Archive for category: News

Vermont’s oldest historical journal will celebrate its first forty years by publishing a book-length selection of articles about the history of the summer colony and the surrounding communities of Greensboro, Hardwick, Craftsbury and Walden. Timothy H. Breen, retired Professor of American History at Northwestern University, wrote the introduction. The authors include founding editor Dan Métraux, well-known historians Charlie T. Morrissey, Allen F. Davis, Lewis Hill, and Joyce Slayton Mitchell and many local writers. The book has chapters about the early settlement of the area and the attempts to earn a living, the history of Greensboro’s summer community, including Randolph, Black’s Point, Aspenhurst and the North Shore. There are profiles of some of the area’s “unforgettable personalities” including Miss Jean Simpson, Esther Kesselman, Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Mansfield Freeman, Margaret Mead, Judge Norwood Allman and Greta Garbo. Editor Gail Sangree has scattered throughout the book historical notes and entertaining stories. A limited number of books will be available from June 27^th at the Greensboro Historical Society Museum, Willey’s Store, and the Galaxy Bookstore in Hardwick.

This publication is a project of the Greensboro Historical Society, and is supported in part by the Greensboro Association.

A program at 7pm on Wednesday, August 12^th at the Greensboro Arts Alliance’s Tent on the Green will celebrate the area’s history and the book’s publication. It will be followed by a reception to meet the authors.   More details can be found on the Green Sheet calendar.

An important meeting to discuss the effects of Education Bill H.361 on our local schools and property tax rates will take place June 16, 2015 at 6:00pm at the Woodbury Elementary school, 63 Valley Lake Road, Woodbury, VT.     Anyone who is interested in local education possibilities and the effect on their property taxes should attend.    We urge members to attend if they can – comments may be left by clicking “Leave a reply” at the top of this article.

Education bill H.361 is designed to  affect the structure and financing of local schools throughout the state, and is a response to challenges with school property taxes and declining student numbers.   It calls on the state’s 277 districts to find ways to merge into larger “education systems” of at least 900 pupils, and the bill extends tax incentives to districts as well as grants to districts which move quickly. The law gives districts a few years to voluntarily move into larger systems, and empowers the State Board of Education in 2019 to restructure districts it believes need to make changes and have not. Tax incentives are most generous for districts that move quickly.

It also phases out the small schools grant program and the hold harmless formula that were put in place to protect tax rate spikes in communities seeing rapid student decline when the dropoff of students in Vermont first started to become a problem.   Some of our local schools benefit from these programs.

For more information see the following articles

 VT digger.

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2016/H.361

https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/…/021/00822a

The repair of the Walden bridge on Route 15 will occur this summer.   Route 15 is scheduled to be closed at the bridge, effectively cutting off travel from Danville and points southeast to Greensboro and Hardwick on Route 15.   The project is described here.  The closure is currently scheduled from July 6, 2015 for 28 days.

Travelers should  make plans to detour around the bridge closing and communicate with guests and renters.    From the south, consider routes which avoid Route 15 or use published detours, including the official detour on Route 2 and Route 215  and another unofficial route on the west side of Joe’s Pond.   Another route is from Greensboro Bend to Walden, here.

Circus Smirkus is gearing up to open the newly built summer camp on Breezy Avenue.   The first campers arrive on June 12, and contractors have been working hard to have the facility ready.

On the weekend of May 30-31, volunteers are being invited to help with the finishing touches (painting, planting, etc.) needed have the camp beautiful, welcoming and ready for the campers. For more information,  see  Smirkus Camp Work Party Weekend.

Click here to read the 2015 Spring Newsletter! Lots of news and information about upcoming  events in Greensboro.  Thank you to Niall Kirkwood, our Newsletter Editor.

We thought members might be interested in some of the events planned during the inaugural season of Circus Smirkus’ camp on Breezy Avenue.

Work Party Weekend:  May 30/31. CS will invite the community in to help with the final finishing stages of the camp construction.   If you are willing to paint, assemble furniture, plant flowers, and many other odd jobs, come along and help.   It will be a fun event to help mark the beginning of a new chapter in the life of our Town.

Ribbon Cutting: On June 9^th, join our local state representatives and senators to “officially” open Smirkus camp.   All members of the community are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Greensboro 4th of July Parade:   Circus Smirkus Campers participate in our wonderful  Read more

Children’s activities in Greensboro and the surrounding area are growing and classes and camps cover a wide range of interests and skills.   The following list is not exhaustive, and some of the offerings may be full before summer begins.  Financial aid is available from many of these organizations – see websites for more details.

If you know of other children’s activities, send us the details at [email protected].   We will add you to the list!

The Art House – Art House Jam Camp June 29-July 3, various classes, Craftsbury Common (586-2200) (https://www.vermontarthouse.org) ([email protected])

Caspian Challenge – 5K walk and run and Lake Loop for individuals and families. events for children, July 26, 2015. (www.greensboroassociation.org)

Circus Smirkus – residential circus camps for children 5 to 18 – Breezy Lane, Greensboro (https://smirkus.org/smirkus-camp/)

Read more

For the past few years, the number and variety of events, performances, and activities offered in the Greensboro area during June, July and August has been increasing.   The GA becomes aware of conflicting events when we assemble the Green Sheet calendar, usually in May – too late to re-schedule to avoid conflicts for the organisations in question.   And so, we have decided to offer an online Greensboro planning calendar as one way of assisting local organisations plan successfully for the summer season.   This calendar will allow members to see when various organisations have planned activities for this summer.

If you have interest in adding events to the planning calendar, please email [email protected].

If the planning calendar is successful, we will continue it throughout the year.

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 2015 President’s Letter.

We are pleased to report the IRA Charitable Rollover for 2014 was reinstated by Congress this week.   Particularly if you are required to take a minimum distribution from your IRA, you again have the option of making that distribution tax free by directing it to the charity of your choice.   We do not know whether this will be reinstated for 2015, so if you wish to take advantage of this opportunity to support The Greensboro Association Endowment, you MUST ACT QUICKLY.

Who can act?    If you are 70 ½ or older, you can contribute up to $100,000 from your IRA or Roth IRA by direct transfer from your account custodian to The Greensboro Association Endowment before December 31, 2014.

How do you proceed?     Interested donors should contact their IRA plan administrators and have them send an IRA cash distribution directly to the Greensboro Association, P.O. Box 59, Greensboro, VT 05841, earmarked for the GA Endowment fund, by December 31, 2014. Gifts should be made to the Greensboro Association, and will be collected and sent to the Endowment fund.     For stock transfers and more complicated planned gifts, please contact Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup at the Vermont Community Foundation [email protected] or 802-388-3355 ext. 295.

What are the benefits of a direct IRA Charitable Rollover?

For the donor –

• The rollover is not subject to income tax.
• If you do not itemize income tax deductions, this can be a way to receive a tax benefit from your gift.
• This gift qualifies for your minimum required distribution for 2014.
• Because this rollover is not part of your taxable income, other benefits include:
  • It does not contribute to the limits imposed for charitable deductions set at 50% of your adjusted gross income for cash gifts.
  • It does not enhance the taxability of Social Security benefits or Medicare premiums based on your taxable income.
  • It does not trigger the imposition of tax on net investment income over certain income thresholds or minimize deductions in certain income brackets.

For Greensboro –

Donations will support the long term economic health of Greensboro by building The Greensboro Association Endowment.   The Endowment will support economic, community, and environmental needs in our community over time, and will be a lasting resource for our beloved town over the years.

For further information, please contact [email protected]