This is a special edition of the newsletter. While we want to make note of one of the Cavendish Historical Society’s (CHS) most dedicated members, Gloria Leven, we also want to document the historic activities of the July 2023 floods.
Unfortunately, activities we had planned for the summer, several hikes and more, will have to wait until next season. However, it is safe to hold the Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk on Sept. 12 (Sunday) at 2pm. We will begin at the Museum with the talk. It’s about ¾ of a mile to the accident site, so please wear comfortable shoes.
OUR YOUNG HISTORIANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
A component of the CHS Young Historians program, Preserve and Serve, has students from Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES) providing an array of community services including fall and spring chores for both town gardens as well as for neighbors. In early June, the CTES 6th grade went to Gloria Leven’s house to rake, prune, plant and prepare for the summer. Gloria was a month shy of her 100th birthday. She was so pleased she wrote the following note:
Dear Margo & Robin & all wonderful kids and helpers-
What can I say?
Your cheerful, happy giving of your selves to clean up my yard and work together to make my backyard lovely and cared for is beyond my thanks.
The fun of giving is so beautiful!
I have no words to tell you what it means for me to see children happily working and realizing what their giving is such a wonderful learning for them-to be helping others!
All my thanks to all the kids-and to the lovely adults!
Love,
Gloria Leven
Before the students arrived, Gloria wondered how she was so lucky to have people helping her. I assured her that we were returning the favor as for so many years Gloria gave of herself, whether it was for CHS, the school or the library, she has been Cavendish’s #1 volunteer.
A special thanks to Dr. John Rice, who drove the bus with the students to Gloria’s and stayed to help prune, rake and motivate.
JULY 2023 FLOODS
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and we’ve gathered various photographs to do just that. The drone shot by Allen Clark gives a good indication of the flooding of Cavendish village. While Mack Molding was surrounded by water, the mitigation measures taken after Irene helped them reopen within a day of the event, versus the month or more after Irene. However, they didn’t “drain the swamp” before someone decided to go kayaking in the parking lot.
With 98% of Cavendish in the Black River watershed, not only did the River come roaring through the villages, but brooks, streams, and other tributaries of the River caused incredible flooding. And it just wasn’t confined to July 9-10. Flash floods continued for the next several weeks. Roads that were put back together, once again washed out.
While Irene was considered a once in a 100 year flood, these events, thanks to climate change, are more likely to be once every 5-10 years, with potentially shorter intervals.
According to Time Magazine, The extreme flooding unusually occurred as El Nino, a climate phenomenon, has begun. Across the northern U.S. and Canada El Niño typically brings warm, dryer temperatures, while the southern U.S. faces greater precipitation and flooding. A slow-moving storm system stuck between Greenland and Canada and incoming tropical moisture from the south were the main cause of this week’s storms. However, the extreme rainfall is also indicative of greater changes caused by climate change. Flooding will only become more common as the atmosphere becomes warmer, causing the air to hold greater moisture and thus create more precipitation.
A good day for kayaking
July 9 was preparation day for the town crew, fire departments and shelter team. Sleep wasn’t coming easy, as both fire departments bedded town for the night at their respective stations, and cell phones were constantly beeping with updates. At one point, phones literally screamed, a sound few had ever heard before, as the flood warning was in full alert.
Sign by Lily Calabrese
By 6 am, water rescues were underway and the Cavendish Shelter, located at the Cavendish Baptist Church, was in full swing.
Quickly filling up, everyone was welcome including dogs and cats. At one point, it appeared the Church’s parking area was going to flood. Cyrus Gross, all of 15, dug a trench to re direct the water with his father’s tractor.
On July 11, the Cavendish Update reported, So many people have stepped to the plate and are helping in the most unbelievable ways. Our first responders-Cavendish and Proctorsville Fire Departments-are doing an incredible job at rescue and keeping people safe. The shelter crew is keeping people fed and housed. The town office is answering calls and helping to guide help where it’s needed. Most of all thank you to the people of Cavendish for keeping it together and doing what we always do-take care of one another. If you have to have this kind of emergency, there is no better place to be than Cavendish.
Outer Limits 
Murdocks
Depot St. by Train tracks
Depot Street once again was hard hit. Train tracks were twisted. Debris was everywhere and homes that had been damaged in Irene seemed to have had more damage than from that tropical storm.
House on Depot
Having been through it before, people knew that the first order of business was to drain the basements, clear out the muck and begin mold remediation. However, this turned out to be easier said than done. The constant rains created conditions that were not conducive to drying out. Further, many properties not impacted by Irene, were dealing with flooded basements, damaged driveways and roads along with overflowing culverts. Few in Cavendish were spared one issue or another.
