Archive for category: Greensboro News

We are nearly there!  Thanks to the generosity of caring contributors, the matching grant for the Greensboro Association’s Community Relief Fund is very close to reaching its goal.  Initiated by 8th grade summer resident Rhodes Boester and supported by a generous anonymous donor, this grant will match up to $10,000 of funds raised by July 31st.

With just over a week left, now’s the time to make a donation of any size, and the impact of your gift will be doubled.

The Community Relief Fund is making monthly distributions to organizations best positioned to meet emergency needs.  Initial support has been targeted toward food, medical supplies, and personal protective gear necessary for first responders.   We are committed to providing critical support throughout the coming year, so every dollar raised matters!

Donations can be made through the Greensboro Association website (www.greensboroassociation.org), or by personal check (mail to GA, Community Relief Fund, PO Box 59, Greensboro, VT, 05841).

For more information about the Fund and the matching grant, read what Rhodes himself has to say:

Hello,

My name is Rhodes Boester, and I am in eighth grade. I live in Rye, NY with my parents and two brothers. During my time at home during this pandemic, I began to think of ways to help people in the Greensboro Community impacted by the Covid-19 epidemic. I spent some time looking at organizations that help those hit hard during these times. One group and cause stood out to me: The Greensboro Association Community Relief Fund. I chose it for many reasons. First, I have spent a lot of time in Greensboro throughout my life, and know how special the community really is. Secondly, it is a small organization, and is likely to not have the resources to help people as large charitable organizations have. There are many small businesses and people who are struggling to make ends meet, and this group is helping them. Please consider a donation, however big or small, to this organization. There are two ways to donate: Either send a check to Greensboro Association, Community Relief Fund, PO Box 59, Greensboro VT. 05841, or visit their website (https://www.greensboroassociation.org/covid/). An anonymous donor will match all donations, up to a sum of $10,000. When donating, mention my name to have your donation matched.

Thank you,

Rhodes Boester

You can find out more about the Greensboro Association Community Relief fund at this link.   The GA Covid-19 Community Relief Fund.  

Birds of Greensboro by John Audubon Schweizer

The Black-throated Green Warbler and Spruce Grouse are the most at-risk NEK birds.

On October 10th,  the National Audubon released its scientists’ latest forecast for birds at risk of disappearing from Vermont by 2050.  The scientists’ model looked at 168 Vermont bird species and average temperature rising 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050.  This temperature rise which is consistent with the current climate trends will result in shorter winters and more frequent extreme weather-related events like droughts, heavy rains, extreme spring heat, and forest fires.  These conditions will not only affect our birds’ ability and timing for migration, nesting, and reproduction but also shock and reorder the local insect population which is the primary sources of nutrition for fledglings and their parents.

Of the 114 threaten species, 54  common Greensboro birds are at moderate to high risk of disappearing and 60 are at low risk. The moderate to high-risk birds include 11 species of warblers, 5 species of sparrows, woodcocks, mergansers as well as Vermont’s state bird, the Hermit Thrush.  The remaining population of other studied Vermont species should remain relatively unchanged during the next 30 years.  More information on threatening Vermont bird species can be seen at the website: Audubon.org/climate/survival by degrees/state/us/vt.

Our members have received the Winter Letter by email. Those who have not “opted out” of paper mailings also received the mailing delivered by the USPS. We look forward to getting your updates, suggestions and new member referrals.

We have been very busy this the fall, addressing a number of issues important to our members. Read the highlights in the Winter 2018 President’s Letter.

Planning to be in Greensboro during the holiday season?  There will be a variety of arts offerings during the month of December, including performances at the Highland Center, music at the Highland Lodge (check their Facebook page for details), the Craftsbury Farmer’s Market on December 9, and crafting workshops hosted by WonderArts.  Be sure to check the links below for details and to check back for more opportunities.

http://highlandartsvt.org/events/

http://wonderwisdom.org/news/

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA) released a new video to help explain how the education portion of your property taxes is calculated.  In a posting earlier this fall, we informed you of the pending shortfall in the State’s Education Fund.  This shortfall will likely impact your property taxes next year.  School districts are currently building budgets for presentation to the voters at town meetings in March.  In Greensboro, voters will be asked to approve three separate budgets: one at town meeting on March 6 for the Greensboro Town School District, which funds preschool education, one for the Lakeview Union Elementary School at its annual meeting on Thursday, March 8, and one by Australian ballot at town meeting for Hazen Union High School.  A budget presentation for Hazen Union is currently scheduled for Thursday, February 26 at the high school in Hardwick.

The short video is available below:

http://www.vtvsba.org