, Mrs. Savage states that “Mr. Snow set up two meetings with the neighbors to describe his operation in 2016.” However, in a 2018 Mountain Times article, Mr. Savage is quoted as saying that “no one showed up” to site meetings. In fact, as Mrs. Savage now states, there were two such meetings, and most of our group attended them, including Linda Watson.


Mrs. Savage notes that the Watson’s appeal quotes a 2008 study of quarry effects, but the appeal actually quotes several studies, all showing decreases of 15-30% in property values, hundreds of thousands of dollars if applied to Tierney Road. The Savages are not engineers and have no qualifications to evaluate those studies. In any case, there is one test that should be convincing: the red face test. Can anyone say without blushing that a quarry on their road would not degrade their quality of life and property values?
Mrs. Savage states that “a small group has chosen to make this very personal and attack my family”. This “small group” includes a majority of the 17 properties on Tierney Road, and none of us has any interest in attacking the Savage family, only in reestablishing peace and quiet on Tierney Road. The false suggestion that we have attacked them is itself a form of attack; there has been ongoing harassment against us from the Savages and possibly their acquaintances.


Mrs. Savage also noted that: “Watson Stated in 11/14 (2019) Cavendish Board of Civil Authority meeting he showed the assessor where the quarry was – YOU CAN’T SEE IT FROM THE ROAD” (emphasis hers). (Apparently, using bold capital letters gives credence to an argument.) It is not necessary to see the quarry to point out where it is, about 100yds off the end of Tierney. For example, you might point and say that Bill’s house is “up there 100yds on the left, just around the corner.” In any case, it may be hard to see the quarry through the many No Trespassing signs surrounding the property, signs which don’t exist on any other Tierney Road property. The Savages claim to be “respectful”, but surrounding one’s property with No Trespassing signs is hardly respectful of the neighbors.


Mrs. Savage goes on to say that among the neighbors “there wasn’t an overall objection to the scope as a small operation with an ending to it.” This is the crux of the problem. All things come to an end, but the neighbors have become very skeptical about when this will happen. The Savages claim that since most (but not all) of their property is in Current Use, they will not quarry further. However, aside from several acres not in the program, land can be quickly taken out of Current Use, and if the area is relatively small, this will cost very little, especially when compared to the large profits to be made on granite. In fact, in the transcript of the May 17, 2018 Vermont Superior Court Environmental Division hearing, Page 184, Justin Savage was asked “Is there a chance in the future that you're going to sit down and negotiate with somebody else for development of other stone quarrying parcels on your land?” Mr. Savage’s answer was “Yes”, and that he would expand his plans for the proposed quarry if the arrangement is financially advantageous for him. To be taken seriously, the Savages should produce a legally binding document that forever prevents any quarrying beyond the one acre currently proposed. Statements are made by the Savages about the nature of the quarry operation are prospective, verbal claims, and are not guaranteed. The very fact that they resist having a legally binding procedure makes us think that they indeed have further plans for the quarry.


The Savages close their letter saying that “The NIMBY’s … are killing small businesses, VT generational craftsmen and farmers.” Playing the “VT” card is not an argument; it’s just annoying. The group of us opposed to the quarry are people who have worked all our lives, some having retired, and who want to live here in peace and quiet, hosting our children, grandchildren, families and friends. Just like the Savages “we purchased our property to live on it, enjoy it recreationally, and have no desire to live next to a quarry.” Four of us are Vietnam or Vietnam-era veterans. We pay our taxes, we patronize small business. Our real estate taxes have probably brought over a million dollars to Cavendish over the years. We support local businesses, and are happy to support local schools and roads with our taxes. Has anyone ever shown any value at all to the town from a quarry?


Tierney Road Residents Against Quarry, Cavendish