"Irene lasted for about 24 hours. It was raining one day. It was a Sunday afternoon, and then I think it was Monday, we woke up... the sun was shining. And we went out to look at the damage and we were able to get to work immediately, said Gov. Phil Scott. Unfortunately, it started raining on Sunday July 9th and continued throughout July 10th.
HOW CAVENDISH RESPONDED
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| Store Manager Steve |
Once again the people of Cavendish rallied. Not only did the shelter remain open for two weeks, but it’s currently serving as the base for the Mennonite Disaster Relief teams that have come to help restore and rebuild in the Okemo Valley.
Cyrus & Rodney walking Depot St.
In the two weeks the Shelter was open, over 2,000 meals were provided. Unlike Irene, where it was three weeks before power and water were restored, the water system held and power was restored within 21 hours town wide. Consequently, instead of coming to the shelter for meals, many wanted to stay home and work. Meals were delivered to homes, work crews and even the flaggers. As one of the women flaggers on Route 131, when asked if she needed anything, noted. “I’ve got Rodney.”
Originally from Cavendish, Rodney now lives in Tinmouth, VT. He came almost daily for about 10 days delivering breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with drinks and snacks. Some will remember Cara Tyrrel and her daughters pulling their wagon on Depot filled with food and water following Irene. Once again Cara and her daughter Caroline were pulling a new wagon in the Depot Street area.
Store Manager Steve (Steve Jobrack) kept customers happy by helping them shop for the right items they needed for cleaning, as well as food, snacks and other items. However, his buttoning skills left a bit to be desired, as he modeled a shirt someone had donated.
Store in the Pews
Because the Shelter store took up the pews of the Baptist Church, Sunday service was held at the Cavendish Stone Church, just across the street. Abe is definitely a pulpit preacher. 
Abe Gross at the Stone Church
Mike helping out
McNamara, as he did after Irene, was lending a hand where ever it was needed. His nickname this time was “Mr. Clean,” as he never left the shelter without loading up his truck with cleaning supplies. His daughter Kelly made the most incredible meals for the shelter - no one will ever forget her amazing breakfast sandwiches. Diane, who is Cavendish’s Town Clerk, was manning the phones while her family was in the kitchen and on the streets.
Since Abe Gross is the pastor of the Cavendish Baptist Church it wasn’t surprising to see his entire family involved in all aspects of running the shelter, be it laundry, meals, cleaning, dog walking, making beds, answering phones, stocking the store, answering questions and more. Cyrus hasn’t slowed down a minute. If he’s not on the tractor, he’s helping to hang dry wall in some of the homes where he tore it out.
Many have responded in so many different ways. One of my favorites was the Goodman’s setting up their pizza truck in front of their house on Depot St. treating their neighbors and community. The concert series continued, though several of the concerts were held on school grounds. Even the annual Tag Sale happened but was held over two days because of the rain.
As we pass the one month mark of the flood, this recovery is much different than Irene. Property owners and Ludlow have sustained a lot more damage than in 2011. Many thought they’d never see another such event in their life time after Irene. Now there are comments about climate change, hazardous mitigation, buyouts, moving and the concern of what the fall hurricane season will bring. The Black River, as photographed on August 14, continues to flow through our town where we are Vermont Strong, Cavendish Safe.
View from Mill St. Bridge
BECOME A MEMBER, RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP, DONATE
If you have not joined the Cavendish Historical Society, need to renew your membership, and/or would like to be a volunteer, please complete the form below and sending a check, payable to CHS, to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142. All contributions are tax deductible.
Name: _______________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
Phone Number: _____________________ E-Mail: ____________________________
Membership Level
__ Individual Member $10 __ Senior Member 65+ $5 __ Sustaining Member $500
__ Household Member $15 ___ Contributing Member $250
Volunteer
___ I would be interested in serving, as a volunteer .I would be interested in serving on the following committee(s):__ Program Planning __ Fundraising __ Building (Museum)
__Archives _ Budget –– Cemetery __ Carmine Guica Young Historians
Donations are always welcome and can be designated as follows:
__ For general purposes __ Young Historians __Publications
__ Archaeological Activities _ Museum & Archival __ Special Events
__ Rankin Fund __ Williams Fund __ Solzhenitsyn Project
__ Other (please specify) __ Cemetery Restoration __ Preservation Projects
