Funky Fourth Update

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Due to the rise in costs and worries about being able to get supplies needed from overseas in time for the celebration, the Greensboro Selectboard has decided to cancel this year’s 4th of July fireworks.  Click here for the announcement on the town website.
 
Other 4th of July activities will continue forward, with the addition of a few new events.  The Funky Fourth parade will kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 2nd, ending at the town green where there will be kids games, music, food, concessions and a crafts-farmers market afterwards.  An auction to raise funds for the Ukrainian Save the Children Fund will be held on the green as well, featuring Vanna White (Smith) and Tim “Uncle Sam” Nisbet as hosts.  There are ongoing discussions about the possibility of evening entertainment, but details have not yet been firmed up.  
 
The Greensboro Association, which has typically helped to fund the fireworks show with the Selectboard, will be exploring other ways to support this year’s town festivities.  Those who previously donated towards the fireworks will be contacted soon to discuss donation options.  

Auction to Benefit the Children of Ukraine: Saturday, July 2

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2022 Greensboro Association Grants Application Now Posted

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The Greensboro Association is pleased to announce that due to generous donations from our members to our endowed Fund For Greensboro, the GA will be funding one-year project initiative grants as well as expanding to grants that support annual operation expenses. We will also consider on an exception basis, grants requests greater than $1000.  The deadline for receipt of applications and necessary support documentation is May 31, 2022. .  Please submit all  applications through the following link:

https://forms.gle/vZU6v7fY96gpRhAX6.

Any questions and all necessary supporting documents should be submitted through our website grants@greensboroassociation.org.  The Grants Committee will evaluate each application based upon how well it directly benefits the Greensboro community, Caspian Lake and its surrounding environment.  Grant recipients will be announced at the GA’s annual meeting in early August and distribution of grant money will follow starting in September.

Greensboro Grants Committee
Anthony Acheson
Karen Gowen – CoChair
Rick Lovett
Mike Metcalf
Tim Nisbet
Naomi Ranz-Schleifer
John Schweizer – CoChair

Greensboro’s Funky Fourth Festival – Saturday, July 2nd: “Let’s Celebrate Democracy”

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World-Famous Greensboro Parade Starts 10 AM

This year’s parade will feature either the UCLA Marching Band, the Vermont Symphony Mobile Orchestra or the Bread and Puppet wondering entourage. Both President Biden and former President Trump have agreed to either attend or send caricatures and will be walking lock-step with the music.  Jasper Hill will be showering the crowd with cheese balls. And we are still waiting for a confirmation from Elon Musk whether Greensboro’s new Tesla Fire Engine will arrive in time.  Last and definitely least,  Clive Gray’s old-old Pierce Arrow will be making its 119th continuous appearance at this year’s event.

Ukraine Relief Auction- Immediately Following the Parade on the Town Hall Lawn

This is a worthy town initiative to raise money for Ukrainian relief via Save the Children.  Great food, maple syrup, crafts and refreshments will be available. Non-personality and town meeting moderator Tim Nisbet has been recruited and reluctantly agreed to be the auctioneer.

Auction Details: Greensboro summer resident Brad Irwin is Chairman of the Board of Save the Children which is now a major source of aid to Ukraine. His position gives our area unique insight into the needs of Ukraine and Save the Children’s efforts to assist the millions of refugees, displaced families, hospitals, and children remaining in Ukraine’s beleaguered towns and cities.

The goal is to raise $5,000 to go directly to help Save the Children’s efforts in Ukraine. We are hoping people will donate 100 high-quality items in good condition worth at least $50. We are also seeking craftspeople, sailors, and others who might donate a day of sailing or other products of their time and energy to the auction.

People with items they think appropriate and with a willingness to donate should contact David Kelley at 802 586 2588 or at [email protected]  or John Schweizer at 802 533 9289 or [email protected].

 

 

Sailing Races on Caspian Lake: August 2022

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Sailing Races will be held on Wednesdays and Saturdays this August beginning Wednesday, August 3rd and ending Saturday, August 20th.
 
Sailors should plan to meet in the center of the lake between Blacks Point and Aspenhurst Point for a 2PM STARTING TIME before each race.
 
All classes of boats welcome. All ages and abilities welcome!
 
On Saturday, August 6th we will dedicate the race to the memory of Hazel Gray and her enduring love of sailing on Caspian. All entrants will be awarded a prize.

Request for Art Submissions for the Greensboro Association 2022-23 Member Directory

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The Greensboro Association is soliciting digital images of artwork that contain themes or subjects from Greensboro, the Northeast Kingdom, and/or Vermont. One image will be chosen to be featured as the cover of the 2022-23 Greensboro Association member directory published in May 2022.

