Archive for category: News

The Select Board has appointed a committee to consider a noise ordinance for Greensboro.   This committee was formed in response to complaints about late night noise during parties at the Lakeview Inn in the summer.   Committee members are Tom Anastasio, Peter Romans, Anne Harbison, Cilla Bonney-Smith, Sue Wood, Erwin Salls, Jr., Megen Rose, and Lenny Schiavone.  Up to three additional members may join, at the discretion of the Committee.

The Committee’s objective is to determine whether the town should enact a noise ordinance, and if so, put an ordinance on the warning for the March 2015 town meeting.

Do you have an opinion?   Click “Leave a reply” in this article, or if preferred you may send comments directly to the committee care of Sue Wood.

We wanted to share this announcement from Mountain View Country Club, a valued member of our community.

From Mountain View Country Club, October 3, 2014

Mountain View Country Club continues to welcome new members. With its offerings of golf,

A view from the 3rd green in September

tennis and a range of social activities, the Club is an important contributor to what makes Greensboro special. It really is a gem—how lucky we are to have a facility of this quality and beauty so close and accessible during our time in the Northeast Kingdom! Joining Mountain View represents both a terrific recreational and social outlet and a continuing tangible investment in the vitality of the Greensboro community.

Given that we are now nearing the end of the season, the Club is offering to new members who join by December 31 the opportunity to pay the current initiation fee and stock charge ($1,600 in total, plus tax) and have their dues waived for the remainder of 2014 and for all of 2015, not paying any further dues until 2016. The Club will be increasing its dues with effect from January 1, 2015, so the current offering is a particularly good value for new members who want to play a few times in the remaining days of this year, as well as for those who are considering joining next season.

You are invited to apply for membership. Visit the Membership Page to learn more or download the membership application form here: MVCC Application Form . If you have questions, call the Pro Shop at 533-7477 or, when it is closed, try Mike Kreider at 501-226-5682 or at [email protected].

The Greensboro Arts Alliance & Residency has announced plans to build a theater complex on a site at the current Hazendale Farm.   For more information about the plan, see the GAAR application and an article in the Burlington Free Press.

The plan, which uses the Globe Theater in London, England as a model, will be called The Mirror Theater.  A hearing by the Greensboro Development Review Board will be held on Tuesday, September 16 at 7pm at the Fellowship Hall of the Greensboro United Church of Christ.   The Site Visit will be held on Saturday, September 13, at 11am.

Anyone interested in the Willey Park plan or the Parking question is invited to come to the Select Board meeting on August 13 at 7:00pm at the Town Hall.   Comments can also be sent to the Select Board by emailing them directly or by commenting after this blog.   The Greensboro Association will continue to monitor the plans and where invited to help with their formulation and implementation.   A description of the current state of affairs follows.

Willey Beach Park parcel – a description

Many full- year and summer residents of Greensboro have enjoyed walking north along the shoreline of Caspian Lake from the Public Beach.   The lake path continues along the shore, and several smaller paths run through the heavily wooded area towards the Library and the United Church of Christ.   However, most probably do not know that this large piece of undeveloped shoreline and its woods were purchased by Greensboro in the 1970’s from the Willey’s estate with the intent to use it as recreational space.  The parcel can currently be accessed from the Beach by stepping across the dam and going along the Lake Path, or from the Village via a right of way and access  between the Rectory for the United Church of Christ and 83 Wilson Street.

After many years, the parcel has recently received more attention for two reasons.   First, the Town of Greensboro purchased the land in the 1970’s using a State Grant. This grant mandated recreational use for the parcel and the agency responsible for the purchase has recently asked how the land has been used for recreational purposes.  Second, the access to the land on Wilson Street was covered with a gravel pad during the past year, and the size of the pad has been controversial.   The Select Board has been considering both issues during its summer meetings.

The parcel (shown as an overhead view at the right and here as a survey map), is approximately 3.7 acres and has about 600 feet of undeveloped shoreline.   It contains marshy wet land with a stream in one section, heavily wooded areas near the lake, and some grassy areas.  From Caspian, the shoreland of the parcel looks like this (the public beach is on the right of the photos.

The Gravel pad and Village Parking

While the plan for using the parcel is still under discussion, the Select Board decided in June to appoint a committee to advise the Board regarding the size and use of the gravel pad along Wilson Street.   The discussion has centered around whether the area should be used only for access to the Willey Beach Park parcel, with parking for 4 or so cars,  or whether the parcel should be used as a new parking area for the Village, with space for 10 cars.   The 4 member advisory Committee did not unanimously agree on a recommendation at the July Select Board meeting – 3 members felt that 4 spaces were adequate and 1 member felt that the village needs more parking and that this would be an ideal area to meet that need.   The issue was tabled until the August Select Board Meeting on August 13 at 7:00pm at the Town Hall.

The Plan for recreational use of the Willey Beach Park parcel

While there is no specific plan yet for how to use this parcel, there is a need to allow handicap access under State Law.  A number of ideas have been floated, but there has been little concrete planning to date, and no major discussion of cost or town needs.   There appears to be little appetite for major changes to the shoreline, although recreational paths through the woods and potential picnic areas, a nature path, etc.  have been floated.    Some individuals are interested in additional access points for small boats (kayaks, canoes, etc.)  However, any plan is still under discussion.

Today – (and all Thursday afternoons) – Greensboro Farmers Market


TONIGHT (July 24)- PREMIERE!! PERFORMANCE of CAROUSEL by the Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency.   Tickets and information (Tix available at the door tonight)


TOMORROW (July 25)- PREMIERE!! PERFORMANCE of THE MIRACLE WORKER by the Greensboro Arts Alliance and Residency.   Tickets and information


WEEKEND – Further performances of both GAAR productions

TUESDAY (July 29) – Food fair and Free concert performance by Lewis Franco and The Missing Cats Jazz Ensemble.   Sponsored by Summer Music from Greensboro, Cellars at Jasper Hill, Greensboro Arts Alliance and the Center for an Agricultural Economy.  Event details here.



