For many years, the Greensboro Association has joined the Town of Greensboro in supporting Boat Monitors for the Public Boat Launch at the Public Beach on Caspian Lake.   These monitors ask boat owners who use the Public Launch where they have recently put their boats into the water, check incoming boats for invasive species, give information to boat owners on milfoil and other invasive species, and keep detailed records of the number of boats coming into Caspian Lake.   The Boat Monitoring program, one of the first in the State of Vermont, has caught a significant number of boats with milfoil and other species before they entered Caspian – it is a first line of defense for the protection of the Lake.   Caspian Lake remains Milfoil free in 2015, and the Boat monitors will continue to inspect at the beach this summer

In recent years, local lake monitors in NH and VT have found that milfoil and other invasive water species can be found on all boats, including kayaks, canoes, sailboats and other non-motorized boats.   These categories of boats are often not put in at the Public Beach, but can be launched at private docks, rental properties and other access points.    Please ask guests, family members and renters to check their non motorized boats for milfoil and other species before they enter Caspian – the invasives can be found in bilges, on or under straps, netting, trailers, chains, riggings etc., as well as in water caught inside the boat which originated in other lakes.   If you are uncertain what to look for, bring the boat to the Public Beach and have one of our official beach monitors look over your boat before launching it into Caspian.   There is a wash station at the Beach as well.

Vermont’s oldest historical journal will celebrate its first forty years by publishing a book-length selection of articles about the history of the summer colony and the surrounding communities of Greensboro, Hardwick, Craftsbury and Walden. Timothy H. Breen, retired Professor of American History at Northwestern University, wrote the introduction. The authors include founding editor Dan Métraux, well-known historians Charlie T. Morrissey, Allen F. Davis, Lewis Hill, and Joyce Slayton Mitchell and many local writers. The book has chapters about the early settlement of the area and the attempts to earn a living, the history of Greensboro’s summer community, including Randolph, Black’s Point, Aspenhurst and the North Shore. There are profiles of some of the area’s “unforgettable personalities” including Miss Jean Simpson, Esther Kesselman, Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Mansfield Freeman, Margaret Mead, Judge Norwood Allman and Greta Garbo. Editor Gail Sangree has scattered throughout the book historical notes and entertaining stories. A limited number of books will be available from June 27^th at the Greensboro Historical Society Museum, Willey’s Store, and the Galaxy Bookstore in Hardwick.

This publication is a project of the Greensboro Historical Society, and is supported in part by the Greensboro Association.

A program at 7pm on Wednesday, August 12^th at the Greensboro Arts Alliance’s Tent on the Green will celebrate the area’s history and the book’s publication. It will be followed by a reception to meet the authors.   More details can be found on the Green Sheet calendar.

An important meeting to discuss the effects of Education Bill H.361 on our local schools and property tax rates will take place June 16, 2015 at 6:00pm at the Woodbury Elementary school, 63 Valley Lake Road, Woodbury, VT.     Anyone who is interested in local education possibilities and the effect on their property taxes should attend.    We urge members to attend if they can – comments may be left by clicking “Leave a reply” at the top of this article.

Education bill H.361 is designed to  affect the structure and financing of local schools throughout the state, and is a response to challenges with school property taxes and declining student numbers.   It calls on the state’s 277 districts to find ways to merge into larger “education systems” of at least 900 pupils, and the bill extends tax incentives to districts as well as grants to districts which move quickly. The law gives districts a few years to voluntarily move into larger systems, and empowers the State Board of Education in 2019 to restructure districts it believes need to make changes and have not. Tax incentives are most generous for districts that move quickly.

It also phases out the small schools grant program and the hold harmless formula that were put in place to protect tax rate spikes in communities seeing rapid student decline when the dropoff of students in Vermont first started to become a problem.   Some of our local schools benefit from these programs.

For more information see the following articles

 VT digger.

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2016/H.361

https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/…/021/00822a

The repair of the Walden bridge on Route 15 will occur this summer.   Route 15 is scheduled to be closed at the bridge, effectively cutting off travel from Danville and points southeast to Greensboro and Hardwick on Route 15.   The project is described here.  The closure is currently scheduled from July 6, 2015 for 28 days.

Travelers should  make plans to detour around the bridge closing and communicate with guests and renters.    From the south, consider routes which avoid Route 15 or use published detours, including the official detour on Route 2 and Route 215  and another unofficial route on the west side of Joe’s Pond.   Another route is from Greensboro Bend to Walden, here.

Circus Smirkus is gearing up to open the newly built summer camp on Breezy Avenue.   The first campers arrive on June 12, and contractors have been working hard to have the facility ready.

On the weekend of May 30-31, volunteers are being invited to help with the finishing touches (painting, planting, etc.) needed have the camp beautiful, welcoming and ready for the campers. For more information,  see  Smirkus Camp Work Party Weekend.

Click here to read the 2015 Spring Newsletter! Lots of news and information about upcoming  events in Greensboro.  Thank you to Niall Kirkwood, our Newsletter Editor.

Dues paying members of the Greensboro Association will be listing in this years Directory.   Our print deadline is coming up fast!   Join now through paypal (on the right) or email [email protected].   Dues are $20 per year!

The 2015 Town meeting held on March 3, 2015 was civil, well attended and productive.   The minutes are available 2015-MINUTES-TOWN-MEETING-MARCH-3-2015.

Highlights included:

1) The Greensboro Award was given to Wayne Young.

2) Susan Wood and Ernest Machia were re-elected to the Selectboard, serving a 3 and 1 year term respectively.   Sean Thomson was elected to fulfill a 2 year term.   They join Marcia Gadoury and Peter Romans for the next year.

3) The motion to adopt a Noise Ordinance for Greensboro Village was discussed at length, with many comments both pro and con.   It failed to pass by a margin of 50 votes (74 NO, 24 YES)

4) The Town Budget and School Budget were passed as presented, including funding for the Greensboro Grange ($10000) and Willey Beach Park ($3000).

5) The Town voted that the Select Board should sell the Former Firehouse in the Village.

6)  A motion was approved to change the Property Tax Due Date to October 29, 2015 at 4pm.  This will affect all property owners in Greensboro.   

7) A delicious lunch was again served by the Greensboro Early Learning Center, accompanied by chocolate chip cookies from Tom Hurst.

8) The Funky Fourth Celebration parade is scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2015.   The fireworks will be July 3 at the Ball field.

 

The Town of Greensboro has published FY16-Warning for Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.     Voters must register to vote by February 25.   All Greensboro residents and non-resident property owners are welcome at the meeting.

For information on the items to be discussed at Town meeting, the following documents are available at the Town website.     Town Report for 2014,  Agencies-Requesting-Town-Funds-2014-15 and the Checklist for 2/26/2015.

Additionally, a proposed Noise Ordinance will be discussed, as well as a motion to sell the Old Firehouse in the Village.

Comments on any aspect of the meeting may be left as a reply to this article.

“Town Meeting Day marks a special event in which residents meet in about 40 towns across Vermont. They discuss the business of their town and any issue is open to debate. They also elect local officials, approve a budget for the following year, and conduct other local business. It is a time for neighbors to discuss the civic issues of their community, state, and nation.

Vermont town meetings (with one exception) are the practice of direct democracy. That is, eligible citizens of the town may vote on specific issues that are announced through a warning. The town meeting warning tells people when and where town meeting will be held, and it lists all of the articles (topics) that are going to be discussed and voted on at the meeting. The warning must be posted at least 30 days before the meeting.”  See here for more information.