The Greensboro Association publishes a directory of members every two years.  This directory is available at Willey’s Store, and is purchased by a wide number of local and seasonal residents.

WHAT ART CAN BE ENTERED?

  • Types of artwork can include: paintings, drawings, graphic or digital design, or photographs.
  • We accept submissions containing themes or subjects which focus on Greensboro, the Northeast Kingdom, and/or Vermont
  • The art must be a unique creative work of the entrant, and not violate any copyright, intellectual property, or other laws or norms.
  • We consider ONLY pre-existing works in black and white or color. Black and white images are preferred.
  • Our cover dimensions are 5.25 width by 8 height in inches (note that images can be scaled down to a similar ratio).
  • We accept existing art, not proposals.
  • We only accept JPG files for submissions.
  • The artist owns their artwork–we only license the artwork for the front cover of the directory. The directory cover may be included on our website.
  • We do not pay for the use of the artwork, but we include the artists name and a description of the artwork on the inside front cover of the directory.

WHO CAN ENTER?

  • We accept submissions from all sources. Preference is given to members of the Greensboro Association and local Greensboro and area artists,
  • Artwork by individuals age 11 and over. Artists under age 18 must have their parent or guardians permission to enter.

HOW CAN YOU SUBMIT YOUR WORK?

  • Submission deadline is APRIL 1, 2022 at 5:00pm.
  • Submissions must be sent via email to [email protected].
  • Each submission must include the artists name, telephone number, email address, physical address, name of the artwork, and description of the artwork in the body of the email.
  • Each submission must include a print-ready .jpg attachment of the image to be considered.

Early Identification of Aquatic Invasive Species: A Virtual Event on April 6

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Registration and Agenda

Aquatic Invasive Species both plant and animal are an ever-growing threat to all lakes, ponds, and waterways in Vermont. This virtual meeting is designed to help organizations and individuals learn how to get a program off the ground.

The Greensboro Planning Commission Seeking to Fill two Vacancies. Nonresidents Welcome to Apply.

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The Greensboro Planning Commission is seeking to fill two vacancies. Nonresidents are welcome to apply. The Commission meets monthly. All meetings are open to the public.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest by Friday, February 25. All prospective candidates will be invited to the Planning Commission’s Tuesday, March 1, 5 p.m. meeting. All meetings are virtual at this time. Candidates are also requested to read over the Town Plan. This information and more about the Planning Commission can be found on the Town’s website at greensborovt.org.

Letters should be submitted to:
Brett Stanciu, Zoning Administrator
Town of Greensboro
PO Box 119
Greensboro, VT 05841
[email protected]

Questions? 802-533-2640

The Hazen Bell Community Project

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A group of local townspeople are involved in The Hazen Bell Community Project, an effort to recondition and install a bell at the local Hazen Union School in memory of a student, Finn Rooney. This effort has been launched to realize the dream of many in the community who fondly remember the bell at Hardwick Academy, the school which preceded Hazen Union. Hazen Union School has been the High School for Greensboro and other area students since 1970.   Before his tragic death, Finn had proposed restoring a working bell to the greater Hardwick Community whose purpose would be to inform, to celebrate, to unify, and to heal, just as the beloved bell once did so many years ago.

The bell has been gifted to the project by the Town of Greensboro after it was found in the basement of the Town Hall, the former Greensboro High School which closed in 1968. The bell is being restored by volunteers in Craftsbury; a local architect has drawn up plans for a bell tower to be placed near the Hazen gym; lumber is being donated by a local mill. Many individuals throughout Hardwick, Craftsbury and Greensboro have been involved in the project, and plans are in place to have the bell tower built and the bell installed this Spring in time for the bell to ring in celebration at Graduation on June 11.

For further information and for ways to help, here are some links.  Thanks to Kim Greaves, Greensboro Town Clerk, for making us aware of this heartwarming and worthwhile project.

The Restored Bell Rings again

The Hazen Bell GoFundMe effort, set up by Sara Tewksbury, a Hardwick Kiwanis Club member.

The WCAX New Report covering the story of Finn Rooney and the effort to bring the bell back

PBS Rubble Strip program entitled “Finn and the Bell”.

For additional information contact Mike Clark at [email protected] and 802-595-3419 or Dave Perrigo (Former Principal of Hazen Union)  at [email protected] and 802-525-3414

 

 

 

 

GREENSBORO SELECTBOARD HOSTS A PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDMENTS TO GREENSBORO ZONING BYLAWS

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The Greensboro Selectboard will host a hearing on Monday, December 6, at 6:30 pm to hear public comments on proposed amendments to the Greensboro zoning bylaw. This meeting will be held at Fellowship Hall, United Church of Christ, and via ZOOM at the link below.  The proposed amendments are to address: 

  •   Short-Term Rentals,
  •   the Shoreland Protection District,
  •   the Eligo Resource District,
  •   the Extended Village District, and
  •   Miscellaneous changes.