July 2014

Dear fellow members:

I want to share with you important recent developments at the Greensboro Association (GA). Based upon the membership vote at the 2013 Annual Meeting, we filed a request to the Internal Revenue Service to designate your organization as a 501(c)3 public charity. The IRS has recently approved this change in our status, and this will enable 2014 and future contributions to the GA over and above dues to be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Our officers and board believe that this change will allow the Greensboro Association to increase its membership support and to build a long-term endowment to support its mission.

The Greensboro Association mission is to conceive, advance, and support village initiatives and organizations that enhance our community and to protect Caspian Lake and its surrounding environment for both full and part-time residents of Greensboro.  With a Greensboro Association Endowment, our members and contributors can expand their support for initiatives that are aligned with this mission.

We plan to work with the Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) to manage the Greensboro Association Endowment.  The VCF manages hundreds of charitable funds including many nonprofit endowment and reserve funds. With this arrangement, we can make available to our members expertise and services in structuring and stewarding major gifts.  We expect to build the fund deliberately.  We will facilitate discussions with members and friends who wish to have a lasting impact on Greensboro and several residents have approached us to inquire about how to provide long-term support.

We are in the process of establishing the specifics of the program, and we plan to share an update at our annual meeting on August 8 at 7PM – including a guest speaker from the VCF. We are developing a “fact sheet” to help answer questions you may have. Please get in touch with Clay Simpson, Linda Ely or me if you have questions or would like more information about the endowment. We will keep you posted as plans develop.

A substantial effort has gone into restructuring the organization as a 501(c)3 public charity and shaping plans for an endowment fund. For their lasting impact, I would like to thank all our board members and in particular, Clay Simpson, Day Patterson, Mike Cassidy, Robert Fairbanks, Clive Gray, Tara Reynolds and Linda Ely, who have provided countless hours and expert insights. Mary White invited us to explore the initial idea of a community fund.  We have benefited from the expertise of Trish Alley, Marcia and John Stone, Rick Lovett, Andy Dales, Tom Kehler, David Rahr, the VCF founding President, and many others.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

John C. Stone III

Association President

The third annual Caspian Arts Studio Tour will take place on Tuesday, July 29, 2014, 10 am to 5 pm, this year. Nineteen artists in Greensboro and the surrounding area will open their studios, offering the public an opportunity to shop, visit with the artists, and learn about the creative process. Map and tour information are available at Hazendale Farmstand, The Miller’s Thumb Gallery, Willey’s Store and at www.caspianartsvt.com. Visitors to the studios will receive tickets for a Tour Prize Drawing, held at the festive Tour’s End Party, 5:30-7 pm at The Highland Lodge in Greensboro. Prizes will be three gift certificates ($300, $200, and $100) to be spent at participating artists’ studios.

This year, each of the artists will be presenting a new piece that is in some way inspired by this beautiful area of Vermont. Chris Jacobs, who creates mirror frames from sawn wood, has cleverly crafted the inner edge of a frame to echo the contours of Caspian Lake and calls this piece “Reflections of Caspian”. Diana Griffiths has created a set of nesting baskets that she calls “Three of a Kind”, designed specifically to tote the elements of a picnic to the lakeside. In addition, she has branched out into the world of felting, offering colorful, whimsical wool slippers that are the ultimate in coziness.

Ruby Leslie’s titled her new series of woven scarfs “Moonlight on the Water” and the pale

Don’t miss Greensboro’s Funky Fourth of July festivities. Events include the Funky Fourth parade today beginning around 9:30 am, music and games in front of the town hall after the parade, the book sale at the Greensboro Free Library,  and the free Fireworks display at the Four Corners beginning at dusk.   The cost of the Fireworks are supported by the Town and the Greensboro Association – many thanks to our members for donations in support of this program.

Give Clive Gray a big thank you if you see him!   He is the major force behind setting up our wonderful parade!   Thanks so much, Clive!

There will be a opening ceremony for the new Firehouse at 8:30am on Saturday July 5 before the parade.   Tours of the new Firehouse will be available all day – come take a look at our wonderful building!

At their June meeting, the Selectboard decided to form a committee to look into the parking pad which has been put between the rectory and the Altman property.  The meeting was well attended by local citizens, and the general agreement was that the existing new pad is unsightly, may be too large and needs to be reworked. There were differing explanations about how the pad was authorized, who provided the gravel, and how much parking is necessary in that section of the village. According to Prudential Committee member John Mackin, Munson Engineering (who completed the water line replacement this spring) would have returned the area to grass, but was instructed to leave it as a parking area by someone from the Town, and spread gravel as requested.  That occurred in November last year.

The committee will also consider at the statutory requirement for parking in Greensboro, and is aware that there can be difficulty for the road crew in the winter to plow when there are library or church events which have people parking on the street.  The committee, which is comprised of 2 Selectboard members and a member of the Water commission, welcomes input. They will report back on the parking pad issue at the July meeting.  Comments made on this site will be sent to the committee.

The Parking area is the access to Willey Park, a section of land which was purchased by the town in the 1970’s from the Willey estate using State funds. The state grant specifically required the use of the land for recreational purposes. The Willey Park land is adjacent to the Public Beach and contains approximately 300 feet of undeveloped lakefront.

The GA has also agreed to be involved in both this committee and is considering how to help the town determine the use and plan for the Willey Park area.

Thanks for the many inquiries about the Green Sheet this year.   The final version will be ready late June in the Library, Post Office and Town Hall, and online on the web.