The Caspian Challenge was terrific – we had over 80 runners/walkers on a stunning summer morning…thanks to Victoria VonHessert and all her volunteers for doing all of the work to organize it! The results can be found here.
2013 marks the 68th season of Lake Concerts on Sundays in the on Caspian Lake. Recently I remarked that I had been up to the concert in my canoe the night before and how lovely it had
been. One of the other woman remarked that she would love to go, but didn’t really know where the concert was or how to get there. SOOOO, for all of you who might want to experience this wonderful Greensboro tradition for the first time, here are some pointers.
Lisa and John Hewett have been in charge of these concerts for many decades – we all thank them for the tremendous effort and for such lovely evenings on the Lake.
The Association’s Articles of Association were adopted in 1934 and have never been amended, and the Association’s By-Laws were last amended in 2003. In the course of reviewing the Association’s documents for tax-exempt 501(c)(3) purposes, an “ad hoc” committee has also proposed changes to adapt the provisions to current practices. Attorneys Day Patterson and Bob Fairbanks drafted the changes based upon the advice of experienced volunteers Andy Dales, Rick Lovett, Clive Gray, Mike Cassidy and Clay Simpson (chair). The Board will review and vote on the amendments next week, and in accordance with the current bylaws we will ask the Association members attending the annual meeting on August 9th to vote to accept the amendments.
1. Proposed new Articles of Association
3. Bylaw amendments – Mark-up with highlights
4. A Memorandum from Attorney Day Patterson to the Board and Membership Explaining the Changes
Throughout the 60s, 70s and early 80s, we enjoyed a vibrant Yacht Club on Caspian Lake with a fleet of about 10 Flying Dutchman, 30+ Sunfish and about a dozen handicap sailboats. Races were every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon and spectators could enjoy colorful sails circling buoys at different parts of the lake.
To help relive memories, the Greensboro Association is promoting two “Sailing Days”. Come out to the lake on July 27 (Thanks for coming out!) and August 17th. Let’s see how many sailboats we can have on the lake!
Need a sailing refresher?
Join us for a free sailing clinic at the Stone-Slater Cottage (South Shore Pleasant’s St. next door to the Landon Sunday Night Concert location) on Saturday July 20 at and / or on August 17th from 3PM-4PM (NEW TIME!) weather permitting (e.g. no storms). Come by boat, foot or car. Look for updates here on the Greensboro Association website and Facebook Page.
We can tackle beginner to more advanced sailing topics, so feel free to come along and If you are an expert, come and teach others.
Summer is in full swing in Greensboro. Please check the Green Sheet for listings of various activities and dates/times during July and August. There is something for everyone.
Theater
2013 season of the Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency
Music
Caspian Monday Music
Summer Music from Greensboro
The Craftsbury Chamber Players
The Sky Blue Boys
Children’s Activities
The Greensboro Free Library
The Art House
4 Seasons of Early Learning
Wonder and Wisdom
Circus Smirkus
Book Groups
The Greensboro Free Library
The United Church of Christ
Greensboro Association
Caspian Challenge Run Walk – SIGN UP NOW!
Caspian Lake Sail Days
Fitness
Yoga with Sophia Barsalow
Zumba
Tai Chi
Pilates
Swim the Kingdom – Caspian Lake
Lecture Series
The Greensboro Historical Society
GUCC Summer Lecture Series
And many other events on our GREEN SHEET . Check back to www.greensboroassociation.org for more information as the summer rolls on!
Please email [email protected] if you would like us to include your events in our green sheet and mailings.
ALSO…..2013 Directories are available for purchase at Willey’s Store.
Haven’t paid your dues for 2013? Dues payment and donation information here.
Is there someone you know who would like to be added to our mailing list? Please send the email to [email protected] with their name and email address.
The Town zoning board will hold a hearing on June 19 regarding the application for Circus Smirkus to locate a children’s camp in the Village. Information including the zoning application can be found on the Town of Greensboro website, https://www.
