The Independence Day Celebrations for 2012 will occur on July 7. The Funky Fourth Celebration will include the parade, the UCC chicken barbeque, the festival and fair on Town Hall Green, and for the first year a Fun Run. Check back for further information, and join the Association for Email Updates of events.
The 2012 Town meeting for Greensboro will occur March 6, 2012 at 10am in the multipurpose room at Lakeview Union Elementary School.
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center has agreed to maintain most of the over 60km winter trail system that Highland Lodge has set up and maintained over these past fifty years. The Outdoor Center will maintain the Marathon Trail over Barr Hill, through Skunk Hollow and back toward Craftsbury through the Fisher Sugarbush, as well as many of other commonly used Greensboro trails. The frequency of grooming will vary depending on when the snow comes and how much use the trails get, with a minimum goal of having the trails in good shape for the weekends and major holidays. The Center will collaborate with a volunteer group to keep a warming hut (former ski shop) behind the Lodge open and manned, at least, on weekends and vacation weeks; they hope to provide some shuttle service between the hut and the Outdoor Center.
Maintaining the Greensboro trails will cost the Craftsbury Outdoor Center about $10,000 this winter. Many Greensboro winter residents have volunteered to raise that money, man the warming hut, work on the trails in the fall and spring and join the Center. The Greensboro Association has contributed $1000 as seed money to get this effort up and running. However, all who are interested in maintaining this wonderful resource should consider at a minimum joining the Craftsbury Outdoor Center as a member, and also should think about contributing with a tax deductible donation to help defray the Outdoor Centers costs. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is a non-profit organization whose mission includes both life-long sports and land stewardship. Yearly membership (as little as $25 for students and seniors) grants year-round access to the trails, rowing opportunities, ski rentals and a broad variety of programs. For more information on memberships, please go to www.craftsbury.com .
It was announced today that the Highland Lodge is closing its doors effectively immediately. The immediate cause according to the press release is “a bad economy combined with an innkeeping format which is no longer sustainable in today’s tourism climate.” The decision, which has been under consideration for some time, was made with great sadness by the Smith Family, who have run the inn for 57 years with 4 generations of family.
The hope is to find a buyer or buyers for the property who will preserve the character of the land and buildings and who will be both environmentally conscious and a good fit with the town of Greensboro. The Greensboro and Vermont Land Trusts and the Preservation Trust of Vermont are all being asked for their perspectives.
Further information regarding the future of the site will be announced at www.highlandlodge.com.
