• Cavendish Historical Society Updates: Learn what’s happening at the Cavendish Historical Society, including upcoming events by going to the June CHS Briefs. Note that the Cavendish Village Ghost Walk is June 18 (Saturday) at 8 pm. Whether you have kids at home or just want to know more about historical events and how they relate to Cavendish, go to the Carmine Guica Young Historians Update at the CHS Blog. The Museum is now open on Sundays from 2-4 pm and other times by appointment, which can be arranged by calling 802-226-7807 or e-mailing margocaulfield@icloud.com New this summer at the Museum, “hands on history,” table where visitors can engage in various craft projects that relate to history.

• Westminster Barracks / Trafficking Fentanyl: On 05/31/2022 Troopers at the Vermont State Police – Westminster Barracks concluded an investigation of an incident that occurred on 02/17/2021 on Depot Street in Cavendish, Vermont. This investigation culminated in the arrest of Kwesi Wilson, 37, Londonderry, Vermont. Wilson was charged with Trafficking Fentanyl, a violation of Title 18 VSA 4233(b). Wilson was cited to appear in Vermont Superior Court – Windsor County, Criminal Division on 07/26/2022 at 0800 hours to answer to the aforementioned charge.VSP

• GMUSD Facilities Renovations Move Ahead: During their special May 26 meeting, the Green Mountain Unified School District board agreed to move forward with the approximately $21 million renovation plan for GMUSD schools with the goal of presenting a bond issue to district voters in the November 2022 election. They also agreed to build an on-campus softball field at GMUHS and approved a playground renovation at Cavendish Town Elementary School as part of the overall project. VT Journal

• Summer construction on Vail Bridge, Main St. Ludlow: The Vermont Agency of Transportation is replacing the bridge deck and superstructures for Vail Bridge over Jewell Brook along Main Street in Ludlow Village. Construction is anticipated to start in July and will be completed by the end of October. All work will take place during the day, between sunrise and sunset. During construction, the bridge will be closed for a period of 21 days, to begin no earlier than July 5 and end no later than Oct. 1. During the closure, truck traffic will be guided to state routes, per a signed detour. Local traffic is advised to seek alternate routes. VT Journal

• Phil Scott signs bills on free school meals, offensive school mascots

2.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 27-June 2 as follows: GMUHS-8 cases; Mt Holly Elementary-6. No cases reported for CTES

STATE: According to the May 28th Surveillance Report, the rate of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Vermonters is above 200. New COVID-19 admissions are above 10 per 100,000 Vermonters per day, and the percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 is below 10%. The weekly case count was 1,477, a slight decrease over the previous week. There were 64 total new hospital admissions, a slight increase from the previous week. On May 31, there were 36 people in the hospital, the lowest total since April. May saw 30 more Vermonters die from Covid, bringing the total to 670.

Vermont Covid cases drop for first time in months, but levels remain

3.EVENTS

JUNE 13 (MONDAY): Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm at the Cavendish Town Office

JUNE 19 (SUNDAY): HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

- Juneteenth Learn more about this holiday by clicking here.

JUNE 20 (MONDAY): Town office closed for Juneteenth

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 6 (WEDNESDAY): The Summer Concert series at Svec Park (Proctorsville Green) kicks off the concert series with the Irish band Gypsy Reel. Concerts begin at 6 pm.

JULY 13 (WEDNESDAY): Summer concert series continues

JULY 30 (SATURDAY): Cavendish’s Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, 9-2.

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

May 27, 2022

News

May 27, 2022/ Cavendish Connects

VIEW THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE LATEST NEWS

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.

