The Select Board reviewed and approved the GA’s proposal for the 2017 Caspian Challenge, now organized by Stew Arnold. The race will be held Sunday, July 23, 2017. Details about registration will be posted here on our website as they become available.
The Greensboro DRB unanimously approved Jennifer Ranz’s application for an event venue at her landmark Greensboro Barn. The DRB’s decision, as well as supporting documents and letters from community members supporting and opposing the application, is available for review here:
Hardwick has a new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Claire’s, the Vermont Supper Club, and most recently, The Vermont Place. Havana802 features home-cooked Cuban cuisine available six days a week. The restaurant had a soft opening over Columbus Day weekend and is now open for its regular hours, Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 to 8 PM, and Friday through Sunday, 11:30 to 9 PM. Havana802 is operated by John and Monica Montero and their children Kearstyn and Kaeden.
David and Wilhelmina Smith, owners of the Highland Lodge, fulfilled a dream of many years by conserving, in perpetuity, their 76 acres west of Craftsbury Road and south of North Shore Road in Greensboro. At a ceremony in Highland Lodge, the Smiths met with Tracy Zschau, conservation director of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), and Julie Curtin, VLT attorney, to sign a conservation easement agreement with the land trust. (see map)
The agreement provides that the Smiths and future owners of the Lodge will not develop the lakeside portion of the Lodge property. It excepts a half-acre parcel on the Caspian Lake shore that will provide beach rights to future Lodge owners and some of the adjoining camp owners, but restricts use of the remaining forest and wetland only for open space uses like forestry, agriculture, recreation and education. At the signing, David Smith said: “This conservation easement allows us to preserve our natural living environment for everyone to enjoy.”
The conservation easement was professionally appraised at $282,000, the bulk of which the Smiths donated as a charitable donation to the land trust. About one quarter of the value was provided by contributions from the Stony Point and Freeman Foundations, the Greensboro Land Trust (GLT), and the Town of Greensboro through the Greensboro Conservation Fund.
The property contains the Porter Brook Natural Area, where Greensboro residents have hiked in previous years, and which summer workshops for children have visited. Its interior path has also served as a snowshoe trail. The easement agreement does not guarantee future public access to the area, but it is hoped that future Lodge owners will want to maintain the trail and allow public access. The easement includes a 22-acre wetland protection zone, and riparian buffer zones along Porter Brook that will protect water quality and aquatic habitat.
The VLT representatives congratulated the Smiths on their dedication to conservation of a beautiful natural area, and Clive Gray, clerk of the Greensboro Conservation Commission and GLT chair, said the select board had instructed him to convey its gratitude to the Smiths.
“The Smiths have been excellent stewards of their property for many years,” said the VLT’s Tracy Zschau. “It is gratifying to join them in ensuring that these sensitive and scenic areas will be protected for the long term.”
Despite extensive publicity and the receipt of numerous promising essays, Ross Connelly ended the Kickstarter campaign and essay contest for the Hardwick Gazette on October 10. At 127 years old, the paper is now in need of new energy and leadership. Ross Connelly is its 8th publisher, and he is hopeful and motivated that he will find a new owner for this important community resource and a lynchpin for the continued sustainability of local democracy. We hope that Mr. Connelly is able to find a new owner for the paper who is as committed to the value of community as he has been.
The Highland Lodge is now under contract with an anticipated closing date in October 2016. The prospective buyer is Heidi Lauren Duke, who was the stage director of the “First Annual Opera Spectacular” for the Greensboro Arts Alliance & Residency’s summer programming this year. She is a director and choreographer with experience staging productions both nationally and internationally. Details on the planned use for the Lodge are not set and a formal press release will be published in mid-October. In the interim, Ms. Duke welcomes support from the community and wants to celebrate the contributions of the Smith Family and the Lodge to the Greensboro community during its long history.
