You can find the newsletter for Friday November 26th HERE
Budget Committee
The municipal budget season is approaching and the Selectboard is looking for volunteers to serve on the Budget Committee. The committee is expected to meet once in December and then every Tuesday in January, with the possibility of extending to the first week of February. If you are interested in serving, please send an email to tmarsh@windsorvt.org
It's time for our annual gym floor maintenance, so the Rec will be closed to everyone through Monday, November 29 @ 8:00. This includes the weight room because you can't get to it without walking on the wood floor. Please pass this on, Thanks!
Annual Budget Survey
If you are a Windsor resident or property owner please take a few minutes and complete the survey that can be found at the link below. Hard copies are available in the lobby of Town Hall. Once completed they can be deposited in the white ballot box outside the Town Hall front door. The survey will be open through the 3rd week in December. The results will be available to the public and used in the upcoming municipal budget discussions.
Survey link:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3LDRJ56
The Winter Parking starts Dec. 1st.
A few years back we extended the Winter Parking Ban from the end of March to the end of April. ( and yes we have corrected the signs around town to reflect the correct dates).
It is unlawful to park on any street between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. between December 1st and April 30th, both dates inclusive. PLOWING SNOW INTO THE ROAD – STATE STATUE § 1126a Depositing snow onto or across roadways is prohibited
No person, other than an employee in the performance of his or her official duties or other person authorized by the agency of transportation (in the case of state highways) or Selectboard (in the case of town) highway shall plow or otherwise deposit snow onto the traveled way, shoulder or sidewalk of a state highway or a class 1, 2 or 3 town highway.
PRIORITIES & PRACTICES
Generally Town plows (4 routes) and operate from 5am to 11:30pm
Paved roads are cleared first – plows then move to the dirt roads
Sand and salt mix is applied to pavement during plowing
Dirt roads are plowed but sand is not applied until the storm ends
Salt is not applied to dirt as it is ineffective and can actually create or add to the icy conditions
Because two different mixes are used for tar and dirt the trucks have to switch over which takes some time. The fleet is not big enough to have trucks dedicated to dirt or tar only.
With freezing rain dirt roads are sanded more frequently than tar. This is because salt can be used on the tar but not on the sand.
Sidewalks are cleaned following a storm, not during a storm. We do not blow snow from the sidewalk into the street. Every effort is made to avoid inconvenience to private property, but the road right-of-ways are used to their full capacity.
Town Ordinance requires that property owners keep their sidewalks clear. The Town runs the sidewalk machine as quickly and as often as our staffing allows. We always appreciate a little help in-between storms and plowing.
Snow removal from in-town locations and intersections is dependent on the weather but generally removal will be scheduled within 2 days of the end of a storm.
Violations of snow removal policy will be handled through the police dept. as they are statutory or ordinance violations.
Comments / requests regarding snow removal should be directed to my office 674-6786 or tmarsh@windsorvt.org The highway dept. is directed to follow town road policy.
Upcoming Activity at the Closed Prison
VSP will be on site Weekdays now through the end of the year.
Holiday Season News and Events
Looking for a unique gift?
How about a Windsor print from artist Peter Huntoon? Peter has been kind enough to let us use his print of Windsor Main St. as a banner for the newsletter. You can find other works by Peter related to Windsor HERE
CoolSnowGlobes seconds sale:
Saturday Nov 27th 2-4 Windsor Tech Park
7 Everett Lane off Route 5
(South of Price Chopper)
Limited Quantities! Other Holiday items available as well.
Sign your kiddos grades K-6 up now for our annual Elves Workshop! December 19th, 10am-1pm at the Windsor Rec! This year the event will be FREE… but as always, space is limited and we will have a cut off so please sign your kids up ASAP. Each kid will make and wrap 4 gifts! Sign ups can be done online through the Rec portal. http://thewindsorrec.com
Early to bed, early to rise, work real hard and advertise!
Do you own or work for a Windsor brick and mortar or home-based business? Do you have items you would like to promote this holiday season? If so, please contact Riley White rwhite@windsorvt.org with product information and how to order. We will include those items in our "Shop Local" section of the newsletter and town FB page.
