Join a special meeting on October 14 to learn about the State of Vermont Lamoille Tactical Basin Plan. The basin plan drives a lot of the work and funding available for organizations in the watershed to address water quality issues, including work on Caspian Lake.
| Greensboro AssociationNotice of Annual Meeting The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Greensboro Association will be held on Thursday, August 5th at 4:00 pm in Fellowship Hall at the United Church of Christ in Greensboro, VT. All members of the Association are invited and encouraged to attend. The Agenda for the meeting can be viewed here. |
| For those who can not attend in person Zoom information is below. Topic: Greensboro Association 2021 Annual MeetingTime: Aug 5, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/91041033624?pwd=b3FpNnBmT2huZ0tZeXloNFRJRnIwZz09 Password: 681972 Or iPhone one-tap (US Toll): +18333021536,,91041033624# or +16507249799,,91041033624# Or Telephone: Dial: +1 650 724 9799 (US, Canada, Caribbean Toll) or +1 833 302 1536 (US, Canada, Caribbean Toll Free) Meeting ID: 910 4103 3624 Password: 681972 International numbers available: https://stanford.zoom.us/u/am9Lxo0Qo Meeting ID: 910 4103 3624 Password: 681972 SIP: [email protected] Password: 681972 |
Beginning July 1, 2021, if you want to have the Vermont State Police respond to your security alarm during the time periods when the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department is not on duty or on call, please see the following link for more information.
The Vermont State Police requires that all alarm holders within the VSP coverage area be registered with them. You need to fill out and submit a form and pay an annual fee of $50.
The Greater Greensboro Watershed Committee and the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District would like to invite interested Caspian Lake shoreland owners to participate in the Vermont Lake Wise Program this summer! The Lake Wise Program is a Vermont Agency of Natural Resources initiative that awards lake-friendly shoreland properties, both public and private. The program offers free technical assistance to lake shoreland owners who would like to learn more about how to make their property as lake-friendly as possible.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation Lake Score Card for Caspian, spring total phosphorus and summer total phosphorus trends are “significantly increasing” and “highly significantly increasing” respectively. Phosphorus pollution can result in algal blooms that are harmful to animals and people, and can decrease the economic, ecological, and recreational value of the lake. Caught early, intervention may stop or slow down this trend.
Lake shoreland owners have an important role to play in reducing shoreland erosion, improving lakeshore habitat, and keeping Caspian Lake clean. If you choose to participate, Lake Wise evaluators will spend up to an hour and a half assessing each property and providing technical advice in four categories – shorefront, recreation area, driveway, and structures and septic. If the property passes in all four categories, it will receive the Lake Wise Award sign. If the property does not pass, a detailed evaluation is provided to the landowner with recommendations on how to become Lake Wise certified in the future. Lake Wise is a voluntary program, and the recommendations are suggested, not mandated. Common recommendations include rain gardens, water bars, establishing no-mow zones, planting lakeshore vegetation, and establishing pathways.
If you are interested in a free assessment this summer, please contact Emily Finnegan at the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District – [email protected] or 802-624-7022. For more information about the Lake Wise program, please see the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation website – https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/lakeshores-lake-wise.
An example evaluation form is also available here – https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/lakes/Lakewise/docs/lp_evaluationforms.pdf.
Finally, the DEC Lake Scorecards can be found here – https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/data-maps/scorecard.
Following the March meeting of the Greensboro Selectboard, it was announced that the Town of Greensboro has decided to sign a one-year contract with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. This effectively moves general law enforcement services for Greensboro from the Hardwick Police Department to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department under Sheriff Jennifer Harlow and her deputies beginning July 1, 2021.
As stated by Peter Romans, Chair of the Selectboard, “this decision came after four months of careful deliberation over the contract terms and conditions. It is in no way a condemnation of the quality of service we received from the Hardwick Police Department and we thank them for their work over the years.”
Numerous meetings and interviews were conducted before a final decision was reached. All Selectboard members were unanimous in the decision that the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department was the best candidate to provide police services for the town. The one-year contract represents a cost savings of more than $77,000, and allows the Selectboard to monitor and receive feedback on quality of police services during and after the transition. The previous contract with Hardwick was for a three year period.
