Town Meeting 2016



IMG_0037It was sunny on Town Meeting day in Greensboro this year, which usually means we have a great turnout for this annual gathering.

Tim Nisbet, our Town Moderator since 1980, got things underway with his welcome dry wit, solid knowledge of parliamentary procedure, and keen ability to keep the meeting running while still recognizing the needs of those seeking further discussion on a topic.

We enjoyed visits from three of our legislators, including Senator John Rodgers (D-Essex/Orleans), Representative Sam Young (D-Orleans/Caledonia), and Representative Vicki Strong (R-Orleans/Caledonia). All spoke to issues currently facing the legislature, including alternative energy projects (both commercial and private), Act 46, medical marijuana, and more.

The town’s amended budget of $1,749,221, passed on a voice vote after some discussion about driveway plowing, highway equipment maintenance, and roadwork plans.IMG_0035

We also re-elected Ernest Machia to a 3-year term on the Select Board and Judy Carpenter to a 2-year term.

Andy and Judy Dales were recognized for their many contributions to life in Greensboro as this year’s recipients of the Greensboro Award.IMG_0038

The final article of the warning, which allowed for the transaction of other business legally coming before the meeting, brought about the request by several attendees to hold a straw poll regarding the presence of the Greensboro Arts Alliance tent on the Town Green this summer. The Select Board tabled the decision at its last meeting and GAAR also withdrew its request. Straw polls are non-binding and all taxpayers, not just registered voters of Greensboro, can participate. Voting by a show of hands, the majority in attendance indicated they wanted the GAAR tent to be allowed to return to the Town Green for one summer.

Other issues discussed during the final article included the combat of invasive Japanese knotweed, cell phone coverage, and the name of the Caspian Lake Beach (vs. calling it Hardwick Beach).

IMG_0041Last but not least, voters agreed to hold the town’s annual Funky Fourth Celebrations on Saturday, July 2nd. Mark your calendars!

The meeting adjourned and we shared a delicious lunch provided by the Four Seasons of Early Learning. This is always a highlight of the day.   It’s a chance to visit with neighbors and friends, some of whom we may not have seen all winter.

After lunch, Tim called the annual meeting of the Greensboro Town School District to order. We elected Jerilyn Virden and MacNeil as directors to the town school board. We also elected Amy Skelton and Robbie Hurst to the Lakeview Union School District board, and Jefferson Tolman to the Hazen Union board. We enjoyed a lively and civil discussion about the future of our school and our community. Several townspeople expressed concerns about the attractiveness of Greensboro as a place to settle for a family. Some felt that high property prices can be prohibitive for many families, and without families and children in town, the viability of our school could be in jeopardy in the future. Others expressed concern about the recent divisiveness over development projects in town being off-putting for prospective families considering moving to Greensboro. Planning Commission members in attendance reminded us all that their work for the next few years will provide important opportunities to bring our whole community together to design Greensboro’s future.

As always, Town Meeting brought civil and engaged discussion. If you weren’t able to attend, consider joining us next year. If you were there yesterday, share your comments and observations below.

Town Meeting 2016

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Save the date! Greensboro’s Town Meeting will be Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 10 AM.

The official 2015 Town Report and the town audit can be viewed here: https://www.greensborovt.org/town-meeting/

The warning includes the election of some of our public officials, votes on appropriations from area organizations seeking funds, the vote on the Greensboro Town Budget for FY 2017, and more. Lunch is provided by the Four Seasons of Early Learning, the preschool located in Greensboro Bend, and its Farm-to-Preschool Initiative. There is a $5 suggested donation for the meal, which is always a great opportunity to connect with community members near the end of a long winter.

Please note that the 2015 report also includes the school reports for the Greensboro, Lakeview Union, and Hazen Union districts.

The Greensboro School District Annual Meeting will take place on March 1 at 1:00 PM. The Hazen Union School District Annual Meeting takes place on Monday, February 29 at Hazen Union in Hardwick. Lakeview Union annual meeting is on Thursday, March 10 at 7 PM at the Lakeview Union School.