The Highland Center for the Arts Trust (HCAT) submitted a permit application to the Agency of Natural Resources for revisions to the theater complex currently under construction at the corner of Hardwick Street and Center Road. The application includes proposed changes to the architectural design, hours of operation, café occupancy, roof line, colors, and sign. Specifically, the application delineates changes in siding material (cement board to shiplap siding that is grey-green in color), roofing colors, and a new sign that will use a native stone unearthed during construction. An amended wastewater permit was issued in April to revise the design flow use allocation for the system and the café now has a waste water permit that will enable it to seat 40. The amended permit will also reduce the number of folding chairs permitted in the theater from 130 to 29 on days when the café is in operation.
The District #7 Commission will evaluate the changes under the ten criteria of Act 250, but it also intends to narrow the scope of the hearing to Criterion #8, which covers aesthetics, unless the Commission decides to expand the scope at or before the hearing.
The public hearing for this application is on September 15, 2016 at 7:00 PM at the Greensboro Town Offices. A site visit will take place before the hearing at 6:15 PM. Participants should meet at the Highland Center for the Arts parking lot. Please be aware that the Act 250 process has established criteria for whom may participate in hearings. Information on this, as well as how to participate if you are not a statutory party or adjoining property owner, is available here:
https://anrweb.vt.gov/PubDocs/ANR/Planning/7R1359-1/Notice%20and%20COS.pdf
Details about the application, including PDFs and a narrative explaining the proposed changes, are available for viewing here: https://anrweb.vt.gov/ANR/vtANR/Act250SearchResults.aspx?Num=7R1359-1
As many in our membership know, Ross Connelly, publisher of the Hardwick Gazette, put the paper up for sale through an essay contest this year. The contest received national press coverage, including a poignant article in The New York Times earlier this month (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/us/want-to-own-a-newspaper-a-vermont-contest-has-trouble-finding-takers.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0).
The contest needed a minimum number of entrants for it to be a viable solution for Mr. Connelly to hand over the reins of his paper, but unfortunately, it has not met that minimum. The Hardwick Gazette is our area’s major source of news and information about local government, sporting events, schools, and more. It would be a serious loss to our community were it to shutter its doors.
Perhaps you are a journalist and have always dreamed of running your own shop. Or perhaps you are simply a community member who values the Gazette and its contributions to our corner of Vermont. Either way, please consider participating, even if it is without the intent of winning. Your submission could be as simple as letting Mr. Connelly know that you don’t want to be selected, but that you value the Gazette enough to participate in its future.
To participate, write your essay and submit with a check for $175 to:
Hardwick Gazette Essay Contest
PO Box 367
Hardwick, VT 05843
Melanie Clarke, a long time summer resident of Greensboro, has been named Chair of the Board of the Highland Center for the Arts, as well as the chair of its Artistic Programming Committee. Melanie joins existing HCAT board members Adelaide Murphy Tyrol, Elizabeth and Andrew Brown, and Greensboro resident MacNeil on the Center’s board. To learn more about Melanie and her long career in the arts and nonprofit management, visit https://highlandartsvt.org/highland-center-for-the-arts-announces-chair-of-the-board-of-directors/
September 2 was the last date for Friday afternoon tours of the arts facility. HCAT will be hosting an end-of-season cookout and tour on Saturday, September 17. They will be serving hamburgers, hots dogs, and drinks. This is a rain or shine event, and there is no fee. The festivities begin at noon, and tours will begin at 1 PM.
Please remember that as the Center is an active construction site, visitors can only come during scheduled tours and must follow safety protocols as outlined by the building’s contractors. Closed toe shoes are mandatory and long pants are encouraged.
If you missed the chance for a tour in August, RSVP to this event by email at [email protected], or leave a message at 533-9075.
It’s the middle of August and while our calendars all feel packed, please take a moment to consider these opportunities for some great near-the-end-of-summer activities.
Circus Smirkus is coming home! Final performances for the 2016 Circus Smirkus Tour, Hup, Hup and Away, will be on August 12 at 7 PM and August 13 at 2 PM and 7 PM. Shows do sell out quickly, so get your tickets in advance at https://smirkus.org.
Final performances of To Kill a Mockingbird, Sinners, and Annie Get Your Gun are also this weekend! All three performances have been given stellar reviews. For show times and ticket information, https://www.themirror.org. Tickets are also available at Willey’s.