The Vermont State Legislature has passed a bill in the final days of its 2013 calendar which exempts the Caspian Lake Public Beach from state taxes. This bill, which is a piece of legislation targeted at miscellaneous technical changes to the tax code, amended property tax law to include an exemption for parcels of land which “provide public access to public waters….and which are owned by the Town of Hardwick, and which are located in Greensboro Vermont.”
This bill appears to solve recent questions between Greensboro and Hardwick regarding taxation of the Public Beach.
In 2013, the State of Vermont ruled that the Public Beach, which has been owned by Hardwick sine 1927, be added to the Greensboro tax roll . The Town of Hardwick was assessed for the first time a tax of over $10,000 on this 2.4 acre parcel, which includes 325 of shoreline. Both Hardwick and Greensboro residents have been unhappy with the state’s position, and have been seeking a number of ways to mitigate Hardwick’s tax bill while maintaining the current full and free use of the property for area residents.
Various possible solutions to the tax problem had been proposed, including sale of the property to a private owner; sale to the Vermont State Fish and Wildlife Department; sale or donation of the property to Greensboro with rights for Hardwick residents to use the beach in perpetuity; and a court case asking for a summary judgment saying that the property is not taxable under state law.
There is still a question of whether taxes are owed for the current year since the bill is effective January 1, 2014.
Thanks to Senators John Rodgers, Jane Kitchell, Robert Starr and Joe Benning, and Representative Kristina Michelsen for their help in this matter.
Don’t miss Greensboro’s Independence Day festivities. Events include the Funky Fourth parade on July 6 beginning at 10:00 a.m., music and games in front of the town hall after the parade, the book sale at the Greensboro Free Library, the UCC chicken barbecue, (contact UCC for tickets, [email protected]) and the free Fireworks display at the Four Corners beginning at dusk.
Volunteers are needed to help set up the parade on the day and to man a Greensboro Association table at the Town Hall during the morning after the parade. Would you be willing to lend an hour during this busy time? Many hands make light work and allow everyone to spend time with their families while enjoying this terrific celebration. Volunteers are needed in the morning from 8:00 a.m. to help direct the parade vehicles on Country Club road, as well as after the parade. Please sign up here if you have a bit of time to spend on the day, and we will work around your schedule.
Click here to read the 2013 Spring Newsletter! Lots of news and information about upcoming events in Greensboro. Thank you to Niall Kirkwood, our Newsletter Editor.
Water Pipe Replacement Project
Greensboro’s Fire District #1 (FD#1 water department) has been required by the state to replace most of its delivery pipes because of massive leaking in the system. That $3 million project is now underway. Just to complicate matters FD#1 has also had to drill a new expensive well this winter. We hope to have this new well #4 pumping by June, but still we may have to continue pumping emergency water from the lake through the summer. The lake water is chlorinated before entering the system but still the state requires that we issue “Boil Water” notices when we introduce that Caspian water. One year from now we expect the system to be providing good water very efficiently. Then for 40 years we water users pay back our federal USDA loan granted for this pipe replacement project.
For this first phase of the project Munson Earth Moving Corp won the bid over eleven other companies. They are starting by setting up temporary plastic piping through the village and mostly above ground. The next step will be to replace the line from the church, down to Willey’s, up Breezy Ave. and out to the new fire station site at the Four Corners; that part is expected to be finished by mid-June.
Water users are reminded that this is a great time to upgrade their own water pipes out to the main lines and to install a pressure reducing valve as well. Thank you, all of Greensboro, for your patience; we will publish further updates over the next few months.
FD#1 Prudential Committee:
John Mackin, Craig Dezell, Nat Smith
5K Run 5K Walk 6.8 mile loop…something for everyone!
Join us on July 27 for a morning of community support for Greensboro’s natural treasure: Caspian Lake! Proceeds from the run this year will go toward the Greensboro Association’s Lake Protection Fund in 2013. The primary aim of the fund is to provide milfoil and other invasive species prevention, as well as to monitor overall water quality in Caspian Lake.
Runners and walkers are all welcome!
The 2013 Summer season will be busy with the upcoming Water Line Project. Click here for updates and information about the project on the official town of Greensboro website.
Ice Out on Caspian Lake was declared as Saturday, April 27, 2013, three days later than the long term average of April 24. Thanks to Andy Dales for this update!