 

 

Additional Summer Camp Information

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GAAR’s Musical Theater Training Day Camp dates and program have been announced. Enthusiastic singers and dancers are invited to discover an enchanted forest and a magical kingdom as this three-week program stages a production of The Sleeping Beauty. The camp will run from June 27th to July 15th and culminates in a live performance on July 16. It is open to children ages 4-15. Optional auditions for interested children will be held from February 23 to February 27 as an opportunity for the camp directors to get to know students better, but not for casting purposes. For more information, contact [email protected].

 

Wonder & Wisdom Summer Journey’s Camp information will be available the last week of February. These camps are open to children ages 6-12 and run from 9 AM to 4 PM daily. Lunch and snack are included in the camp fee. Most camps are based at the Wonder & Wisdom program space in the downstairs area of Fellowship Hall in the Greensboro United Church. Nature camps also utilize the trails and natural areas of the Highland Lodge. Limited financial assistance is available for these camps. For more details and the links to registration in the coming weeks, visit:

https://wonderwisdom.org/programs/summer-journeys/

 

Additional Summer Programs

Auditions for Greensboro Arts Alliance & Residency 2016 Productions

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Auditions for the GAAR summer season are set to take place next week, starting February 23rd. This year’s theme is “Lovers and Madmen”, and productions planned include: Annie Get Your Gun, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and To Kill a Mockingbird. In addition, the children’s summer theater camp will be performing The Sleeping Beauty.

Actors, singers, and dancers of all experience, even those new to the stage, are encouraged to audition. All roles are open, with the exceptions of “Annie” in Annie Get Your Gun, “Titania” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “Atticus”, “Scout”, and “Jem” in To Kill a Mockingbird, and “Princess Aurora” in The Sleeping Beauty.

Auditions will be held Tuesday, February 23rd from 4 PM to 7 PM, Wednesday, February 24th from 4 PM – 7 PM, Thursday, February 25th from 4 PM – 7 PM, and Friday, February 26th from 2 PM – 7 PM. Callbacks will be held Saturday, February 27th from 11 AM – 2 PM. To schedule an audition, email [email protected].

 

Greensboro Historical Society: Lunch with Larry Lumsden

 

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The GHS held a lunch meeting with Greensboro dairy farmer Larry Lumsden last week. Members of the Society recorded their interview with Larry and have made it available for viewing on YouTube. This is an excellent opportunity to listen to one of Greensboro’s last dairy farmers talk about dairying and life in Greensboro. Watch and listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoYgIr3Txoo

Circus Smirkus Receives National Award

 

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In January, Circus Smirkus received national recognition for their work and programs at the Celebration of American Circus at Lincoln Center in New York City. The annual celebration, hosted by Circus Now and the Big Apple Circus, honors artists and organizations that have revolutionized circus arts in the United States. Circus Smirkus was the recipient of the second annual Community Impact Award, which is “given annually to a circus artist or organization that has succeeded in harnessing and demonstrating the power of the circus arts for community engagement and social good, and in bringing diverse audiences together through quality programming.

Circus Smirkus continues to engage in the Greensboro community through both its camp and programming at Lakeview Union School. This winter, grades 4-6 benefited from a unicycling program led by Circus Smirkus Camp Director Bill Merrylees during Phys Ed class.

2106 Winter Update

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 2016 President’s Letter.

Hill Farmstead Recognized as Best Brewery in the World

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Hill Farmstead Brewery once again earned the top spot of “Best Brewer in the World” and “Best Brewer in the US” by RateBeer.com this past weekend. Seven of the brewery’s offerings also made the best beer list. The awards are calculated “based on ten different weighted scales that place an emphasis on reviews of the past year and top performing beers but also includes historical all-around performance, a brewer’s range of performance across styles, and other factors to compare newer and older, larger and smaller brewers under a single method of processing.”