The annual “Light Up Windsor” event is back for the second year! Last year the event was so well received we wanted to find a way to make this an annual, entertaining event for the whole community. The Town truly had some extra holiday magic last year with all the wonderful displays on homes, apartments, businesses and more. This year, we will assemble a team of judges to decide on the best decorated business, and the top three decorated homes in Town. The business winner will receive bragging rights and be the keeper of the year for the annual, rotating “trophy”. The top three residences will receive a gift certificate of their choosing to a Windsor business to help encourage and support our important and wonderful local businesses! First place will receive a $150 gift certificate, second place will receive a $100 gift certificate, and third place will receive a $75 gift certificate.
To enter, please email rwhite@windsorvt.org (yes Riley is handling a lot of stuff!) that you will be a participating business or residence with a photo of your display no later than Monday December 6th. From there a map will be made available showcasing all the participating properties in Town to tour the lights! Winners will be contacted and announced on December 15th. Let’s make Windsor shine bright for the season!
Shop Small this Holiday Season! There is no better way to support local businesses and our community than to keep your holiday gifting local. Small Business Saturday is November 27th and Windsor has so much to offer. From artisans, crafters, retailers, makers, restaurants, and more, there is no shortage of variety found right here in Windsor to make gifting for everyone on your list easy! Don’t forget that you can also find everything needed for your holiday meals right here in Town as well.
SISTERS WEEKEND MARKETPLACE... a bit of whimsy for the home and soul!
Our holiday markets are just around the corner and we are so excited! The festivities begin...
Black Friday November 26th 10-4pm https://www.facebook.com/sistersweekendmarketplace/
Small Business Saturday November 27th 10am-4pm
and Sunday November 28th 10-2pm.
The shop is filled with holiday cheer ... something for everyone on your list! So, mark your calendars... this is one that you're not going to want to miss!!!
Not in town... no problem... we will be open the next 3 weekends in December... perfect timing for all of your gift giving needs!
Sisters Weekend Marketplace
82 Main St.
Windsor, Vermont
sistersweekendmarketplace@gmail.com
Follow along:
FB Sisters Weekend Marketplace
IG sistersweekendmarketplace Music and Merch at SILOSILO will be open the weekend after Thanksgiving for cocktails and holiday shopping. Come support local for Small Business Saturday! On November 27th SILO will be offering 10% off all retail items in their tasting room. Supplement craft spirits with a selection of local goods to put together the perfect Vermont centric holiday gift!
WHS Project Graduation Raffle for three Simon Pearce Vermont Evergreen Trees (5 sided Evergreen 14" - retail value $280) crafted by WHS graduate Hunter Buchanan. Tickets are $5 each. There will be three drawings - one for each tree. The raffle will take place on December 10th. The glass trees make wonderful holiday gifts! See our flyer for details on how to purchase tickets. Thank you for your support of the WHS class of 2022!
WHS Project Graduation Holiday Wreaths. Holiday wreaths for sale!: $25 decorated; $20 undecorated. Decorated wreaths will have red bows, red berries and pinecones. See flyer for details on how to purchase holiday wreaths. Wreaths will be delivered on November 28. Thank you for your support of the WHS class of 2022!
Ascutney Outdoors Annual Holiday Sale
Join AO for good cheer at the AOC on December 4th and 5th from noon until 4PM! Supporter Passes, gift certificates and a variety of new AO merchandise will be on sale just in time for the holidays. On Sunday from noon until 2PM there will be a special treat, a cookie walk, organized by Erika Stillson and friends. Please see the Events Calendar on AO’s website for more details on this “fun”draiser.
Windsor Wine & Spirits Going Out of Business Sale!
After more than 15 years of offering Windsor and the surrounding area a fine selection of liquor, wine, beer, mixers and bar supplies I have decided to retire and will be closing the store. We want to thank our loyal customers for their patronage and support especially during the holidays. Windsor Wine & Spirits will close at end of business December 31, 2021.