Coming next Tuesday night at 7:30 PM, Summer Music from Greensboro is presenting a FREE concert in the GAAR tent on the Greensboro village green. The talented six-person retro big band Chaise Lounge from Washington, D.C. will perform. This is sure to be a great family-friendly evening of dancing!
And the Highland Center for the Arts is offering tours of the new theater complex – for more information (and to sign up) check out the website.
Check your green sheets and the online GA or town calendars regularly for additional events.
As many of you know, Greensboro welcomed new residents to the community this summer. For the first time since 1982, a pair of loons successfully hatched two chicks on Caspian Lake. According to reports, the babies are thriving. A first nest attempt failed, and the second attempt was quickly getting swamped by motorboat wake. Volunteers modified the nest with sideboards and foam, and the pair of loons began incubating their eggs. The hard work of conservation paid off in late July when the chicks hatched.
Eric Hanson, Vermont’s State Loon Biologist, continues to encourage both motorized and non-motorized boaters, as well as swimmers, to not pursue the chicks in open water, as it could be considered a threat by the parents. There have been many beautiful photos of the loons and their babies circulating on Facebook. Please remember that many of these photos were taken by professional photographers with special lenses from a distance. It is not recommended to approach the babies or parents to take photos with phones or other devices.
Preservation of loon habitat is something in which we can all participate, not only by keeping our distance from the loons themselves. Limiting motorboat speed and wake near shorelines and possible nesting areas is critical. Indirect threats to loon habitat include storm-water runoff, which can kill the species that serve as their food supply. Working to mitigate that impact by preserving our shorelines, properly using waste management systems, and limiting the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals around the lake can make a difference.
The Greensboro Planning Commission is holding the first in a series of public forums on August 15th, 2016 at the Fellowship Hall. The Planning Commission is seeking public input regarding the community survey results and invites further discussion about what we want Greensboro to be as based on those results. Public input gathered at the forum will be strongly considered by the Planning Commission as it works on revising the Town Plan. The public forum will be held at the Fellowship Hall on August 15, 2016 and will begin at 7 PM. For more information, please contact the Town of Greensboro, Zoning Administrator at (802) 533.2911.
Subsequent dates for future community forums to be announced soon.
Please review the Community Survey Results before the forum.
Please join us!
Sunny skies and coolish temperatures greeted runners and walker for this year’s GA-sponsored Caspian Challenge. One hundred eight finishers enjoyed the fast conditions, and records fell once again!
Sam Beech took the overall Lake Loop winner, with a record time of 38:12, and our overall 5K winner was Evan Thornton-Sherman with a time of 21:05.
Results are available for viewing here:
https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=75156
Special thanks to our sponsors who provided donations for this year’s race:
Hillcrest Nursery
Borealis Studios
Black Dirt Farm
Hill Farmstead Brewery
Pete’s Greens
Willey’s Store
Cassie’s Corner
Lakeside Looks
Hazendale Farmstand
Greensboro Garage
Victoria Hill Physical Therapy
Yoga Light
Craftsbury General Store
Jasper Hill Farm
Also, a special thanks to our race volunteers and cooks:
The Ely Family
The Arnold Family
The Osterhout Family
The Kehler/Von Hessert Family
The Virden Family
The Jenkins Family
The Sowles Family
The McKenzie Family
We look forward to another great race next year!
The Annual Meeting of the Greensboro Association will take place on Thursday, August 4 from 4-6 PM. The Board elected to schedule the meeting earlier in the evening to accommodate the variety of evening activities in early August.
Included on the agenda are a one-hour business meeting, followed by a town update that will include a presentation from the Planning Commission on the results of the recent community survey, as well as a report from Hardwick Police Chief Aaron Cochran.
Finally, we invite you to celebrate the recipients of this year’s Greensboro Award, Judy and Andy Dales, and offer thanks at this meeting for their many contributions to the community.
Please note the earlier time and join us from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 4 at the GUCC Fellowship Hall.