The draft containing all of the proposed four amendments is available on the Planning Commission section of the Greensboro Select Board under the Section entitled Greensboro Information.

This meeting continues the process of considering amendments to the current Zoning Bylaw.  Following this meeting, the Selectboard may elect to pursue different alternatives for each proposed amendment including:

1) Adopting the amendment by vote of the Selectboard;

2) Submitting the amendment for adoption by voting members of the town at the next Town Meeting; and

3) Sending one or more amendments back to the Planning Commission for further consideration and revision based on public feedback. 

Comments on each proposal may be submitted in email to the Selectboard by writing to [email protected].  Greensboro Association members who have already submitted comments to the Planning Commission are encouraged to review the revised proposals and resubmit their comments to the Selectboard for this meeting.  Questions should be directed to Brett Stanciu, Greensboro Zoning Administrator at [email protected] and (802) 533-2640.

____________________________________

ZOOM MEETING DETAILS

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What is Going On in Our Watershed?

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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.

Town of Greensboro Website Survey – please give your input!

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The Town of Greensboro Website Task Force is conducting a survey of the Town website, and has asked the Greensboro Association to get the word out!

From the Town of Greensboro Website Task Force. In May, the Selectboard approved the formation of a Task Force to examine how the Town’s website currently serves the community and how it may be improved to better serve the community in the future. To engage the community in this effort, the Task Force has developed a short (5 question) survey which we will be promoting through various channels over the next two weeks. We hope to encourage participation from a broad cross-section of folks, whether they live in, work in or visit Greensboro, which we will track through two qualifying questions at the start of the anonymous survey. We estimate the survey will take less than ten minutes to complete. The deadline for completing the survey is Jul 30th, 2021.
The goal of the survey is to complement the research and analysis of municipal websites carried out by the Task Force, identifying priority areas for improvement in both content and user experience. A summary of the survey results and Task Force recommendations will be presented to the Selectboard in August.

Your engagement, reflection, and sharing in this website initiative is greatly appreciated!

Note: If you are using a smart phone to complete this survey, you may wish to rotate your phone to “landscape” view in order to limit any necessary scrolling to vertical only. 🙂

CLICK HERE to begin the survey
THANK YOU! Greensboro Website Task Force co-chairs:Michael Porazzo, Liz Steel, John Stone III

Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting of the Greensboro Association

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The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Greensboro Association will be held on Thursday, August 5th at 4:00pm 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 will be distributed prior to the meeting.  At the meeting, our membership will be asked to vote on the election of the new class of trustees, the approval of the minutes of the 2020 Annual Meeting (which was a virtual meeting, held online via Zoom) and the approval of an updated set of bylaws for the Association that have been prepared by our Governance Committee. 

The minutes of the 2020 Annual Meeting are available here. 

A summary of the proposed major changes to be made by the new bylaws is available here. 

The proposed new set of bylaws for the Association is available here.

The proposed new slate of trustees will be distributed prior to the meeting.

We hope you will be able to attend and hear about the great work of the GA over the unusual and difficult past 12 months.

Vince Cubbage

President, the Greensboro Association

[email protected]

Security Alarm Registration

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Attention Property Owners with Security Alarms

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.

https://vsp.vermont.gov/alarm

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.

Caspian Lake shorefront owners invited to participate in Vermont Lake Wise Program this summer

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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.