Ice Shanties had to be removed in haste from Caspian in March during a break in the cold weather when the lake began to thaw. One truck went through the ice near the Public Beach. The truck was subsequently winched out, and fortunately no one was injured.
We’d love to hear any details of good catches during this season.
A great photo of Ernie and Phyllis Hurst – Dad of Tom and Robert, Grandfather of Robbie from Willey’s Store – A true family business for generations. We love you, Willey’s! (I wish we had a soundtrack of Ernies whistling…)
By a vote of 123 to 34, the $920,000 bond to build the new Firehouse at the corner of Breezy Avenue and Hardwick Street was approved at the 2013 Greensboro Town Meeting. The new site is directly across from the Ball field at the Four Corners and will replace the current 1800’s vintage Firehouse on Breezy Avenue.
The approval is the culmination of a 4 year process following the purchase of land from the Hurst estate and a subsequent swap with the Mountain View Country Club for the land at the 4 corners. Numerous information sessions have been held over the past year to answer questions and gain response to the firehouse design. As a result, very little discussion regarding the plan occurred at Town Meeting.
The new building will provide space for the existing equipment plus one additional bay for a potential addition. It is a one story building designed to blend into the landscape in a similar way to a barn. The new building will include bathrooms (which were not in the old firehouse). It will be served by a water line extension from the existing Municipal Water District #1 system – the cost of the extension is included in the Bond amount.
The best estimate is that the new firehouse will cost property tax payers an additional $24.50 per $100,000 assessed value per year for the life of the bond (20 years).
Our members will be receiving the Winter Letter shortly by both email and mail. We look forward to getting your updates, suggestions and new member referrals.
We have been very busy over the fall addressing a number of issues important to our members. Read the highlights in the Winter 2013 President’s Letter.
Other links you may want to review include news about the Public Beach and the GA position submitted to the Greensboro Selectboard: A Public Beach History, prepared by Clay Simpson, offers an interesting background and the Public Beach President’s Letter written in December outlines our position.
We are excited to be announcing a proposal to launch The Fund For Greensboro. Learn more about the proposal here. We welcome your feedback.
We are also putting together recommendations for a Village Improvement Initiative targeting improvements to the Village Green and laying the foundation for other village priorities.
In response to recent questions regarding the ownership of the Caspian Lake Public Beach, the Greensboro Historical Society has asked Clay Simpson to research the history of the Public Beach. The following article is the result of his work. Clay Simpson is a Trustee of the GHS and a Member of the Board of the Greensboro Association.
The History of Caspian Lake Beach
Many thanks to the Greensboro Historical Society for allowing the Greensboro Association to publish this work. We also thank those who aided in the research of this, including Lorraine Hussey, The Town of Hardwick, Clive Gray and Allen Davies.
The United States Postal Service has recently sent a survey to users of the Greensboro Post Office soliciting community input to determine the best course of action for providing postal services to Greensboro. The survey is testing whether the Greensboro Post Office will be open with 6 hours of window service each weekday, or whether the office should be discontinued.
A copy of the Postal Service survey is here. Instructions are here. If you have not sent in a form, please consider doing so immediately even if you are after the deadline. The number of responses will be important as the USPS considers their decision. Remember to list your Greensboro address on the form.
Besides the important aspect of whether the Post Office should remain open, the survey also asks for input on what the hours should be. Daily hours can either be blocked (i.e. open 8 to 2 daily) or split (8 to 11, 1 to 4). The efficiency and profitability of the USPS, a key factor in keeping an office open long term, is maximized by blocked hours. Please consider requesting blocked hours to give the Greensboro PO the best chance of remaining profitable and remaining open long term.
There will be a meeting with the US Postal Service on January 14, 2012 at 5pm at the Post Office to answer questions and provide additional information about the POST Plan. If attendance is strong, provisions are being made to move the meeting to a larger venue. The attendance and input from this meeting will also be used to make a final decision.
The Greensboro Post Office is only one of the sites being reviewed under a program called the POST Plan. Further questions about the Federal POST program may be answered here.