The Selectboard welcomes your questions and comments at any time. Contact Peter Romans, Chair, [email protected]; 802-533-2571. For more details see the Hardwick Gazette.
Join us at 7 pm ONLINE for a Premiere Performance, brought to you by our own Greensboro Kids, produced by Kyle Gray. Tune in at 7 pm to TinyURL.com/GFLKids. This 30-minute show is free and open to the public- both near and far! Donations to the library will support youth programs. To Kyle and the Greensboro Kids- THANK YOU! To those who are able to tune in at 7 PM- ENJOY!
The Greensboro Planning Commission (GPC) is scheduled to hold its next regular monthly business meeting on Wednesday, February 10 at 5:00 p.m. via Zoom. The agenda includes discussion of the Short Term Rental bylaw proposal and the Extended Village Zoning District bylaw proposal. A new draft of the Short Term Rental bylaw was posted on the GPC page on the Town Website on February 4, 2021 under the heading GPC Supplemental Documents for Feb. 10, 2021.
The Zoom link for the February 10 meeting is posted on the GPC page on the Town Website https://www.greensborovt.org/planning-commission/ under the heading GPC Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2021. Although this is a public meeting, which any interested member of the public may observe, it is not a formal public hearing regarding the foregoing two zoning proposals or any other zoning proposal.
The GPC has not scheduled or warned a formal public hearing on any of its current zoning proposals, and the Greensboro Association will post a notice thereof whenever the GPC does so.
Drafts of the proposed bylaws are posted on the GPC page under the following three headings: (i) GPC Supplemental Documents for Feb. 10, 2021; (ii) GPC Supplemental documents for Jan. 13, 2021; and (iii) GPC Supplemental Documents for Meetings, 2020-2021.
Any member of the public who wishes to submit comments about these zoning proposals should send an email to [email protected] Public comments on all current zoning proposals (i.e., the Shoreland Protection District, Eligo Lake Resource District, Short Term Rental, and Extended Village District zoning proposals) have been published at the above GPC website page under the subheading Public Comments Regarding Proposed Changes to the Greensboro Zoning Bylaws.
With holidays approaching and COVID cases rising in Vermont and nationwide, the State of Vermont has issued a mandatory quarantine for anyone traveling into or returning to Vermont.
Governor Scott notes that universal quarantine is particularly critical to observe as we approach the holiday season, as travel and indoor gatherings central to the season are the two biggest contributors to the spread of COVID 19.
The State discourages non-essential travel, and is advocating for virtual holiday celebrations.
Quarantine is defined as 14 days on one’s own property. If you haven’t had any symptoms of COVID-19, you may also have the option to seek a PCR test on or after Day 7 to end quarantine early with a negative result.
Locally, this means Willey’s and area stores, library and post offices are OFF LIMITS to anyone in quarantine. The Greensboro Stannard Emergency Response Team will reinstitute the delivery system so successful previously in helping people get supplies and meet needs.
Please note that according to the State Department of Health, the only reliable test is the PCR test, given 5-7 days after exposure, NOT the COVID rapid test. PCR tests are available locally at Kinney Drug in Morrisville and area pop up sites (more information to be provided as these are established). Copley Hospital will also administer tests, but only with a doctor’s order. Turn around time is generally 2-3 days. Any tests taken before arrival in Vermont at this time are not valid reasons to avoid quarantine.
For more detailed information, please refer to the Vermont State Department of Health link provided here:
Just a couple days into Greensboro’s first snowfall, its hard to believe so many of us were so recently strolling up and down Breezy Avenue in a variety of colorful costumes, trick or treating at well decorated locations along the way. Spirits were high, and buoyed by live music, roving artists, and the creativity of neighbors, many gathered on the Village Green to have their fortunes told, then spilled into Fellowship Hall for hot drinks, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a bit of community warmth.
Many thanks to Modern Times Theatre for their organizational skills and vision, along with support from the Greensboro United Church, Greensboro Free Library, Highland Center for the Arts, WonderArts, Spark, Circus Smirkus, Bread and Puppet Theatre, Hazen Union Arts Academy and the Greensboro Association.
