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Vernon Citizens For Responsible Development |
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Previous Newsletter April 11, 2010 |
What's Next?
It's been relatively quiet for the past month as we waited to see what TicketNetwork's next move might be. A short item in Wednesday's Hartford Courant announced that they would not appeal the decision and the deadline for appeal passed on Thursday; so it looks like no concerts this summer and we can enjoy peaceful cookouts in the backyard. So what's next for VCRD? Do we drift back into our busy lives until some future crisis or do we focus the energy of our new-found community on fresh goals and projects? While waiting over the past month there has been related activity and we have become more vigilant and involved in the town. VCRD members have been attending and participating in Town Council budget hearings, Brad Davis' Vernon Town Meeting and other events to stay on top of things so we won't get caught sleeping again. We'll need to stay vigilant so other applications don't pass without debate. There will be a Neighborhood Tag Sale next weekend. The proceeds will be donated to VCRD for future projects. Hope many of you will get involved with either donations or purchases. If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you'd like to be on our email list send name and street to info@VernonCRD.org. The newsletter is also posted on the website. TicketNetwork Concert ApplicationIt appears the wait is over and we'll have a quiet summer. The deadline for appealing the Planning & Zoning Committee's decision was Thursday, April 8. In an item in the April 7 Hartford Courant, apparently released by TicketNetwork, Don Vaccaro indicated they weren't going to appeal the decision. They will likely seek to build the venue in another location. He says he has received four offers from other unnamed towns, including two from other states. Many thanks to our Legal Committee who worked with our lawyers, the Town Attorney and the Planning Department to create the document accepted by the PZC denying the application. It includes 19 points of denial. » Go to the Hartford Courant April 7 article Tag Sale
A neighborhood tag, plant and bake sale to benefit VCRD is planned for Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 at 50 Valley Falls Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. If you would like to donate items please contact LINDA VENDRILLO at lindavend@sbcglobal.net, (860) 871-5471 or drop them off by Thursday, April 15. She could also use some help on the days of the sale. It would be helpful, but not essential, if you could price your items before dropping them off. Pricing is a lot of work and we hope to be inundated with merchandise and pricing your donations would help a great deal. For an excellent guide to tag sale pricing see Pricing Guide For Tag Sales & Yard Sales. Brad Davis Comes To Town
Brad Davis brought his radio show to town on Thursday, April 8. He broadcast on location from Vernon Town Hall with what he describes as an old fashioned New England Town Meeting and the chance for communities to get together, learn more about their town government and its officials, and discuss the issues. One of the things that brought him to town was our community organizing and successfully opposing a developer. A number of VCRD members attended the broadcast and had the opportunity to speak. DAVID MCQUADE was first and set the tone by indicating we are not opposed to development, but this was the wrong application for a residential neighborhood. Others spoke later emphasizing the good things about Vernon and being very positive in their comments. What's Next?
Now that the concert application appears to be behind us VCRD will explore whether to stay together and continue working to improve our town and help protect its natural resources. We are looking for ideas for projects and activities. Ideas we have gathered to date are shown on our What's Next? Ideas webpage. It will give you an indication of areas in which we could participate and we welcome your thoughts. Much of the work for the PZC hearings was done by a core group of about 25 people with contributions by many more. If we develop committees to work in different areas we will be looking for others who might want to take a more active role in planning and organizing. Other OrganizationsWhile working on the application issue we found many other organizations, committees and commissions that are working to improve Vernon and protect its resources. We would like to recognize them, connect with them and make you aware of who they are and what they do. Some are town sanctioned or appointed and some, like VCRD, are independent of the town administration. We urge you to get involved. The first step in protecting the things we love is being aware of what's going on around us; the next step is getting involved at whatever level each of us is able. We are developing a page on our website that lists other organizations and committees, what their mission or purpose is and with links to their websites. Some websites include excellent educational material and other resources. In each issue of this newsletter, whatever form it may take in the future, we would like to feature one of the organizations to familiarize you with it, so that you will better understand how the town works and what is available to you. Vernon Greenways Volunteers
Our first featured organization is the Vernon Greenways Volunteers. The Volunteers are individuals who assist the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department through the maintenance, enhancement and proper use of the 30+ miles of trails in Vernon. Sponsors adopt a section of Vernon’s trail system or finance a trail project through an annual tax deductible donation to supply the funds to support their work. Members are individuals who have chosen to give back to the community and make their own experience more satisfying by participating in the maintenance, enhancement and proper use of the trail system. See the Greenways website for a number of links to hiking resources and maps. If you would like to learn more about this organization the Volunteers kickoff meeting for 2010 will be held Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m. at the Vernon Teen Center, 375 Hartford Turnpike (Route 30). As part of the meeting they'll hold a discussion on what the Rail Trail was like "Before it was a Trail". Contact: Don Bellingham at bellinghamdl@att.net. » Go to Vernon Greenways Volunteer's website.
Vernon VideosIn roaming around the town website we ran across a series of videos about the town that deserve more publicity. They are promotional of the town and will remind you of all the good things that drew you to live here and remind you of what we are working to protect. To see the videos visit the town site and click the Video TourBook link at the bottom right.
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