Important Greensboro Planning Commission Meeting on June 2

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The Greensboro Planning Commission (GPC) has issued a formal notice that it will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of hearing public comment on the GPC’s proposed amendments to the Greensboro Zoning Bylaw. A copy of the GPC’s formal notice for its public hearing is posted on the GPC’s page on the Town’s website and can be accessed here: https://www.greensborovt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20210422140051.pdf
The public hearing will be a virtual meeting. The Zoom link for that meeting will be:
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 999 4341 0933
Additional links to the virtual meeting (e.g., via one tap mobile) are listed in the
GPC’s formal notice of the public hearing.
Written comments may also be submitted to the GPC via email to [email protected] or mailed to the Town of Greensboro, PO Box 119, Greensboro, VT 05819.
The proposed amendments to the Greensboro Zoning Bylaw are primarily focused on properties that are within the Shoreland Protection District, which includes the Shoreland Buffer Resource Zone. (There are also several miscellaneous amendments to other sections of the Greensboro Zoning Bylaw.)
The GPC has prepared a written report that summarizes the proposed amendments and explains the GPC’s reasons for proposing same. The GPC’s report, and the text of the proposed amendments, are posted on the GPC’s page on the Town’s website (currently as the last bulleted item under the subheading “Greensboro Information” on that page) and can be accessed here:
With respect to the legislative process and schedule that we anticipate the Town will follow in regard to these proposed amendments, we note the following:
  • After its June 2, 2021 public hearing, and after considering the comments made at that hearing, the GPC may make changes to the proposed amendments to the Greensboro Zoning Bylaw and then submit those amendments to the Select Board. However, if the GPC makes significant changes to the proposed amendments, then the GPC will likely hold another public hearing thereon (warned at least two weeks in advance) before submitting the amendments to the Select Board.
  • Before the Select Board votes to approve the amendments, the Select Board will hold a public hearing thereon (warned at least two weeks in advance) to gather public input.
  • After that public hearing, if the Select Board votes to make significant changes to the amendments, then the Select Board will submit those changes to the GPC, which would then hold another public hearing thereon (warned at least two weeks in advance). If the GPC then approves those proposed changes, it would then forward the amendments to the Select Board, which would hold a public hearing thereon (warned at least two weeks in advance) before approving them.
  • Once approved by the Select Board, the proposed amendments will likely be submitted to a Town vote.

Sidewalk demonstration installation this weekend: we need your feedback!

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In 2019, following a series of community meetings facilitated by the VT Council on Rural Development, Walkability and Bikeability was identified as a top priority for Greensboro.  As a result, the Greater Greensboro Report and Action Plan was drafted, the Walk/Bike task force was formed, and collaborative efforts began with area stakeholders.
 
On May 27, the Walk/Bike Taskforce and Local Motion, Vermont’s statewide advocate for active transportation and safe streets, will install a demonstration project in Greensboro’s busy town center that will allow people in town to see what crosswalks and parking areas would feel like if proposed changes were to be made.   Through the Memorial Day weekend, crosswalks and parking areas will be temporarily modified in the interest of enhancing safety, visibility and efficiency for both pedestrians and drivers.
 
So what can you do to help?  We need you to come check it out and give your feedback on your experience with the interactive sidewalk demonstration.  Your opinion is key in designing improvements at this key intersection.  When you head to Willeys, the Millers Thumb, or any of the locations “downtown,” try out the proposal for yourself, and provide your feedback.  A form is available at this link: https://forms.gle/VQMWPR9rdYXcJFS79.   

The Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds announces a seminar on “Phosphorus Pollution – A High Stakes Watershed Issue”

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The Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds is pleased to announce that online registration for the 2021 virtual, online, and FREE Lake Seminar, scheduled for Friday, June 4, is now open.  The theme and title for this year’s seminar is “Phosphorus Pollution – A High Stakes Watershed Issue.”

Because this year’s seminar is going virtual, we will ask for your email address (required) to send the meeting link to, and we also will ask for a shipping address (not required, but recommended) so we can send you a door prize, should you win one of six being offered.  To register online and get more detailed information click HERE. Please take a few minutes and register now.

This seminar is free and open to the public but you must register to participate.  Please forward this message to anybody you think might be interested in attending.

Thanks, and we’re  looking forward to seeing you “there.”

Bruce Tanner, FOVLAP Treasurer

ZOOM INVITE–Shall we reclassify Greensboro’s lakes?

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The Stewards of the Greensboro Watershed have announced a Zoom meeting for this Thursday, April 8 from 3-5pm regarding the possible reclassification of lakes in our area by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.  This includes Caspian Lake.  All interested are welcome to attend this meeting and learn more.  Christine Armstrong is one of the Stewards and has provided these details on the meeting:

Shall the Town of Greensboro and its residents begin the process of reclassifying the lake waters in Greensboro in an effort to save them?  Or not?  Can we do it ourselves?  Or not?  What are the pros and cons of teaming with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to acknowledge our declining water quality and the risk for further or irreparable decline?  How should we act and move forward?

The Stewards of the Greensboro Watershed invite you to join in with questions and both positive and negative comments for Oliver Pierson, the Lakes and Ponds Program Manager at  Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources, about the idea for reclassification of Greensboro lakes.  He will present what ‘reclassification’ means; why this is an option for us; what we will get out of it, and what it will ask from us.

3-5 PM April 8, 2021.

 Please share this Zoom invite with any other interested folks and with those who may benefit from the information.      This meeting will be recorded for future viewing opportunities.

Scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: ANR & Stewards of the Greensboro Watershed, Q&A 

Time: Apr 8, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

 

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 880 6353 2839

Passcode: 313853

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Greensboro Police Contract Change Beginning July 1

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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.