This was one event where masks, while required, were definitely part of the fun!
The Stewards of the Greensboro Watershed and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation held a virtual public meeting on August 24 to discuss water quality trends in Vermont’s water bodies in the Greensboro Watershed, including Caspian Lake, Lake Elligo, and Long Pond, and discuss opportunities to increase protection of these high-quality waters. The recording of this meeting is available here:
The 2020 Annual Meeting for the Greensboro Association will be held on August 6 at 4:00 pm. We sincerely hope many of our members will be able to attend to hear about the great work of the GA in this unusual year.
This meeting will occur electronically via ZOOM. Please refer to the email from the GA with the Zoom link. If you have misplaced or deleted that email please email [email protected] and we will send the link. You will be able to access the meeting via internet or phone. Information about How to access a Zoom meeting can be found HERE.
Documents for the meeting are available at the links below.
GA Annual Meeting Agenda Aug 6 2020
ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES FROM 2019 (FOR APPROVAL) https://www.greensboroassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2019-8-8-GA-Annual-Meeting-MinutesUnapproved.docx
NOMINATIONS SLATE (FOR APPROVAL) https://www.greensboroassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-GA-Nominations-Committee-Report-.pdf
2019-20 FINANCIAL RESULTS AND PROPOSED BUDGET https://www.greensboroassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GATreasReport-2020-Finalwithbudget.pdf
2020-21 COMMITTEE REPORTS https://www.greensboroassociation.org/resources/reports/
HOW DO I ACCESS A ZOOM MEETING? https://www.greensboroassociation.org/how-do-i-access-a-zoom-meeting/
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.
By John C. Stone III
Connected Greensboro & Community Broadband Survey
The “Connected Greensboro” task force is one of four local task forces which have come together in recent months through the help and guidance of the Vermont Council on Rural Development and the Vermont Community Foundation. The task force seeks to achieve maximum broadband and mobile/cellular coverage and connectivity at affordable prices for full and part-time residents of Greensboro.
We are exploring broadband providers and solutions including fiber and hybrid networks to maximize coverage and connectivity. Later in 2020, we plan to expand activities to evaluate area mobile/cellular coverage providers, issues and challenges.
An important initiative the task force has been working on in recent months is organizing Greensboro to join the NEK Community Broadband Communication Union District (CUD). CUD membership can further our efforts to bring high-speed internet access, commonly called “broadband” to every 911 address. Membership in the CUD poses no financial risk to the Town of Greensboro or to its taxpayers, and CUD member towns can benefit from working collectively to seek funding through the State of Vermont, the federal government and revenue-based securities to deploy broadband infrastructure in the region. While it will still take time to realize an affordable broadband solution in Greensboro, the CUD offers us a powerful opportunity to accelerate these efforts.
Good news! At town meeting, Greensboro, along with towns across the Northeast Kingdom, voted to join the NEK CUD! Carol Fairbank led this effort on behalf of our committee. Please express your appreciation to Carol and other members of the Connected Greensboro Committee!! The next step is for each town’s selectboard is to appoint a resident to the CUD board. The CUD Board will hold its first meeting on May 12th.
We want to hear from you. Please complete the following survey (one per household please) to help us understand what qualities are most important to our community. Connectivity? Speed? Reliability? Cost? Affordable broadband coverage and connectivity is vital to Greensboro’s economic sustainability, safety and quality of life.
Committee members include: Carol Fairbank, Pal Bickford, Fred Mann, Dave Stoner, Mary Metcalf, Joan Feffer, Ken Johnston, Stew Arnold, Michael Hoffman and John Stone (Chair).
10th Annual GFD Caspian Lake Fishing Derby
Saturday, February 8th, 4am- 2pm
Adult class (16 yrs and older) $15.00
Junior class (15 yrs and under) $5.00
50/50 Raffle and other prizes
All children entered must be fishing with an adult registered in the fishing derby
PRE-REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 11TH AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
Willey’s Store, Greensboro, VT;
Riteway Sports, Hardwick, VT;
The Old Fishing Hole Gun Shop, Morrisville, VT;
or at Caspian Lake Beach the morning of the derby
Birds of Greensboro by John Audubon Schweizer
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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.
