CHS Briefs July, 2018

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Please also check the Cavendish VT Facebook page for photo albums of various CHS activities.

Craig Rankin's Plant List

Vermont is now experiencing its all to brief 2^nd season-the 4^th of July (the other season is winter). With temps in the 90s and a high heat index, we adjusted the Annual Plant Sale to an expanded “early bird,” from 5-7 pm Friday and from 8-noon the day of the sale. While we’ve had a special “left overs” sale on Sunday, it’s too hot for the plants and the customers.

When the 4^th is mid week, its hard to predict which weekend people consider the “4^th of July weekend,” so sales are generally down as fewer people are here. It spite of that it was great to see so many friends and former customers. A very special thank you to our plant team-Svetlana and Kem Phillips, Pang Ting, Pieter van Schaik and all those who donated plants for the sale-Angela Assermely, Barbara Dickey, Wendy Regier, Lou Choiniere, Anna Shapiro and Jen Leak. Special thanks to Ron Bates for providing us with lemonade and Town Manager Brendan McNamara and Randy Shimp, municipal water operator, who worked with us trying to resolve our water issue.

There was considerable discussion about changing the sale to Memorial Day and offering a variety of new options. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail or call the numbers below.

So if you are wondering if we’re setting a record with our current heat wave, board member Bruce McEnaney provided the following information, “Vermont's highest recorded temperature occurred on July 4th, 1911. It was 105 degrees f. It was in Vernon, south of Brattleboro. They survived. We will too!”

Coming soon is the fabulous and wonderful blueberry picking at the McEnaney Farm. Bruce and Betty do an amazing job with the best blueberries-Bruce will assure you it’s because you pick them yourself. As soon as we have a date, we’ll let you know.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING

Carmine Guica Young Historians: Though the school year has ended, we fit a lot into the last two months, which you can see from the Cavendish Facebook Albums.

-       CTES 3rd graders visit Canterbury Shaker Village

-       6th Graders learn by Digging Up History

-       Cavendish Memorial Day

-       Preparing for Memorial Day

-       May Day at CTES

These activities would not be possible without our incredible volunteers: Pang Ting, Bruce McEnaney, Timothy McEnaney, Denise Hughes, Trevor Barlow, Em Benoit, and Doris Eddy. Thank you!

We are now working with the after school program (ASP) and will be collaborating with them on a “Roots” Camp. The first week will feature the skills of the first peoples who lived in Vermont while the second week focuses on the first European settlers. The camp runs Aug 13 through Aug 24.

CTES has a new principal Debra Beaupre, who we are looking forward to working with. As we wish George Thomson the best on his retirement, he has already agreed to help chaperone some of our trips.

While it maybe 90 + in the shade, we’re already experimenting with woven paper heart designs as this year’s holiday theme will be Scandinavia.

Solzhenitsyn: It’s wonderful to be visiting with people from all over the world who are interested in learning more about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s time in Cavendish. In addition to Cavendish’s exhibit, the Vermont Historical Society’s Museum exhibit Solzhenitsyn in Vermont in Montpelier is open until Oct. 2018 in the Jackie Calder Gallery. Below are recent interviews involving CHS.

• A New Exhibit Considers Solzhenitsyn’s Exile in Vermont (Seven Days)

• Author, Russian, Exile, Vermonter: The Life and Writing of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Museum & Stone Church: Wish we could say the doors to the Museum have been installed, and probably no one wishes that more than Dave Stern and Bob Naess, who set aside time each week to work on this project. However, we can take one item off the “to do list,” as Carl Liener installed his beautifully painted sign for the Museum. The original was destroyed in the fall when someone drove into it. Carl is currently recovering from a motorcycle accident so we wish him a speedy recovery.

Svetlana Phillips, with the assistance of her husband Kem, continues to work her magic with the planter in front of the Museum. We enjoy how it continually changes.

WHAT’S COMING UP

Museum: The Museum is open every Sunday from 2-4 pm. You can arrange to visit at another time by e-mailing margocaulfield@icloud.com or calling 802-226-7807

Annual Phineas Gage Walk and Talk: Sept. 9, (Sunday) 2-4 pm at the Museum

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you can help with any of the following, please contact CHS margocaulfield@icloud.com; 802-226-7807 or PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142

• Painters, scrappers and repairers: We need volunteers willing to do some basic carpentry to repair the banisters of the Museum. We will also need painters for the steps and banister.

• CHS is looking for new board members as well as volunteers who can help with various activities.