Vermont brewers fared well in this annual ranking, but the top spot honors by a Greensboro business warranted a visit to Willey’s by our local news team, WCAX, on Sunday afternoon.

https://www.wcax.com/category/166239/video-landing-page?clipId=12179352&autostart=true

For more info on the award and rankings of all 22,500 beers, visit ratebeer.com

https://www.ratebeer.com/ratebeerbest/

Congratulations Shaun Hill and Hill Farmstead Brewery!

Upcoming Town Meetings

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Greensboro’s Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 1, 2016.   We will provide more details on this important annual meeting as they become available.

The annual meeting of the Lakeview Union School District will be Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Lakeview Union School Multipurpose Room. Come learn about the FY17 budget, meet school board members, and learn more about our town’s school. The warnings for Lakeview Union and other members of the Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union are located here:

https://www.ossu.org/resources/annual-school-district-meetings

 

Children’s Summer Camps: Registration Open for The Art House Art Camps, Circus Smirkus, and Hosmer Point Saplings Day Camp and Traditional Overnight Camps  

 

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The Art House in Craftsbury offers a variety of programming year-round for adults and children. Registration for their popular children’s summer day camps is open now, and if you register through March there is a 15% discount.

https://www.vermontarthouse.org/classes/summer-camps-for-kid

Hosmer Point is a traditional summer camp located in Craftsbury on Little Hosmer. They offer both sleep-away and day camps, sculling camps for children ages 12-15, and two sessions of Little Bellas Mountain Biking Camp, which is a program for girls ages 11-15. Registration is currently open here:

https://www.hosmerpoint.com/summer-camp/dates-and-rates/ 

Circus Smirkus Camp still has openings for several of its sessions, particularly those earlier in the summer.

And new this year! BIG KID CAMP! Have you ever wanted to run away to the circus? Now is your big chance. Learn some of the skills younger campers have the chance to develop during their session, and still have down time to experience all the other great things Greensboro has to offer. Big Kid Camp is for adults age 21 and up and runs from August 22 to August 24.

Registration info here:

https://smirkus.org/smirkus-camp/#camp-sessions

Sterling College Continuing Education Programs, Summer 2016

Sterling College is offering a host of continuing education opportunities this coming summer. There are opportunities to discover your inner agrarian, brewer, baker, and more. Information and registration is available here:

https://www.sterlingcollege.edu/snaf-2/

Upcoming Town Meetings

The Hazard Mitigation Committee will hold its second public meeting on January 15, at 7:00 PM in the Collier Room of the Greensboro Town Hall. This committee is working on an update to the town’s hazard mitigation plan. Dessert and coffee will be provided.

The Greensboro Fire District #1 will hold its annual meeting on January 25 at 7:00 PM at the Greensboro Town Hall. The official warning can be viewed here:

https://www.greensborovt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Greensboro-Fire-District-No-1.pdf

Greensboro’s Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 1, 2016.   We will provide more details on this important annual meeting as they become available.

Reminder: Greensboro Winter Parking Rules

Winter has been slow to join us this year. Nevertheless, town winter parking rules are in effect from November 1 to April 1.

The parking of vehicles on Town Highway rights-of-way and in turnarounds is prohibited.  Vehicles may be towed at the owner’s expense.

Overnight parking in public parking lots, around the Town Hall Building, or in front of Willey’s store is prohibited.  Vehicles may be towed at the owner’s expense.

Plowing snow across a Town Highway or depositing snow on a Town Highway is a violation of state law and is strictly prohibited.

Trees and brush in the Town Highway right-of-way that are deemed to pose a hazard by the Select Board or the Town Road Foreman may be removed.

Greensboro Association Awards Grant to Greensboro Historical Society for Genealogy Project

This past December, the Greensboro Association awarded a $750 grant to the Greensboro Historical Society for its genealogy project. This is a long-term project to scan and digitize thousands of documents from the GHS genealogy files, as well as material from Memorial Garden records. As this project develops, interested community members will be able to access newspaper articles or other materials through the GHS database. For details and to explore the informative GHS fall newsletter, visit the Greensboro Historical Society website at https://www.greensborohistoricalsociety.org

Greensboro Awarded Planning Grant

Greensboro was recently awarded a Municipal Planning Grant from the State of Vermont.  Since 1988, the program has supported local community revitalization and planning initiatives by granting over $11 million to 232 cities and towns across Vermont to “help breathe new life into communities, plan for future growth and development and improve Vermont’s quality of life.”  This year the state awarded grants totaling $478,000 to 45 cities and towns to “support local leaders as they create a vision and build consensus on how to make the places they call home stronger.”

