During the past few years, the water supply for the Greensboro Fire District #1 (the municipal water system supplying both year round and seasonal residents) has been under increasing pressure.  Many of the water lines are leaking badly, causing stress on both the supply of water and potentially to its quality.   Improvements to the 90 year old system were mandated by the State of Vermont in the last couple of years primarily to insure no quality problems.  An extensive project to replace the existing water lines throughout the system has been planned for this year.  (Fall 2012 and Spring 2013).

However, this Fall an additional problem was found.    The wells that supply the District have needed unforeseen repairs.  This problem has both delayed the start of the water line replacement project and has resulted in a temporary moratorium on new hookups to the Fire District #1 system.    One well with pump problems has been repaired.    The largest well, which has stopped producing adequate water to meet the District’s needs, needs to have relief in order to maintain its ability to produce.   The District is presently siting a location for an additional well that they hope to have online within the year.

The combination of the new well, the repairs to the existing wells, and the replacement project for the system piping will cut down on leakage by 30-40%, will give the current wells the ability to recharge, and will increase the water volume deliverable to end users.   It is expected that the temporary moratorium on water hookups will be lifted as well.

The replacement piping project will be completed in phases, with minimal disruption to water service.

Who pays?

The Fire District #1 system supplies over 200 users in both the full-time and seasonal community.   It is a municipal system that is completely separate from the Town of Greensboro.   In the fall of 2010, legal voters of the Fire District passed a US Department of Agriculture bond to finance some of the $2.95 million cost of the replacement project.  The actual project will be financed by a loan and a smaller grant from the USDA.    Paying back the loan for the work will result in almost doubling the yearly cost of water to users.   The cost of the new well will also be borne by users in the Water District.

Seasonal users will be subject to the same increase in costs as full time residents.   The cost of providing water is determined by the infrastructure not the actual use, so the cost of providing the first gallon of water to a property dictates the cost.   The municipal system provides clean and safe water to all of its users.

The Proposed Greensboro Fire Station Project

A new fire station, located at the Four Corners, is also being proposed for Greensboro.   If Town of Greensboro votes to use the municipal system, the Town will bear the cost of connecting that site to the Fire District #1 system (approximately $120,000.)  Further information on the total cost of the Fire Department project is available from the Town Hall and the Greensboro Fire Department.

Further information on the Water Pipe replacement project can be found here under Resources on the GA site.

 

The Highland Lodge has announced that it will be open for groups of 8-9 rooms this winter. The rate is 175.00/night/room for one night and 150.00/night/room for multiple nights. The rate includes morning coffee and use of the Lodge kitchen for meal preparations. Lodge x-c ski trails are being maintained and groomed by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.  The Outdoor Center is accepting donations when you come to ski or online here.

The Lodge will also be open for the December 15^th and the February 2^nd Craftsbury race weekends. The rate will be 150.00/room for one, two or three people with morning coffee and kitchen use.

The Highland Lodge is for sale.  See details here.

The Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District’s (CVSWMD) mission is to provide leadership, education, and services for residents and businesses in our member towns to assist them in reducing and managing their solid waste. Our mandate is to protect public health and the environment to the greatest extent feasible.  The CVSWMD can be found at https://www.cvswmd.org/index.html.

The district distributes its (now) Quarterly e-newsletter to over 400 interested parties including member town residents and businesses, our Board of Supervisors, legislators, VT solid waste districts, and other non-profit  organizations in the state. The monthly e-newsletter replaces a printed newsletter, saving paper, printing, and postage costs and reducing waste.

This e-newsletter archive offers a brief look at the organization’s activities from September 2008, which is when the e-newsletter was first distributed.

The Barr Hill Nature Preserve celebrated it’s 40th anniversary yesterday with tours, picnics, cake and lemonade.  The Preserve, which was given to The Nature Conservancy in 1972 by the Gray Family, has figured prominately in the Greensboro Area and in literary works, most notably “Crossing to Safety” by Wallace Stegner.   Descendents of the Grays as well as volunteers who maintain the trails were present for the ceremony where Phil Gray read from Stegners work and from some letters from his parents.  Marsha Gadoury spoke about the importance of Barr Hill to the area, and there were short speeches from representatives of the  Nature Conservancy as well.