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

May 20, 2022

Cavendish Update 5/20/22: Arrest/News/Events

May 20, 2022/ Cavendish Connects

VIEW THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE LATEST NEWS

HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8:00 PM MAY 21 (SATURDAY)

5/20/22

1. GM Teacher Charged with Producing child pornography

2. Cavendish Info

3. Covid update

4. Events

1. GM TEACHER CHARGED WITH PRODUCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: On May 12, parents of GMUHS students received an e-mail stating that there was possible inappropriate behavior by a GMUHS staff member. That staff member has been placed on administrative leave while the police conduct their investigation. At this time there is no indication that anything inappropriate happened at the school; however, in an abundance of caution, the police conducted a thorough search of the building for evidence late Wednesday evening. We want to assure you that this does not involve drugs or weapons or physical safety. We understand that you will have additional questions. We are not able to share further information at this time. As soon as possible, we will provide an update.

The update came a week later when WCAX and the Chester Telegraph posted that Norman Merrill, a teacher at GMUHS, was arrested and accused of using hidden cameras to produce child pornography. A federal grand jury indicted Merrill on charges including production of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. WCAX Chester Police and the Vermont State Police conducted a preliminary examination of a memory card seized from the residence that revealed numerous voyeuristic videos taken in bathrooms. Some of these videos were taken in a bathroom of defendant Merrill’s residence and were determined to depict nude minor female children. The memory card also contained image files that appear to be screen-captures created from these videos of nude minors. Chester Telegraph

Last evening, GMUHS e-mailed parents, informing them of Merrill’s arrest and included the link to the Department of Justice Press Release. They also noted that If you are reluctant to send your child to school on Friday, we understand. They may still attend all after school and weekend events if they choose.

Counselors will be at GM to assist students and staff. The Chester Police are also available to answer questions 802-875-2035.

Please note, this is a developing story and facts about this situation can change.

2. CAVENDISH INFO

• Cavendish Fire District #2 budget passes: At Tuesday’s annual meeting, the budget (approximately $138,000) passed, with an increase of approximately $30,000 to cover the rising cost of oil, adding money to the Truck Fund, and to pay the new auditor, Diane McNamara, a stipend of $100. McNamara assumes this position, which has been vaccinate for a number of years. Abe Gross will continue to be moderator of the Annual Meeting and Stacy Bishop will replace Stu Lindberg on the Prudential Board. Matt Seaton and Maureen Savage remain in their current positions as secretary and treasurer. The meeting has been recorded and will be available at the Okemo Valley TV’s website.

• CHS Plant Sale: The Cavendish Historical Society Annual Plant sale takes place in front of the Museum on Friday evening May 27 from 5-7 and on Saturday May 28 from 9-noon. If you are interested in container veggies, pre orders can be picked up starting this weekend. If you are interested in tomatoes (cherry, Sungold and Early Girl) or lettuce buckets, order now by calling 802-226-7807 or margocaulfield@icloud.com For the first time, there will be geraniums at the sale along with hosta favorites.

• Memorial Service for Connie Choiniere A memorial Mass will be held in Ludlow Vt. on June 18 at 11pm at The Annunciation Of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. A reception will follow at the Choiniere home, 16 Pratt Hill Rd, Proctorsville.,Vt. Funeral will be held in Woonsocket,R.I. in Sept.

• Nitka among Vermont state senators who will not seek re-election

• SAPCC Formula Bank:Springfield Area Parent Child Center, which includes Cavendish, is offering free cans of formula to families in their service area. Stop by SAPCC Monday-Friday 8:30 to 3:30 to pick up or donate. FMI: Kayla.bapp@sapcc-vt.org 802-886-5242

• Fletcher Farm School June Classes: Note that there is a discount for Cavendish and Ludlow residents.

• OMARA offers two scholarships: Open to graduating seniors in the Okemo Valley. OMARA is awarding two $500 scholarships to two graduating seniors that have participated in Winter Snow Sports throughout their academic career. To apply, email omarascholarships@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name, email, the high school that you are graduating from, and a response to the question: How has your participation in Winter Snow Sports helped better prepare you for what is to come after high school? The deadline to apply is June 6th.

• Springfield Medical Care Systems is now North Star Health: Springfield Medical Care Systems, an independent, federally qualified health center serving southern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire has unveiled a new name and brand identity: North Star Health. North Star Health includes Ludlow Health Center and Ludlow Dental Center.