To celebrate our retirement and closing, all December we are offering all of our in-stock wine, beer, mixers and merchandise at 20% off with a cash purchase or 15% off with a credit/debit card purchase.
Come in early and help us celebrate by taking advantage of this huge sale while supplies last.
Community News
Linda Bruce Churchill local Hatha Yoga Teach for over a decade invites you to start your weekend with gentle yoga! Saturdays 9AM One hour gentle Yoga class at Windsor (vt) rec center...green room. $12 drop in...bring your mat. Soothe in to the busy holiday season... shopping, touring, visiting, brunch, hiking....great way to begin any activity. This class is in person and on zoom! A Hybrid class.
Register online: https://windsorvt.myrec.com/info/default.aspx
Linda B Churchill
E-RYT 300 Simon Pearce is Hiring! Update 11.19.21
Simon Pearce headquarters in Windsor has an opening for a IT Helpdesk Manager, Lead Sales Associate, Network + Infrastructure Administrator, Pottery Assistant, and a Quality Control Technician. All employees enjoy competitive pay, paid time off, plus product and restaurant discounts. For a full list of career opportunities, please visit the careers page at simonpearce.com/careers-at-simon-pearce or email Leah Stewart at leah.stewart@simonpearce.com to learn more. Simon Pearce is committed to the policy of equal employment opportunity and to provide all employees with the work environment necessary to enable them to advance on merit as far as their talents and skills will take them, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, status as a protected class of veteran, or any other legally protected status.
Thanks for sharing! If you have any questions, let use know.
Windsor on Air Comcast Channel 1081 and on line WOA-TV.ORG
Watch WOA Channel 1081 streaming live 24/7 from our website, www.woa-tv.org. Click on the schedule and see what will be playing. Besides Windsor-specific programming, we also play VT programming including COVID-19 updates with Gov. Scott and legislative updates. We also broadcast “Democracy Now!” every day at 6:00 pm & 11:00 pm. Religious services are broadcast on the weekends. We will be live streaming local events to our channel, website, and Facebook page so tune in and keep informed.
Windsor on Air Programming
Did you know you can watch WOA-TV live even without Comcast? At the WOA website, www.woa-tv.org you can watch our channel live. If you are not a Facebook user, you can also watch our livestreams on our website as they play simultaneously on our channel. We livestream the Select Board meetings every month, and other local events. So check it out….just click Watch WOA-TV live.
Ethiopian Night LINK
What Doth Life Festival II LINK
Dave Legacy All Country Band LINK
Around Windsor: Dog Park, New Restaurant, New Car wash and Slot Car Racing LINK
American Precision Museum "Letters and Stiches" typewrites and sewing machines LINK Windsor in the News
Blake Hill Preserves makes it to finals in national competition LINK
Do you know George O'Clair? LINK
1800's State Bank Scandal reported in Windsor's Vermont Journal LINK
Growing Season Stretches LINK
Windsor Residents in local play LINK
More from Ham Gillett, Don't throw your leave in the trash LINK
Municipal MeetingsIf you are interested in learning more about the workings of Town government you can find the agendas and meeting minutes to the various town boards and commissions here. Agendas are generally posted a couple of days prior to the scheduled meeting. You can also find meeting information on the Community Calendar located on the town website home page. Minutes are posed several days after the meeting. Additionally, Windsor on Air video records a variety of municipal meetings including the selectboard and school board. You can generally find videos of past meetings several days after the meeting takes place here. The Town Charter is the guiding document for our local government. You can find that document here
Windsor Library News
WINDSOR PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS:
November 30th is Giving Tuesday!
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we at the Windsor Public Library are contemplating all the things we are thankful for. First and foremost on this list is our wonderful community. We so appreciate your visits, your enthusiasm, your ideas and your support. If you are able to, please consider a gift to the Windsor Public Library on Giving Tuesday. We so appreciate your support!
Sunday, December 5th, 2:30PM: Holiday Read to Me: For All Ages!