The Greensboro School Board will host a community forum on Tuesday, July 26. The forum will focus on Greensboro’s efforts to comply with Act 46. Greensboro residents and taxpayers are invited to join the conversation about the issues and opportunities presented for the town under this law. The forum will focus on Greensboro’s participation in the Alternate Structure currently under review by the OSSU Exploratory Committee and the possible impact of this option on Greensboro students and taxpayers. The forum will also provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about conversations with other area districts. No changes to Greensboro’s current school governance will be voted on at this meeting.
The forum will be at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, July 26 in the Lakeview Union Library. All Greensboro community members, including non-resident taxpayers, are encouraged to attend.
When: July 8, 2016 from 4 to 6 PM
Where: Fellowship Hall of the Greensboro United Church of Christ
Sponsor: Greensboro Association Ad Hoc Committee on Lake Levels
Shorelines and properties around Caspian Lake experienced unprecedented ice and high water damages during the 2015/2016 winter. The Greensboro Association Ad Hoc committee on Lake Water Levels has been investigating the extent of the damages, the causes and possible solutions. The committee has also met with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to inform them of damages to Caspian’s shoreline, to understand the Agency’s policies and to discuss long term solutions.
The objective of the July 8th meeting is to inform the Caspian community of the current situation regarding controlling lake levels and to discuss the committee’s proposals on how Caspian community should move forward to prevent seasonal ice and high water damage in the future.
Sunday Lake Concerts have been a tradition in Greensboro for decades. Hosted by John and Lisa Hewitt at the Landon Lake House on the South Shore, these concerts draw boaters each Sunday evening for recorded classical music.
Paid or volunteer help is needed to help set up the concerts each week and keep this tradition going in the future. Interested? Sign up using the link below. Please note that August 7 is already filled.
https://www.greensboroassociation.org/calendar/summer-lake-concert-help/
Have you completed your Greensboro Community Survey? This is the first step for Greensboro’s redraft of its Town Plan. Everyone in the household is encouraged to complete the survey, but they must be completed by Monday, July 11.
The electronic survey is here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GreensboroVT3
Paper copies are also available at the Town Clerk’s office, Greensboro Free Library, Smith’s Grocery in the Bend, Willey’s, both Greensboro post offices, Four Seasons of Early Learning, and at the Greensboro United Church.
The Greensboro Select Board has a vacant seat. The town is seeking letters of interest to fill the seat until March 7, 2017 (Town Meeting Day). At that time, the voters will elect an individual to complete the remaining two years of a three-year term.
Letters of interest should be sent to: Town of Greensboro, PO Box 119, Greensboro, VT 05841, or emailed to [email protected]. Letters must be received in the the Town Clerk’s office by Monday, July 11 for review at the regular Select Board meeting on Wednesday, July 13.
The town is also seeking a part-time Zoning Administrator. This individual is responsible for administering the Greensboro Zoning Bylaws and works with both the Planning Commission and the Development Review Board. The position requires 10-20 hours per week, depending on the season, and is considered by the outgoing and interim ZAs to be very integral to the community and rewarding.
If interested, forward a letter of interest, resume, and two references electronically to Sean Thomson at [email protected]. To apply by mail, forward the same materials to Joe Wood, Planning Commission Chari, PO Box 119, Greensboro, VT 05841.
The GA provides several resources on its website to help make everyone’s time in Greensboro more enjoyable. Of particular interest for property owners who rent out their property at any time of year are the Renter Guidelines. The board is in the process of updating these guidelines to reflect the current rental scene, but in the interim, members who do rent their property should still consider providing the guidelines to their tenants. Of particular importance for the protection of camp septic systems and Caspian Lake is a recommendation for clarity about maximum occupancy at your property. Occupancy should not overload the number of bedrooms, the water supply, or the property’s septic system.
In addition, the GA provides information on boating guidelines for Caspian Lake. The guidelines include information about speed limits on the lake, as well as no-wake zones and wake management, boat equipment, and environmental considerations. Jet skis, personal watercraft, or any other Class A vessel which uses an inboard engine powering a water jet pump as its primary source of motive power are prohibited.
To view the complete Renter Guidelines and Boating Safety pamphlets, visit https://www.greensboroassociation.org/resources/