• Coins on Headstones: As we approach Memorial Day, you may notice coins on some gravestones, particularly veteran graves. Please do not disturb.

• Billion Graves: Many people contact the Cavendish Historical Society looking for ancestors. While Find a Grave is a very helpful tool, did you know that there is another site called Billion Graves? While Find a Grave is very popular in VT, Billion Graves is heavily used in other places and worth checking.

3. 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: No cases have been reported this past week.

LONG TERM CARE: The following long term care facilities used by Cavendish residents are reporting outbreaks of Covid as of May 16, Historic Homes of Runnemede (13 cumulative cases); and The Pines at Rutland Center for Nursing & Rehab (7 cumulative cases)

STATE: As of Wednesday, the state has officially ceased daily case counts and replacing it with a weekly Surveillance Report. According to that report statewide community levels are “high” based on recent hospital admissions and the percentage of hospital beds occupied by Covid patients. Rutland Regional Medical Center has reopened its COVID Unit in response to the surge in cases.

The CDC recommends that people in high-level counties, Windsor is one such county, take broad-scale action to prevent Covid transmission, such as wearing masks.

Fourteen people have died so far in May, a death rate higher than March and April but below December-February.

Vt. state-sponsored COVID testing sites to close in coming weeks: Vermont health officials say most state-sponsored COVID testing sites will be phased out over the next two months (May and June). According to Vt. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine, as the pandemic progresses with highly transmissible variants like omicron, the at-home instant testing has proved to be more timely and useful than the PCR tests provided by the state-run clinics.

Free COVID tests: Americans can once again order free COVID-19 tests from the federal government by visiting COVIDtests.gov. In this round, the U.S. Postal Service will deliver eight free rapid antigen tests to any household in the U.S. that wants them.

Q&A: We’ve received a number of questions recently about antibody testing and how long the protection lasts if you’ve had Covid.

• Antibody Testing: Antibody or serology tests look for antibodies in your blood that fight the virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines teach your body to produce antibodies to fight infection from the virus. If you get an antibody test after receiving a vaccine, you might test positive by some (but not all) antibody tests. Some antibody tests will only detect antibodies from infection, not from vaccination. Antibody testing is not currently recommended to determine if you are immune to COVID-19 following COVID-19 vaccination. The CDC’s Interim Guidelines for COVID-19 Antibody Testing provide more information on how antibody testing should be used and interpreted.

• How long does natural immunity last after a Covid-19 infection: The jury is still out is the simplest answer. An October 2021 study by the Yale School of Public Health- The Lancet Microbe -reported that unvaccinated people should have immunity against reinfection for 3 to 61 months after they had COVID-19, if their community is still experiencing infections from the virus. However, this study was pre Omicron variant which is quite different than the initial strain and Delta variant. One study showed that over 80% of those who were infected with earlier strains of the virus didn’t gain immunity from the Omicron variant. In fact, as the Omicron strain has mutated, some people are being reinfected.

4. EVENTS

MAY 20-21 (FRIDAY-SATURDAY): BRGN Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farm on Route 103. 10-4.

MAY 22 (SUNDAY): CCCA Spring Bird Walk at 8 am. Walkers will meet at the Proctor Piper trail head in Proctorsville. Marianne and Michael Walsh of the Mount Ascutney Audubon Bird Association return and join Tim Calabrese of the Cavendish Trail Association to lead the birding walk along the Proctor Piper Trail which links the two villages in Cavendish. To register and for more information Robin at 802-259-2327 or robintimko@tds.net. Walk is limited to 12 people.

MAY 25 (WEDNESDAY): Property Grievance Day

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 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

JULY 30 (SATURDAY): Cavendish’s Annual Town Wide Tag Sale, 9-2.

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

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Cavendish Update 5/27/22: Memorial Day/Concerts/Tag Sale/News

Cavendish Update 5/20/22: Arrest/News/Events

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