Join us in the Windsor Library backyard for mulled cider, hot chocolate and chili as we listen to holiday and seasonal tales told by wonderful Windsor storytellers. Warm your hands by the fire and your spirits with good cheer as we gather together. Don’t forget to dress for the weather and bring your own chair, cup, bowl and spoon. (Yes, we will have some extras if needed!) Rain/snow/sleet date is Sunday December 12th at 2:30PM. Please RSVP by calling the library at 802-674-2556 or emailing librarian@windsorlibrary.org This is a Friends of Windsor Library event!
Friends of Windsor Library Looking for New Members
Would you like to join the Friends of Windsor Library? The Friends of Windsor Library work on fun projects to benefit the Windsor Library and our community! On Sunday, December 5th, the Friends is sponsoring the Holiday Read to Me (above.) In October, they held the Enchanted Forest in Paradise Park. They work on our annual book sale. They select and put up the story walks that many of you enjoyed this summer. Dues are only $10 annually. Go to https://windsorlibrary.org/friendsofwindsorlibrary to find out more or to join!
Please Wear a Mask in the Library!
Due to the prevalence of the Delta Variant, the Windsor Library is requiring masks for everyone entering the building.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING
Every Wednesday at 10:30am: Preschool Story Time - Library Backyard
Caregivers and their children are welcome as we share stories, songs, and crafts. For ages 0-5 with parent or caregiver. This will be held in the library’s backyard until further notice due to COVID-19. Please dress appropriately for the weather! In the event of serious rain or a thunderstorm, it will need to be cancelled.
Every Wednesday from 2:30-3:30PM: After-School Program Takes Place OUTSIDE
After-school programs will be held in the library’s backyard until further notice due to COVID-19. Please dress appropriately for the weather! In the event of serious rain or a thunderstorm, it will need to be cancelled.
ADULT PROGRAMMING, ETC.
Tuesday, December 14th, 3PM: Afternoon Book Discussion Group
We'll meet inside the library wearing masks and maintaining physical distance while we discuss Matt Haig's Midnight Library. "Nora wakes up . Not in heaven (dull) or hell (overdone) or purgatory (insert Lost joke), but in a library. The Midnight Library, which is the place people go when they find themselves hanging precariously between life and death and not entirely sure about which way to go." Stop by the library to get a copy of the book.
Some Thursdays 3-5PM: Come Play Mahjong! Our group of Mahjong players had so much fun, but as some departed for warmer climates, more players are needed! Do you play Mahjong? Do you want to learn how to play? Mahjong is one of the oldest games, played by thousands of people. This tile game involves skill, strategy, and calculation along with a bit of luck. All materials are provided. All are welcome. Please email librarian@windsorlibrary.org if you’re interested in joining this group.
Most Good-Weather Wednesdays at 3pm
Spanish Conversation Class: All levels.
Day and time subject to change due to instructor's schedule so call before coming! We meet outside in front of the library (or in bad weather, inside the library.) Please call instructor Paula Dart at 802-674-5812 to confirm.
2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, 6:30-8PM: Knitting Group!
Join us on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at the library from 6:30-8PM and meet other knitting enthusiasts. Knit, chat, and swap ideas and new techniques. All ages and abilities welcome, including beginners. Come once or come often!! Bring along any projects you are working on. If you are just starting out, we do have some supplies available for use, though we encourage you to bring your own.
Community shopping / Restaurant Update
Shop Local!
The information below has been provided to the Town but for the most current information please check with the business website.
Bistro Midva: Welcome Bistro Midva to Main St. Check out their website, including menu here
Windsor Station Restaurant
Open for inside and outside dining, Wednesday-Sunday 4-8 PM
Order take out line HERE
Harpoon News
Bring some brewery fresh beer home to the family— the perfect side for any Thanksgiving table. Growlers are 25% off all week long at our brewery in Windsor, VT
Sunday – Wednesday: 11AM – 6PM Thursday – Saturday: 11AM – 8PM
Open 11AM – 4PM Christmas Eve, Closed Christmas Day, Closed New Year’s Day
Windsor Diner
The diner is once again open for take out. Hours are Wednesday - Sunday 7am to 3:30pm Check out their specials HERE Boston Dreams located in downtown historic Windsor, has updated their hours:
Daily 8am-4pm Both Take out and outside patio seating is available. Order online at www.bostondreams.com or call 802-230-4107.
