Cavendish Update 7/18/25: SB Mtg/Tax Rate/Tag Sale
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LINKS TO CAVENDISH CONNECTS: Facebook Blue Sky or Website
Proctorsville Market on the Green 4-7 pm. Paula Boyle will be playing on the Green. The Cavendish Historical Society is honoring the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War with a “taste of history” this month. This week will be blueberry jam made with maple syrup from the market’s vendor Jim Siberling on Common Crackers. If you haven’t tried your hand at “Grace’s, the popular colonist game, check it out. We have some really good players now. Maybe we need to start a Grace’s league. FMI: Website
Culvert Crawlers are in town! On Monday, July 21, we will once again have Dartmouth students working with us on culvert, ditches and drains. Please drive carefully if you are in the area.
Black River Water Testing: According to Black River Action Team, As of Wed 7/16, all swimming holes showed excellent bacteria levels! As always, it's recommended to avoid swimming for 24 hours after heavy rain and any time the water is cloudy. The number is how many colony-forming units of bacteria are present in a grab sample of 100 mL of water; the EPA's safe upper limit is 235 cfu/100mL. Amherst Lake: 1; Buttermilk Falls: 11; Cavendish Gorge: 23; Lake Pauline: 5; Lake Rescue: 6; Tolles Dam: 21 and Twenty-foot Hole: 5
7/18/25
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting 7/14/25
2. It’s Town Wide Tag Sale Time
3. Cavendish Related News
4. Events Calendar
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETING 7/14/25: A video of Monday night’s Select Board (SB) meeting is available at the Okemo Valley TV website and the unapproved minutes are at the town website.
Discussion/Findings
• Proctorsville Canal beaver dam: Discussion continues on beavers and the wet land that runs parallel to route 131, behind the homes in Proctorsville village. The SB will site visit and the homeowners, who are concerned about the beaver dam impacting their property, will work with Black River Action Team (BRAT) to try and resolve this issue.
• 413 Brook Road: The homeowner’s concern is the pitch of the road and loosing property. Don’t have a price for the town to fix it but most likely it would require grant support . The SB and homeowner agreed to start by painting the swalel, looking into what’s needed and replacing the upper culvert.
• Approved FY26 Sewer Budget from the June Meeting of $215,053.
• Update on Old Town Garage: Received results from the spring testing of the area that was contaminated by a diesel spill in 2023, which was caused by a robbery. Tests were negative but the state has asked for one more round of testing. Petroleum Clean Up is paying for the testing.
• Municipal Planning Grant Presentation/Discussion- Martha Harrison of Mt Ascutney Regional Commission MARC) went over the town’s Capital Program and Budget. The Agency of VT Agency of Commerce and Development requires towns to have a six year plan with year one being the capital budget and a multi-year capital program, which outlines potential capital projects, their costs, and financing methods. Such projects include paving, culvert replacement, water and sewer upgrades, changes at the transfer station etc. Harrison provided information on funding and grant opportunities. It is up to the SB to adopt the plan, after a public hearing. Adoption doesn’t commit the town to it, rather it’s an advisory plan but a good tool to help identify what’s needed and how to obtain it.
• Proctorsville Village Green Parking: There isn’t an ordinance about parking around the green, other than the winter ban on overnight parking. With the increase in AirBnBs, there is more need for parking in the villages. One particular house on Main Street is parking multiple vehicles on the Green, which reduces parking for those attending events on the Green or local businesses. The board discussed expanding the winter overnight parking ban to full year and to possibly include all town property.
• Public Hearing Date for Subdivision Regulations: August 11 (Monday) at 6 pm. An additional hearing may be held.
• Hillcrest Cemetery Fence Replacement: An anonymous donor would like to replace the Cemetery fence, which would include a plaque honoring two people buried there.
• VT 100 Endurance Race: July 19-20 A small portion of the race goes through Cavendish. Note that many of the participants of this race came to Cavendish and supported us with food and clean up crews following the 2023 floods.
• Managers Report: Fuller has completed paving Depot St. The base layer has been done for Quent Phelan Rd. The town is switching from Casela to Alva for waste hauling as the price is lower. A separate contract for recycling is currently being worked on.
• 250th Celebration: If the town wishes to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, planning should begin soon.