Greensboro will use the grant monies to conduct a comprehensive community assessment, which will be the foundation of the updated Town Plan and, ultimately, will dictate any future updates to the Zoning Bylaw.  Working with the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, the Greensboro Planning Commission will create a survey and conduct focus groups and interviews in the assessment process.  We will keep you updated as the process gets underway.

Greensboro Garage Scheduled to Re-open January 2016

The Greensboro Garage will re-open its doors in Greensboro on January 4, 2016. The final day of operations in Hardwick will be December 23. Current office manager of the Hardwick location, Joann Lacasse, is taking over the business from Tim Nisbet and Steve Ferber. The team will be full of familiar faces eager to meet your automotive needs, including Gail, George, Dean, Derek, and Joann, along with new employee Julie.   They have also applied for a permit with the town for a new sign for the business.

Do you need an appointment this January? Call the Hardwick location at 472-6555. After January 4, you can call the Greensboro location at 533-7007.

There are plans afoot for a grand opening celebration at the end of January. Stay tuned for details. Also, while the Greensboro location will not be open the week of the 28th, Joann welcomes folks who are able to stop in and lend a hand with the moving process, or just come by and welcome them back to Greensboro.

Greensboro Community Forum on Act 46, Thursday, December 10

 

Under Act 46 of 2015, communities are being asked to change how school districts and supervisory unions operate to meet student needs and address taxpayer concerns. The Greensboro and Lakeview school boards aim to help build understanding of Act 46, what it means for our students, and how the Greensboro community will move forward to meet the requirements of the law.

Please join us on Thursday, December 10 at 6:30 PM at the Lakeview Union School on Lauredon Avenue in Greensboro, for a conversation about the Act, what we want for our students, and our next steps.

This will be the first of several conversations with our community on this subject. We hope you can join us.

Questions? Contact the school boards at [email protected] or [email protected]. More information on Act 46 is also available at www.ossu.org or by calling the Supervisory Union office at 472-6531, x14.

Subscribe to The Hardwick Gazette

Are you eager to keep up with events and news in the greater Hardwick area, including Greensboro? Subscribe to The Hardwick Gazette to get the full picture. In-state subscriptions are only $35 per year.   Out-of-state rates are only $38/year. Contact them at (802) 472-6521 for details.

Act 46 and Greensboro

Representatives from the Lakeview Union School Board and the Greensboro School Board are participating in an Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union Act 46 discussion group. The two school boards will host the first forum about Act 46 and its implications for the Greensboro community on Thursday, December 10 at Lakeview School.   Representatives from the Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union (OSSU) office will also be present to facilitate an open discussion about the law, which will have implications for all Greensboro residents and taxpayers.   This event will be the first of several community-wide opportunities to help determine the path forward for Greensboro. We will be sending out more information about the event and the next steps for Greensboro as the process unfolds for our town.

Greensboro Development Review Board to Consider Amended Conditional Use Application by Greensboro Area Arts Alliance

The Greensboro Development Review Board will review an amended conditional use application by the Greensboro Area Arts Alliance, now known as the Greensboro Performing Arts Center Trust, on November 30, 2015 at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall of the Greensboro United Church. The amended application is available for review at the Greensboro Town Hall or on the town website at www.greensborovt.org. A site visit will take place on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 11:00 AM.

Please note that participation in the proceeding on November 30, either in person or in writing, is a prerequisite to the right to make any subsequent appeal to these amendments.

Both the hearing and the site visit are open to the public. Interested persons unable to attend the hearing in person may send a letter to the Development Review Board at the Greensboro Town Clerk’s Office or email ([email protected]).

Photos of the architectural models of the current building design are below. These models are available for viewing at the Greensboro Town Hall during business hours.

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