FRAZERS PLACE - Regular hours, full menu.
PIZZA CHEF - Regular hours, full menu. 674-6861
Message From Windsor Schools
Windsor Rotary Club Student of the Month for November
Congratulations to Hollis Wilson, Windsor School's Student of the Month for November. Hollis is a Junior who has been excelling in all their classes. Teachers have been impressed by the curiosity and interest that Hollis demonstrates regardless of subject matter. Hollis is taking a college-level Humanities class, and is an active participant in discussions. Hollis brings in new perspectives on old philosophical arguments and makes interesting connections between the past and the present. In Science Research and Inquiry, Hollis is taking a sociological approach to investigate opinions on bodily integrity. Hollis is also active in the Windsor Coalition for Justice, demonstrating concern for students that feel marginalized and excluded. Teachers praise Hollis's kindness and empathy, and are impressed by their ability to do great work at school while also working at Boston Dreams. Congratulations Hollis!
The NHS Teacher of the Month for November
November’s teacher of the month is Ross Spoonire! Students say that Mr. Spoonire has a welcoming attitude and creates a classroom environment that helps students learn. Many students commented that he makes the confusion of geometry make more sense and is a calming presence when students are stressed. Mr. Spoonire, or simply Ross as many know him, is always willing to put in a little more effort to help the school community. From timing track meets to helping with NHS, Mr. Spoonire is committed to being a positive influence. Teachers and students alike have praised his quick transition from a new teacher to a valued member of the Windsor community. Mr. Spoonire’s impact is best summed up by a comment received from a student that simply said: “ROSS”. Even if you have not had him as a teacher, chances are you know Mr. Spoonire and how beloved he is. Congratulations Ross!
Information on Religious Services
Holiday Services
If your congregation is offering holiday services that you would like to promote to the community please contact Tom Marsh tmarsh@windsorvt.org with the information for inclusion in future newsletters.
Sunday Worship Service at Trinity ChurchSundays at 9:30am - 44 Main St., Windsor, VT
In person at 44 Main St., Windsor, VT and Live Streaming on our website.
We are following Covid-19 guidelines for the State of Vermont.
You are welcome to join us on site or online!
Old South Church
Old South Church Updated Mask Mandate
Due to the rising rates of COVID, we are requiring all who attend Old South Church gatherings to wear masks upon entry of the building until further notice – regardless of vaccination status.
While we have limited disposable masks available at the door, we highly encourage you to bring your own.
If you choose to attend Sunday services online, we still hold live Zoom services. You can find the link on our website (oldsouthchurch.com) and then by clicking on our ‘Events’ tab.
If you have questions or concerns, please email the church office at oldsouthchurchwindsor@gmail.com.
Thank you and we hope to see you in person or online!
Update from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Bishop Christopher Coyne has announced that each Catholic who has reached the age of reason is once again obligated to attend Sunday Mass. It is his hope that we see participation as something we want to do, not something we have to do - a sacred obligation we choose in freedom! There are times and circumstances when one cannot be present: injury, ill-health, mobility issues, age, and now personal safety issues that are still present due to COVID-19. Children who have not been vaccinated and people whose health is compromised so that they have to avoid any risk of contagion may in freedom chose not to attend Sunday Mass.
With the lifting of all the protocols needed in response to the pandemic, masks are no longer required in St. Francis church for those who are vaccinated. However anyone who feels anxious about going without a mask may certainly continue to wear one. Also children and adults not yet fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks. Please be respectful of the choices people make for themselves or their children regarding wearing masks or not wearing them.
If at any time you have any questions, please call the Parish office on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 802-674-2157. God Bless You all!
Federal, State and Local Reference information
Vermont State Information on COVID-19: Vermont.gov
Municipal Service information
The Windsor Municipal Administrative Offices are open to the public!