2. IT’S TOWN WIDE TAG SALE TIME: Saturday July 26th is the 15th Annual Cavendish Town Wide Tag Sale from 9-2. Lots of interesting vendors this year. On the Cavendish Green there will be several vendors with very large sales, including one couple coming with a trailer of stuff from New York. Across the way, the Cavendish Fire Department will be offering pulled pork sandwiches with all the trimmings.
On the Proctorsville Green, the Proctorsville Fire Department will be holding their annual BBQ on the Green. New this year, the Department’s child car seat inspector will be on hand to do free safety checks. The junior Fire Fighters will be hosting a tag sale.
The Cavendish Historical Society (CHS), Cavendish Connects and Black River Valley Resources (BRVR) will be set up by the Gazebo. CHS will have a variety of their books and T shirts for sale, in addition to free copies of their Cemetery Guide. BRVR will be offering free “Go Kits” to those who live in the towns of Cavendish, Ludlow, Mt. Holly and Plymouth. These kits are designed to be grabbed as you head out the door in emergent situations.
There will be many vendors all over the roadways and byways of Cavendish. Check out the website for locations and what people have for sale. Lots of good deals to be had.
3. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
• New Cavendish Tax Rates: The following tax rate has been approved by the SB for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026:
Homestead, Fire District 1 (Proctorsville): $2.9811
Non-Homestead, Fire District 1: $2.9858
Homestead, Fire District 2 (Cavendish): $2.865
Non-Homestead, Fire District 2: $2.8698
• GM Board finds no Open Meeting violation but agrees to Open Meeting training
• If your child is attending one of the TRSU Schools (CTES, GMUHS): Dear TRSU Community, As shared with you in previous messages, PowerSchool, a third-party vendor we use for managing student and employee information, experienced a data security incident on December 28, 2024. It is important to note that our local systems were not affected. However, certain information from our district stored on PowerSchool's Student Information System (SIS) may have been compromised. PowerSchool is offering two years of complimentary identity protection services and credit monitoring services to students and educators who enroll by July 31, 2025. Details about how to enroll can be found at this website PowerSchool Notice of Data Breach. As the enrollment deadline approaches, we wanted to ensure that all are informed and have the opportunity to take advantage of the offered services. Layne Millington, TRSU Superintendent
• BRBNS Back to School Program: Applications are now available at the Black River Good Neighbors Services (BRGNS) Thrift store and website, scroll to the bottom of the page for application form for school supplies and more. Applications need to be filled by August 11. FMI: 802-228-3663.
• Cavendish Library Closed July 22: The Cavendish Library will be closed on July 22 (Tuesday). Regular hours resume on Wednesday July 23, 9-6.
4. EVENTS
JULY 18 (Friday): Proctorsville Market 4-7 pm
JULY 23 (WEDNESDAY): Concert on Svec Park (Proctorsville Green) 6pm, Wayne Canney & Friends
JULY 25 (Friday): Proctorsville Market 4-7 pm
JULY 26 (SATURDAY): CAVENDISH TOWN WIDE TAGE SALE 9-2 pm. Website.
JULY 30 (WEDNESDAY): Concert on Svec Park (Proctorsville Green) 6pm, Bow Thayer & Krishna Guthrie
AUGUST 6 (WEDNESDAY): Concert on Svec Park (Proctorsville Green) 6pm, Bear Mountain Boys.
AUGUST 9 (SATURDAY): The Cavendish Fire Department is hosting the American Red Cross Heart Saver Community CPR training from 9-2 at the fire station (2153 Main St.) This course is free to Cavendish residents. To sign up contact Chief Nareau 802-226-7790 or puba0111@gmail.com or stop by the station.
AUGUST 11 (MONDAY): Last day to file an application for Black River Good Neighbors Services (BRGNS) Back to School Program, which provides school supplies and more. FMI: 802-228-3663.
SEPTEMBER 19-20 (FRIDAY-SATURDAY): BRGNS Gigantic Fall Rummage Sale, 10-3 at Fletcher Farm, 611 Route 103 South. Proceeds food, rent, heat, utility and disaster assistance to our neighbors in need. BRGNS serves Cavendish, Ludlow, Mt. Holly and Plymouth.